La Solitaire du Figaro - Press Release 21
August 13, 2003

Yesterday’s leaders Pascal Bidégorry (Région Aquitaine) and Charles Caudrelier (Bostik Findley) have been making an average of 4.7 miles since yesterday afternoon and are still holding the reins on the fleet today after weaving their way up past Belle-Île, Groix and the Glénans and currently in a 15 knot north-easterly. After a tactical start, the race across the channel is going to be down to speed and good negotiation of the shipping lanes as the boats come up round Ushant. It was a night of transition and change for the 42 boats in La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro. Transition as geographically the fleet have finally left the Vendée-Belle-Île –Bilbao triangle bound for the open seas. Change as finally the south-west to westerly wind kicked in at 8 to 10 knots from the north-east at around 0100 BST, enabling the boats to sail on starboard tack. The visibility has been poor to very poor at about 1 mile with a thin veil of mist. The air is drier and less muggy and the fleet have had the benefit of the full moon to sail by, which is particularly good news given the number of fishing boats the fleet are now crossing. Yesterday afternoon there was lot of pebble-hopping going on with Basque Unai Basurko (Biskaia) flirting with the Pointe du Croisic so as to be able to get geared up to round the south of Belle-Ile. Currently there is an anticyclone of 1026 hPa centred to the immediate west of Ireland shifting slightly towards the north and directing a north north-easterly flow over the west of Brittany creating instability from the west with storms. Tomorrow the fleet will still be under the direct influence of the anticyclone directing a moderate to fairly strong north-east to easterly air flow and including the arrival of a front from the west and the north at the same time.

Pascal Bidégorry (Région Aquitaine) currently leading the fleet, seemed rather happy about his option, even though it wasn’t the one he left with at the start in La Rochelle, and is keeping a careful eye out for any debris in the water. “For now, it’s not going too badly. When I crossed back on the right hand extremity of the fleet I was in contact with Charles Caudrelier Bénac, so that reassured me. I’ve virtually done the opposite course to that which I intended to do but it’s worked so I am really pleased! The weather should be a bit more simple from here and there will be less risks taken. It’s just going to be down to handling the boat and staying fixed on the helm as there’ll be a fair amount of spinnaker up to Dingle. There is also more sea than wind so it’s slamming a lot. I feel quite relaxed and I’ve slept a lot since the start so I’m sure to keep myself out of the red!”

The top ten comprise yesterday’s principal actors, such as Michel Desjoyeaux, Alain Gautier and Loick Peyron but what is particularly interesting is who is not up amongst it in the leading group. This morning Yann Eliès (Groupe Générali Assurances), was 16th at over 10 miles from the head of the fleet, Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) 18th over 13 miles away … or worse still last year’s outright winner Kito de Pavant (Crash Bandicoot) and Gilles Chiorri (3201 de Météo Consult) 25th and 26th at over 18 miles away. Second rookie in the last leg, Yves Le Blevec also seems to be having trouble getting into the match close to the coast in 32nd. Normally to be found a couple of places above British hope Sam Davies (Skandia) in the pre-Solitaire warm-ups like the Tour de Bretagne and the Générali Méditeranée, Jeanne Gregoire has never really been up there since the start of the Afflelou Figaro and is more often found towards the bottom of the table for now in 30th while Sam now seems to have found her place mid-fleet, currently in a sturdy 16th place.

Quotes from the Boats

Jérémie Béyou (Delta Dore) : “I’ve been sailing a little less badly than at the start. Yesterday I had quite a few light patches and got had each time. I hope I can catch up a bit. Those who took a westerly option, including myself, seem to have come back on the rest.”

Loïck Peyron (Fujifilm): “It’s good to have a bit of fresh northerly again. It’s not blowing very strongly yet but it’s moving the boats on. We’ve just passed La Chausée de Sein mark buoy and will soon be out into the channel. We’ll see how long it takes before hostilities start as we’re in fro a long reaching session then. It’s going to be a tactical race with a lot of helming and shifty wind so now, at a time when everyone was hoping for a bit of sleep, we’re going to have to put up the spinnaker!”

Yves le Blévec (Rêve de Grand-Actual Interim) : “I had a pretty difficult first night which is why I find myself so far back at the rear of the fleet. It’s likely to be hard to get back with the leading pack. I’m just trying to do well against those who have been doing it for years, but I know that I’m not reactive enough and quick compared to them. Marc Emig has shot off”.

Thierry Chabagny (Petit Navire, le Bon Goût du Large) : “We had Mediterranean type conditions, now we’re going to pass into the northern part of La Solitaire course, with more regular winds. Yesterday evening I was tired. I was continually trimming, shifting the ballast, on the look out, snacking so as not to fall asleep...All the boats were tacking over a short distance and I found myself in contact with Géant and Foncia. I feel rather alone now, I can’t see anyone.”

Michel Desjoyeaux (Géant) : “It’s chaos! I haven’t slept. At the end of the evening I negotiated a nice vein of wind. This morning I was in front but I’m not sure how true that is in real terms. I’ve been slaving away to get back some ground on the boats in front. I’m waiting patiently for the wind to become established a little so that I can get some sleep. For now it’s a question of constant trimming and correcting your bearing”.

Marc Thiercelin (Bermudes) : "There was not even a whisper of wind last night. I hit big rock at 7 knots near the Ile de Ré and I don’t know how much damage there is to the keel but I do know that I hit 7 times!”

Kito de Pavant (Crash Bandicoot) : "The wind is almost as twisted as us! I didn’t really want to come this way but the wind brought me here. I’m not in a good position to get back up with the frontrunners but I’m going to try to get back up there."

Christophe Bouvet (Savoy Open Race): “I got a 2-3 metre piece of plastic stuck on my shaft propeller so I had to dive down and get it off. Fortunately I brought my towel along on this leg. This sea is a real dustbin. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. When you’re behind and you get a flurry of wind after everyone else, it takes a lot to get back in the match and then you don’t necessarily take the right options either. You really have to be motivated when you’re behind…”

Kate Jennings

...Official site La Solitaire Du Figaro