Dazcats – one third of Fastnet 2025 MOCRA Fleet

by | 17 Jul 2025 | Uncategorised

The seven 2025 Fastnet Dazcats

25 Years On:

1 Legendary Race,

7 Dazcat Entries;

2 Multihull Centre Trimarans;

The 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race

  • Profiles of the Dazcats and their crews
  • How to follow the race

The Rolex Fastnet race attracts the world’s largest fleet of offshore racing boats. International entries range in size, experience, age, cost and reasons to enter, with 430 starters in 2023 and a record 474 signed up for this year’s event. According to their website: “The Rolex Fastnet Race is considered one of the world’s toughest and tactically challenging offshore races. Since its inception, the Fastnet Race has proven highly influential in the growth of offshore racing, and remains closely linked to advances in yacht design, sailing technique and safety equipment.”

You can read more about this evolution in our previous post.

In 2025, the Rolex Fastnet Race celebrates its 100th anniversary, and for us here at the Multihull Centre in Cornwall, there’s even more to mark: 25 years since a Dazcat first crossed the Fastnet start line.

This year’s edition sees a record-breaking seven Dazcats among the 21-strong MOCRA fleet, the largest Dazcat entry in race history. All but two of the nine boats in total hailing from the Multihull Centre were designed and built by this small but mighty Cornish yard – placing the Dazcat name firmly at the centre of the UK’s multihull racing scene.

“To have over a third of the MOCRA fleet built in our small corner of Cornwall is a huge point of pride,” says Simon Baker, Director at the Multihull Centre. “We love going fast, but we never forget that offshore success is built on good seamanship, preparation, and safety. That’s the Dazcat philosophy.”

A Quarter Century of Fastnet Dazcats

Dazcat and the Fastnet: A Legacy of Performance

Dazcat’s Fastnet story began in 1999 with the trimaran Paradox – an early showcase of the brand’s dedication to performance, innovation, and true ocean-going reliability. That first race marked the beginning of a legacy that would help redefine multihull racing in the UK.

Since then, Dazcats have not only raced regularly but often dominated, with frequent podium finishes in MOCRA. They’ve consistently proven that speed doesn’t have to come at the cost of comfort, practicality, or seaworthiness.

Over the years, many standout Dazcats have left their mark on offshore racing, including:

  • Paradox (TR10)

  • Dazzle (D12)

  • Drama Queen (1150, now Bare Necessities)

  • Hissy Fit (1495)

  • Apollo (1495, now Sula Basana)

  • Slinky Malinki (1295)

  • Sueños (1195)

Each of these boats has logged thousands of ocean miles and earned a string of race trophies. More recently, the 1295 Minor Swing has joined the fleet, already making waves in the RORC Offshore Series. For more about previous Dazcat Fastnets, read the article ‘25 Years of Dazcat Fastnets’.

Today, Dazcats are a familiar force in events like the Round Britain & Ireland Race, AZAB, and the RORC Offshore Series. From those early pioneering days to the strong presence they now command, Dazcats have become an integral part of the multihulls’ evolving story.

Following the Race and the Dazcats

With a full range of ages, sizes, and sailing styles represented, this year’s Fastnet fleet is a true showcase of Dazcat’s evolution — from early pioneers to world-class multihull contenders. Whether it’s the highly competitive Minor Swing, the tenacious Bare Necessities, or the iconic Dazzle, each boat carries the same DNA: designed and built for offshore excellence in the wild waters of the North Atlantic.

We’ll be sharing updates in the lead-up to and during the race – follow along on our channels to meet the crews, see the boats, and ride the highs (and waves) of the 2025 Fastnet adventure.

Follow us – we’ll be posting regular updates to our Facebook and Instagram pages:

More stories from 25 years of Dazcats in the Fastnet:
👉 Blog: https://www.multihullcentre.com/2025/07/01/25-years-of-fastnet-dazcats/

Follow the race live

You can follow the race live, either:

Via the RORC Race Tracker– this will start when the 2025 version is activated, pre-start, and will update live through the race. You can search individual boat names or set classes of boats, like MOCRA, or view the whole fleet.

Or you can download the YB Races App on your phone.

Once in the tracker you can either search for boat names or choose to just show multihulls.

This Yachting World article gives good details of all the different RORC live channels and how to stay updated on the race overall.

Hashtags to search for:

#RolexFastnetRace

#RORCracing

#MOCRAracing

#DazcatFastnet2025

#Dazcatracing

Race information and background:

For everything you need to know about the race visit the RORC website

Meet the 2025 Fastnet Dazcat Fleet

DAZZLE (Dazcat 12m; 2003)

Dazzle Returns: A Fastnet Icon Reborn

The oldest Dazcat in the 2025 fleet, and a true Fastnet veteran – Dazzle is back on the racecourse with a fresh look and under new ownership. Originally built in just 16 weeks back in 2003 for multihull legend Mike Butterfield, Dazzle has just undergone a major refit and is now lighter, stronger, and raring to go.

Her new owner, Dominic, previously of D10 Belladonna, has a serious need for speed. Just take one look at Dazzle’s towering rig and you’ll get the picture. He’s gone all-in on the refit to push Dazzle to eye-watering performance levels.

Dominic has form when it comes to refitting older Dazcats, turning them into updated offshore race machines. With Belladonna (1999), after a somewhat less intense refit than Dazzle has enjoyed, he competed in the 2019 Fastnet as well as the doublehanded Round Britain & Ireland Races in 2018 and 2022. Now, he’s bringing that same energy to his first Fastnet aboard Dazzle.

Joining Dominic are:

  • His son Josh, who worked side-by-side with him throughout the refit

  • Longtime friend Richard, a seasoned multihull racer with an impressive track record that includes America’s Cup racing

  • Matt Theobald, yard manager at the Multihull Centre and previously regular Belladonna crew

  • Enora, Matt’s partner and fellow sailor – both are taking a break from racing their Newick trimaran Nemo to campaign on Dazzle

Together, the team has been putting Dazzle through her paces all season – sailing as often, as far, and as fast as possible. Now, they’re ready to take on the big one: the Fastnet.

 

EASY TIGER (D995R; 2007)

Small But Mighty: Easy Tiger’s Fastnet Debut

Making her Fastnet debut in 2025, Easy Tiger may be the smallest Dazcat in the fleet, but she brings some solid offshore credentials. She’s already completed the two-handed Round Britain & Ireland and the Round Ireland Race, proving her capability in tough conditions. Agile, efficient, and race-ready, she’s more than earned her spot on the start line.

Owner Neil is a long-time racer with roots in dinghies and monohulls. Over the past decade, he’s steadily built Easy Tiger into a serious competitor – first converting her from an open-deck layout into a comfortable bridge deck cruiser-racer, and then steadily clocking up race miles in increasingly challenging events.

Joining Neil on board:

  • Rich, a highly experienced sailor with a deep background in dinghy and yacht racing. His CV includes the Fastnet, Gold Armada Cup, Cowes Week, Round the Island, Cork Week, cross-Channel races, and the Tour de Voile, as well as National and European Championships across a range of yacht classes.

  • Kaya Nightingale, a former Plymouth University student who has been sailing with Neil for about five years. A keen J24 sailor, Kaya is competing in the J24 Worlds in Plymouth this year. His biggest offshore achievement to date is crossing the Atlantic as part of a four-person crew in the ARC on a classic yacht.

  • Nick Matthews, who began sailing on the East Coast and continued through his time at Plymouth University. He’s taken part in several RORC events on a variety of boats and completed the Round Ireland Race aboard Easy Tiger in 2024.

With a strong, versatile crew and a well-tuned boat, Easy Tiger may be small but she’s set to make a big impression in her first Fastnet.

D995R Easy Tiger

BARE NECESSITIES (Dazcat 1150; 2009)

Bare Necessities: Proven Performer, Stronger Than Ever

With a Fastnet class win in 2011 already under her belt, Bare Necessities returns in 2025 with serious pedigree. This 2009 Dazcat has racked up an impressive offshore résumé: two further Fastnet campaigns, three Armen Races, the Scottish Islands Peaks and Three Peaks Race, and, more recently, victories in the 2023 AZAB and 2024 Round Ireland Race.

While she usually races two-handed, Bare Necessities is stepping up to a four-person crew this year. With co-owner Alison recovering from surgery at home, skipper Bruce is heading to the Fastnet with a team of seasoned multihull sailors, all closely connected to the boat and the Dazcat family.

Meet the Crew:

  • Brendan Seward, Dazcat Projects Manager and newly appointed Director, has been part of Bare Necessities‘ story from the very beginning. He first raced her when she launched as Drama Queen, while on a university placement with the build team. When Simon sold the boat to Bruce and Alison, it was with one key condition – Brendan had to come with it! Now co-owner of a Farrier trimaran with Andy Sinclair of Highwater Sails, Brendan has sailed thousands of miles on Bare Necessities and a host of other Dazcats.

  • Pete Russell also joined Dazcats as a university placement – on the same course Brendan had done a decade earlier. Before discovering multihulls, Pete sailed his own yacht Muffin around the UK. While working for Multimarine, he raced on D1 and any other boat he could get his hands on. Now, he’s the proud owner of Wombat, a Grainger trimaran, and a regular face in the multihull scene.

  • Dani Middleton is the newest addition to the crew but brings a powerhouse of skill. Coming through the RYA racing pathway, she’s a specialist in rules and race starts, with extensive experience on smaller multihulls including F18s. Her offshore résumé includes an impressive performance aboard Raygun, a tiny Diam 24 owned by Simon, Peter Middleton, and Dave Barden of Allspars, which stole the show at the 2023 Round the Island Race, beating out much larger competition. Dani currently works at Allspars and brings vital rigging expertise to the team.

With the boat in great condition and a crew combining deep experience, long-standing camaraderie, and sharp tactical know-how, Bare Necessities is well set for another standout performance in this year’s Fastnet and is definitely one to keep a close eye on. 

DAZCAT 1150 BARE NECESSITIES

SUEÑOS (Dazcat 1195; 2010)

Built in 2010, Sueños is a boat that blends long-distance cruising comfort with serious offshore performance. Skippered by MOCRA Commodore Rupert, she’s no stranger to ocean miles, or the Fastnet.

Rupert’s sailing résumé stretches back to the 1980s and includes a wealth of short-handed experience:

  • OSTAR (1988)

  • AZAB (1995 & 2023)

  • Seven two-handed Round Britain & Ireland Races (1985, 1988, 1993, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022) – four of which were completed aboard Sueños.
    Add to that over 25,000 miles of family cruising – for years as a liveaboard family with young children, and always on multihulls – and you get a skipper who’s truly done it all.

Rupert has done the Fastnet twice before: in 2013 and 2019. While he prefers sailing short-handed, his fully crewed 2013 campaign still netted 8th overall and 4th in the under-50ft multihull category. In fact, Sueños was first under-50 multihull at the Fastnet Rock, a high point Rupert would very much like to top this time around.

For the 2025 edition, Rupert is once again racing fully crewed, but with a twist: every crew member has previously co-skippered with him in two-handed races. This is a tight-knit team built on trust and experience.

Meet the Crew:

  • Alan, Rupert’s oldest sailing friend, has cruised and raced with him for decades. He co-skippered the 2022 RBI and 2023 AZAB, despite both of them having claimed they were done with long-distance two-handed racing. Clearly, the Fastnet’s pull is just too strong.

  • Nick, former Project Manager at Multimarine, was Rupert’s co-skipper in the RBI and has sailed alongside him in numerous other events. A seasoned hand with a deep knowledge of multihulls.

  • Elliott first joined Rupert’s crew while still at school, learning the ropes on the Firebird Fiery. He’s since co-skippered Sueños in the 2018 RBI, 2019 Fastnet, and 2020 Fastnet 500, growing into a core member of the team.

Though Sueños races with the comforts of home, a washing machine and a freezer stocked for a transatlantic passage, don’t let that fool you. This crew is sharp, seasoned, and well-prepared. With deep experience and close bonds forged over thousands of miles, Sueños is more than ready for the 2025 Fastnet challenge.

Dazcat 1195 SUENOS

HISSY FIT (Dazcat 1495; 2015)

Hissy Fit: Big Boat, Big History, Big Crew!

A Fastnet class winner in 2017 and one of the most recognisable multihulls in the fleet, Hissy Fit is back for her fourth Fastnet campaign. Skippered by Multihull Centre Director Simon Baker, this elegant, ocean-ready Dazcat 1495 is built for performance, whether that’s offshore racing, long-distance cruising, or both.

Simon has been a fixture on the offshore multihull scene since 1999, when he bought his first Dazcat – D26 Clarkes Active Air, a micro-racer previously raced across the Atlantic by Darren Newton and Bob Beggs. Simon renamed her Brian, but due to a dyslexic mix-up at the yard, she launched as Brain. The name stuck.

Since then, Simon has owned and raced four Dazcats, competed in seven Fastnet Races (2025 will be his eighth), and racked up an enviable trophy collection, with podium finishes in the Armen Race, Round the Island, 2H Round Britain & Ireland, Round Ireland, and the MOCRA Nationals.

Fastnet Track Record

Simon first raced the Fastnet in 2005 aboard Paradox, a 10m Daztri. He raced again in 2011 and 2013 on Drama Queen(D1150), before launching Hissy Fit in time for the 2015 edition. This is Hissy Fit’s fourth Fastnet:

  • 2015 – Debut appearance

  • 2017 – 1st in class, taking home the MOCRA Crystal Trophy

  • 2019 – 3rd, in close match racing with sistership Apollo (now Sula Bassana)

At 14.95m, Hissy Fit is the biggest Dazcat in the 2025 fleet. How she performs against her smaller sisters will, as always, depend on the conditions the race delivers.

This Year’s Crew

Simon is known for mixing up his crew list, giving both experienced sailors and newcomers the opportunity to race offshore on a high-performance multihull. This year, Hissy Fit fields one of her largest offshore teams to date:

  • Adam – Simon’s longtime friend and 2019 Hissy Fit Fastnet crew. Usually found racing his own monohull but always up for a blast on a multihull.

  • Greg – The newest addition and one we’re slightly in awe of. Greg is the new owner of D1495 Sula Bassana (formerly Apollo/Prismo), Hissy Fit’s sister. He flew from Canada to Cape Town to buy her unseen, his first Dazcat, then promptly sailed her 6,000 miles to Antigua. Just days after landfall, he swapped crew, got a fresh set of sails from North, and raced the Caribbean 600. So when he asked to join Hissy Fit for the Fastnet, it was an easy yes.

  • Will – The youngest on board, Will is a NACRA champion who races internationally. Though new to larger multihulls, he’s picked up the skills fast. He’s also doing an apprenticeship with Allspars and spends any ‘spare’ time onboard doing handy bits of ropework.

  • Beth – Purchasing Manager at the Multihull Centre and a keen sailor with smaller boat experience. She’s newer to offshore racing and  Hissy Fit, and she’s been loving every minute so far. Beth is also an RNLI volunteer.

  • Oriel (aka Dazcat Media) – That’s me. This will be my third Fastnet aboard Hissy Fit, and it feels quite special to be racing alongside such a strong fleet of Dazcats. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t just take photos – I sail, race, stand watches, and (for some reason – self inflicted) always seem to end up in charge of the galley. This time, with six crew aboard, I’m hoping there’ll be more time for sleep, and for keeping you all updated with media along the way!

Dazcat 1495 HISSY FIT

SLINKY MALINKI (Dazcat 1295; 2017)
This 2017-built racer has competed under two owners, winning the RORC Season Points Championship for under-50ft multihulls in 2021, when she was also the only Dazcat to race in the Fastnet. Peter bought Slinky at the end of 2022 and they’ve kept a relatively low profile until now. Suddenly she’s back and pushing hard in 2025, making an appearance on most of Solent based RORC races so far this season and finding her pace nicely.

Dazcat 1295 SLINKY MALINKI

MINOR SWING (Dazcat 1295; 2023)

Minor Swing: The Newcomer Making Big Waves

The newest Dazcat in the fleet, Minor Swing (launched in 2023), is already turning heads. In 2024, she won the RORC Season’s Points Championship for under-50ft multihulls – a huge achievement so early in her career. She also claimed second place in the 600-mile Drheam Cup, a perfect warm-up for this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race.

In 2025, Minor Swing has continued her winning form with victories in both the Cervantes Trophy Race and the Cowes–St Malo–Dinard Race, firmly establishing her as a serious contender.

The Crew Behind the Speed

  • Didier (Owner/Skipper) – A seasoned racer with eight competitive seasons in the Figaro circuit (2006–2013), Didier brings deep offshore experience and a strong tactical edge. Minor Swing is his latest project, which has already proven to be highly successful.

  • Luca – Our young naval architect at the Multihull Centre with racing in his DNA. Luca is the grandson of the Dart 18 designer, Ian Fraser, and has grown up on multihulls. He’s already known as a “racing machine,” bringing youth, talent, and a sharp technical mind to the team.

  • Romen Richard – Joining Minor Swing from his Olympic preparations in France, Romen has also raced three seasons in the Figaro class, collecting two podium finishes. He was a key crew member aboard Minor Swing during the 2024 Drheam Cup, where his expertise, says Didier, was definitely instrumental their second-place result. Romen also contributes to the  routing and weather strategy for Minor Swing but also for professional sailors, including Didier’s son, Romain, who finished 2nd in the 2025 Transat Paprec.

  • Cédric Pouligny – The most experienced sailor on board, Cédric has been a professional racer and coach since 2006. His résumé includes One Design circuits, Tour Voile (as skipper of Oman Sail), and campaigns on Maxi Yachts. He placed 5th overall in the last Rolex Fastnet Race aboard IRC 43 Albator and now brings that level of performance and leadership to Minor Swing.

With a cutting-edge design, a string of victories behind her, and a crew stacked with talent, Minor Swing may be the newest Dazcat on the Fastnet start line, but she’s more than ready to challenge for the podium.

Dazcat 1295 Minor Swing

 

The Multihull Centre Trimarans

Two more boats from the Multihull Centre will be racing and both are strong contenders for the podium. A serious threat to our Dazcats, though also crewed by family and friends!

UNO, TR36 Grainger Trimaran. Uno was sold through the Multihull Centre Brokerage , and although based near the Solent, still chooses to overwinter at the yard.

Owner James Holder, previous owner of Dazcat 1295 Slinky Malinki, is a veteran multihull racer with many sucesses to his name. He is racing with regular crew members and friends.

A further link to the yard is crew member Matt Baker – Simon of Hissy Fit’s brother. Matt is an exceptionally skilled and experienced sailor and long time friend of owner James. He is also on the Dazcat build team. 

Also on board is Paddy, who has raced in the UK, France, USA, Brazil and more on everything from minis to Imoca 60s. He’s enjoyed successes with Figaros and also worked as an ambassador for Clean Sailors, supporting sustainable practices for cleaner oceans.

Uno is racing four up in total, with the other crew member being a regular and also long time friends. 

Morpheus, Shuttleworth 39 Trimaran. Although based on the East Coast, Morpheus has been a regular at the yard since arrival in the UK, after being built in the Phillipines. 

Owner Andy Fennel, previous owner of the trimaran Strontium Dog, has a need for speed and a love for trimarans. Morpheus has participated in numerous races including Round Britain and Ireland and two previous Fastnets, one where he took under 50ft MOCRA line honours.

Sailing with Andy is a seasoned crew that includes Andy Sinclair, proprietor of Highwater Sails and his partner Hannah, who also happens to be twin sister of Beth on board Hissy Fit and also an RNLI lifeboat volunteer. 

Also on board is Doug, who did a work placement at the yard in his young teens and has been in love with multihulls ever since. He now owns his own trimaran ‘Trying’, which is, of course, kept at the yard!

Got your own Dazcat or Multihull Centre story to share?

Drop us a line – we’d love to feature your photos or race memories in a future post.

Watch This Space!

We will be bringing you news and profiles of our boats as the countdown begins…