SAM DAVIES TO RACE 'SKANDIA' IN FIRST SOLO EVENT OF FIGARO SEASON...

IN BRIEF:

* In stark contrast to the double-handed Tour de Bretagne race around the rugged Atlantic coastline, the first solo regatta of the 2003 Figaro circuit starts this weekend from Marseille in the heat and fickle, but sometimes violent, winds of the Mediterranean.

* Thirty-three entries including sole UK skipper Sam Davies on SKANDIA are entered for La Generali Méditerranée... At least one-third of entries are newcomers to the event including Davies, up against the favourite Figarists of Jérémie Beyou, Gildas Morvan, Erwan Tabarly, Gilles Chiorri and Eric Drouglazet...

* Two weeks of competition including five offshore legs (three overnight) and five inshore races...full-on pace for fourteen days with only two lay-days...for Olympic sailors with stamina! Full programme below.

IN DETAIL:

Sam Davies racing her Bénéteau Figaro 2 one-design SKANDIA will be competing in her first solo event of the Figaro 2003 season - La Generali Méditerranée starting on the 14th June from Marseille. In stark contrast to the double-handed Tour de Bretagne on the Atlantic coastline of Brittany, the 33-boat fleet will be racing in the warmer, if not tricky, conditions of the Med. "It will be a completely different event," said Davies. "Not only are we racing single-handed, but the conditions are totally the opposite - it will be warm, in fact, we will have to worry about sunburn and dehydration, there will be minimal tidal effect and the wind conditions can be very tricky in the Med. Although one thing that doesn't change is that it will be as relentless as ever with very little downtime to rest. The overnight legs will be my first test on the sleep deprivation front as well - a critical thing to learn about before the Figaro itself in August."

La Generali Méditerranée takes place over 14 days including five offshore legs and five inshore windward/leeward races - three of these being raced at the finishing venue of Ile de Porquerolles. "Three of the offshore legs are run overnight and the longest leg is about 100 miles," said Davies. "I have been practising over and over my manoeuvres - hoists, gybes, drops, tacking - since we arrived a couple of days ago. We have to complete all the safety checks, paperwork and measuring regulations before the prologue stage that kick starts the event this Friday."

Over 10 of the 33 competing skippers are first-time participants in this event and Sam will be able to get a better impression of how she fares in the solo field in the build up to the Solitaire du Figaro. "You can expect to see the regular favourites at the top of the leaderboard...Jérémie Beyou, last year's champion in this event, Morvan, Tabarly, Chiorri and Drouglazet," said Davies. "But there are a good contingent of first-timers so it will be interesting to see how I get on - I am feeling pretty relaxed and I know SKANDIA is in as good as shape as possible thanks to everyones help at Compositeworks - I can't wait to get out there."

Course:
Friday 13 June-Prologue-Marseilles-Afternoon
Saturday 14 June-Inshore race 1-Marseilles-Start 11h00
Sunday 15 June-Offshore leg 1-Marseilles-Port-Camargue-Start 11h00 Monday 16 June-Offshore leg 1-Arrive Port-Camargue Tuesday 17 June-Inshore race 2-Port-Camargue-Start 11h00 Wednesday 18 June-Offshore leg 2-Port-Camargue-Beaulieu-Start 11h00 Thursday 19 June-Offshore leg 2-Arrive Beaulieu Friday 20 June-Lay day Saturday 21 June-Offshore leg 3-Beaulieu-Impéria-Start 11h00 Sunday 22 June-Offshore leg 4-Impéria-Hyeres-Start 11h00 Monday 23 June-Offshore leg 4-Arrive Hyeres Tuesday 24 June-Offshore leg 5-Hyeres-Porquerolles-Start 11h00 Wednesday 25 June-Lay day Thursday 26 June-Inshore race 3-Porquerolles-Start 11h00 Friday 27 June-Inshore race 4-Porquerolles-Start 11h00 Saturday 28 June-Inshore race 5-Porquerolles-Start 11h00

Competitors 2002 (skipper/boat name/age):

Agusta Corrado - Sector Group - 22*
Christophe Artaud - Petits Petons/FTH Thirard - 40
Romain Attanasio - Port Trebeurden - 26*
Sébastien Audigane - tbc - 36
Jérémie Beyou - Delta Dore - 27 (2002 Champion)
Arnaud Boissieres - tbc - 20*
Christophe Bouvet - SOR/TMC - 39
Charles Caudrelier-Bénac - Bostik Findley - 28
Thierry Chabagny - Petit Navire Le Bon Gout Du Large - 31
Gilles Chiorri - 3201 Météo Consult - 38
SAMANTHA DAVIES - SKANDIA - 28*
Eric Drouglazet - David Olivier - 36
Daniel Dupont - Art Immobilier Construction Yann Elies - Groupe Generali Assurances - 29
Marc Emig - tbc - 34*
Franck-Yves Escoffier - Crepes Whaou! - 46
Jeanne Grégoire - AG2R Prévoyance - 27
Yves Le Blevec - Actual Interim - 37*
Eric Lebreton - CYP - 41*
Armel Le Cleac'h - Crealine - 26
Gildas Morvan - Cercle Vert - 35
Jean-Paul Mouren - Marseille Entreprises - 50
Lionel Pean - tbc - 46
Laurent Pellecuer - AON/Languedoc Mutualite - 29
Eric Pilat - Altaventure/SNSM - 40*
Christopher Pratt - Cafés Malongo - 22*
Gwenael Riou - Espoir Credit Agricole - 26
Sebastiaan Sander Bakker - tbc - 31*
Sephane Sevaux - tbc - 47*
Alberto Spina (no details available) Erwan Tabarly - Thales - 29
Marc Thiercelin - Bermudes Alexandre Toulorge (no details available) Romain Trouble - tbc - 27*

* First year of competition in event
tbc = boat name to be confirmed

For further information on La Générali Médierranée please visit http://www.generalimed.com