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La Solitaire du Figaro announces 2010 edition of the race
07-12-2009
The 2010 edition of La Solitaire du Figaro will cover 1,717 nautical miles between ports both old and new to the race. There will be the return to Gijon and Kinsale, which will bring back memories that are part of the rich history of La Solitaire du Figaro. Between these two stages abroad, Le Havre will host the race start for the 41st edition for the first time. Brest and Cherbourg-Octeville will each host a stop-over once more.
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French host ports for La Solitaire du Figaro 2010 announced
26-10-2009
Following an incredible 40th edition, La Solitaire du Figaro is already looking ahead to 2010 and unveils its French host ports of call. The full details of the course of the 41st edition of La Solitaire du Figaro shall be disclosed on Friday 4th December at the Paris Boat Show.
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The Race Replayed - A Classic 40th Edition
20-08-2009
52 skippers at the start, 52 at the finish. Not one retirement. New young talents making their first appearances, the stars of offshore sailing proving their mettle, wonderful stories, deserving winners…. and above all suspense that endured to the very last miles. The 40th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro has delivered on all its promises: “I couldn’t have dreamed of better” says Race Director Jacques Caraës.
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Nicolas Lunven wins 40th edition of La Solitaire in thrilling finish
19-08-2009
In the sport of offshore racing it just doesn’t get closer than this. After 511 miles of intense competition, the 52 boat fleet finished the fourth and final leg of the event’s 40th anniversary edition this afternoon in Dieppe, and right to the very end it was almost impossible to pick the winner. The 10 leading boats streamed across the line in a little under 12 minutes, and ultimately it was Antoine Koch (Sopra Group) who crossed first, at 14h12 and 48 seconds, followed by Nicolas Troussel (Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne) and Thomas Rouxel (Défi Mousquetaires). But the big winner is fourth placed Nicolas Lunven (CGPI), who holds off his adversaries to take the title of overall winner on accumulated time across all four legs.
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50 Miles from the Finish, and the Game Wide Open
19-08-2009
The suspense continues this morning as the fleet reach the middle of the English Channel, no more than 50 miles from the finish line in Dieppe. As the wind has died down in the small hours, so the leading skippers - Frédéric Duthil, Charles Caudrelier Benac, Michel Desjoyeaux et Yann Eliès – have come under attack from all sides.
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Countdown to Grand Finale Begins
18-08-2009
Since passing Wolf Rock and Land’s End last night, the fleet of Figaro Beneteaus has been making much faster progress than expected along the south coast of England, passing the four major headlands at the Lizard, Start Point, Portland Bill and Anvil Point on its way to the final mark of the course, the Needles Fairway buoy at the western entrance to the Solent. Presently making seven knots of boat speed, in variable south-easterly and south-westerly winds, the leaders are expected to round at about 1800 (UK time) this evening, before setting off on the final cross-Channel phase to the finish in Dieppe. Frédéric Duthil (BBox Bouygues Telecom) is tenaciously maintaining the narrow lead he has held for the last 36 hours, literally a stone’s throw from Charles Caudrelier Benac (Bostik) and a mile ahead of Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) in third. British skipper Nigel King continues to sail the Figaro leg of his life, consistently in touch with the leaders and less than 4 miles from the front.
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Big Brother is Watching
17-08-2009
It isn’t often that the Race Office drops in on the fleet in the middle of an offshore yacht race, but that was the case this afternoon when the chartered jet carrying the whole circus of organizers and race officials of La Solitaire du Figaro were able to buzz 52 very surprised skippers mid-Irish Sea. The accompanying journalists will be able to write with the authority of first hand experience that at midday the fleet were making steady progress under spinnaker, on calm seas and with good visibility, on their way to Land’s End and their next mark of the course, Wolf Rock. The 1600 position report shows Frédéric Duthil (BBox Bouygues Telecom), Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) and François Gabart (Espoir Région Bretagne) holding the top three places, but with the bulk of the fleet within 5 miles of the leaders.
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Fond Farewell to Dingle for 4th Leg Start
16-08-2009
It came very close to running like clockwork in Dingle Bay today, for the start of the fourth and final leg of this year’s Solitaire du Figaro. The promised wind settled in briskly this morning, and even moderated to a more manageable 16 or 17 knots by the scheduled 1200 (local time) start, though the south-westerly direction kicked up enough of a sea to give the numerous spectator boats an authentic if slightly uncomfortable nautical experience. After a general recall at the first attempt, the 52 boat fleet got away cleanly at 1214 precisely, and are now flying down the Irish coast on their way to the next mark of the course, the Fastnet Rock.
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Dingle to Dieppe - Last Leg Starts Tomorrow
15-08-2009
The fourth leg of this year’s Solitaire du Figaro sets off from Dingle at noon local time tomorrow, at 511 miles the longest and the last of the series, and another classic mix of coastal and offshore sailing. After nearly three weeks of fantastically close racing, and the top fifteen skippers within one hour of accumulated time, there is everything still to play for, and the identity of this year’s champion will not be revealed until the very end.
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Jérémie Beyou Victorious Again After a Night of Suspense
14-08-2009
For Race Officer Dominique Berenger, waiting patiently on the committee boat at the entrance to Dingle Harbour last night, it must have seemed like being on the receiving end of a nautical version of the Charge of the Light Brigade. After a third leg full of tactical twists and meteorological surprises, the weather threw a final curveball in the fleet’s direction as the leaders entered Dingle Bay yesterday afternoon. Less than 10 miles from the finish line the breeze in the bay died completely, and the placid waters became a parking lot for Figaro Beneteau 2s as the rest of the fleet piled around the corner at Valentia Island. It was to be six hours before enough breeze kicked in to propel the boats the final distance, by which time the view from the finish line was of a seemingly endless arc of navigation lights across the bay. Any one of 20 boats could have won it, but ultimately it was Jérémie Beyou (Bernard Paoli) who held his nerve and crossed first, for his second consecutive leg victory of this year’s edition of the race.
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Words from the Winners in Dingle
14-08-2009
After the extraordinary third leg finish last night in Dingle Bay, with 47 of the 52 boat fleet arriving in 42 minutes, here are the first thoughts from the top three skippers as they stepped ashore.
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Changing Weather Brings Unpleasant Surprises
13-08-2009
Equipped with only the most limited means of communication with the outside world, life can be full of surprises for the solo skipper in La Solitaire du Figaro - and not all of them welcome. Just one such bolt from the blue was delivered last night by a small disintegrating low pressure system, taking an unexpected dive south from its confidently predicted trajectory to land squarely on top of the front runners in the 52 boat fleet as they neared the southern coast of Ireland. Bringing a whole new array of light airs and windless traps to add to an already fluctuating regime, the result has been a comprehensive shake-up to the pack, with some notable slides down the rankings, and some narrow escapes. With the leaders expected to arrive in Dingle around 1900 (local time) this evening, there is little runway for dramatic comebacks.
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The ‘Figaristes’ Dilemma - Short Term Gain or Long-Term Profit ?
12-08-2009
The sun put in a brief reappearance yesterday evening, but ever since it has been a return to unremitting greyness and damp for the 52 skippers making their way from France to Dingle, on Ireland’s west coast – a phenomenon the predominantly French fleet are happy to attribute to their growing proximity to the British Isles. The leg’s second night at sea presented the second of its key strategic challenges: the all-important timing of the change onto port tack to cross the ridge of high pressure blocking the route to Ireland. The result has been two principal groups of front-runners, and while Armel Tripon (Gedimat) and Antoine Koch (Sopra) have profited in the short term, 30 miles south-west of the Scillies they are now engaged in a to-and-fro battle with the opposing group, presently led by Armel Le Cleac’h (Brit Air).
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First Night of Third Leg - Local Knowledge Pays
11-08-2009
After a first night spent dodging all manner of traps and obstacles, it would seem this third leg of the 2009 edition of La Solitaire is so far living up to its billing as the most tactical yet. The calm conditions of the start gave way to a night requiring full attention on the skippers’ part, as they made their way along the Breton coast towards the final mark of the course before the finish line in Dingle, the Cap Caval bouy off Penmarc’h Point, at the south-western end of Brittany. With plenty of islands and other rocky hazards to dodge, local knowledge was at a premium, and it was Port La Foret denizens Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) and Charles Caudrelier-Benac (Bostik), sailing on their own back doorsteps, who passed the mark seconds apart this morning before heading neck-and-neck into the Western Approaches.
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Third Leg Under Way : Ireland Here We Come !
10-08-2009
The third leg of the 40th Anniversary edition of La Solitaire du Figaro got under way as scheduled at 13h00 this afternoon, a complex 485 mile passage between St. Gilles Croix-de-Vie in France’s Vendée region across to Dingle on the west coast of Ireland. Once again it was a gentle start, with 5 or 6 knots of westerly breeze under cloudless blue skies and on the flattest of seas. The mood among the 52 skippers is much more intense however, with the Figaro veterans relishing the prospect of a classic leg full of twists and turns, and those ranked further down the fleet in attacking mood, seeking every opportunity to take big risks and reap bigger rewards.
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Eve of third leg : “This is where it starts to get serious”
09-08-2009
After the headlong, straight-line rush across the Bay of Biscay that was the second leg of La Solitaire, the third is shaping up to be a more classic, technical test of the ‘Figariste’, with abundant strategic options and the opportunity to make big gains… or to suffer big losses. With 120 miles more distance than in the last leg, and some tricky obstacles to negotiate, the 485 mile passage from St. Gilles Croix-de-Vie to Dingle in South-West Ireland could easily deliver a radical shake-up to the closely contested rankings. “We’re not exactly starting from square one” said Race Director Jacques Caraës “but it’s not far off.” Or as skipper Thomas Rouxel (Défi Mousquetaires) puts it “This is where it starts to get serious.”
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A Tough Year to be a ‘Rookie’
08-08-2009
La Solitaire du Figaro has always paid attention to its first-timers. Picked out in the rankings there is a race within a race, that between the ‘bizuths’ as the French call them: the skippers making their first participation in this revered series of solo offshore races. Lining up in this year’s 40th edition there are 15 of them, and after two legs the competition for the top spots is as closely contested as for the over-all results.
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Quotes from the Podium
07-08-2009
Jérémie Beyou (Bernard Paoli), winner of the leg and 5th overall
The tough nature of the race :
“The problem with this race is that you really have to suffer, at least I have yet to find any other way of doing it, and I think that anyone who thinks they can win it just by clicking their fingers has yet to be born !”
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Jérémie Beyou Wins Second Leg at Saint-Gilles Croix de Vie
06-08-2009
The skipper of Bernard Paoli guided his Figaro Beneteau 2 across the finish line at 20H20 and 37 seconds this Thursday evening, to win the second leg of the event in an elapsed time of 52 hours 21 minutes 37 seconds – equivalent to an average speed across the 365 mile passage of 6.97 knots.
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Light at the End of the Tunnel for Tired Skippers
06-08-2009
The Figaro fleet is expected to arrive in St. Gilles Croix-de-Vie tonight, and the finish line won’t come a moment too soon for the 52 skippers. This second leg has been one long drag race since the fleet escaped the light airs off northern Spain two days ago: a 300 mile upwind slog to SN1, the turning mark off St. Nazaire. Under grey skies and with consistently rough seas, life on board will have been anything but comfortable, the misty, humid conditions not even allowing the opportunity to get out of foul weather gear. At the front Jeremy Beyou (Bernard Paoli) has been able to protect his lead for the last 24 hours, and is expected to round the mark at about 1630 (French time). Once there it will be time to break out the spinnakers for a 35 mile downwind run to the finish.
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Jérémie Beyou Leads the Pack
06-08-2009
There’s no down-time for the skippers as their headlong rush across the Bay of Biscay continues. Having reached the latitude of Oléron this morning, Jérémie Beyou (Bernard Paoli) has protected his overnight lead, having won up to a mile of extra breathing room from second-placed Nicolas Lunven (CGPI). Charles Caudrelier-Benac continues to hold third place; as the breeze has settled in so too have the rankings.
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A Game of Snakes and Ladders
05-08-2009
Since yesterday’s light airs start at Coruna, the returning north-westerly breeze has comprehensively shuffled the pack, as the 52 boat fleet heads back across the Bay of Biscay on its way to the second leg finish at St. Gilles Croix de Vie. Having successfully side-stepped the patch of flat calm that presented the leg’s first major obstacle in its opening hours, by this afternoon the skippers had ticked off the first 150 miles of this 365 mile passage. For now the fleet remains relatively closely grouped, and in the fickle conditions each successive ranking brings numerous position changes.
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Slow-Motion Start in Coruna for Second Leg
04-08-2009
There was just enough breeze to allow the 52 competitors a gentle morning sail out to the start area this morning, but after that it was ‘deja-vu’ for skippers and race committee alike as the light south-westerly faded and the ‘AP’ flag was hoisted to indicate the beginning of a waiting game, just as in last year’s Vigo stopover. The delay lasted no more than a couple of hours, and at 1559 the fleet ghosted over the start line, embarked on their 365 mile journey to St. Gilles Croix de Vie on France’s Atlantic coast.
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Gentle Conditions Expected for Second Leg Return to France
03-08-2009
The second stage of the 2009 La Solitaire du Figaro gets underway at Coruna at 1400 (local time) tomorrow, the 52 boat fleet re-crossing the Bay of Biscay in a 365 mile passage to the port of St. Gilles Croix de Vie in France’s Vendee region. Early indications are that conditions will be relatively light in comparison to the robust weather encountered on the first leg from Lorient, but too little wind can present just as many challenges as too much in this tightly contested class.
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Eliès Celebrates First Leg Victory in Coruna – But a Long Way to Go
02-08-2009
The dockside post mortems started almost as soon as Yann Eliès (Generali) crossed the finish line at 1759 and 15 seconds yesterday evening (Saturday), followed within the space of an hour by no less than 15 of his rivals. Numbered among them were most of the big names in this bumper 40th edition of the classic French offshore racing series. In Figaro terms such a neglible time difference between boats means it’s still practically level pegging for the overall title, and the start of the second leg next Tuesday is an opportunity to very quickly wipe the slate clean.
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Quotes from the Podium : first thoughts on arrival in Coruna
02-08-2009
Yann Eliès (Generali), leg winner :
A taste for victory…
“It’s only a leg win, and I don’t plan on it being the last, but I’ll enjoy it all the same, and also try to keep thinking about what comes next. I want to go the full distance, to win an overall victory. I’ve got to win this event one of these days! It’s my fifth leg victory, but I can’t stop there ! "
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Eliès Still Holding Narrow Lead in Nail-biting First Leg Finish
01-08-2009
The 52 solo skippers competing in the first leg of La Solitaire du Figaro are nearing the finish line at Coruna this evening, after a typically hard-fought leg which has seen some distinct strategic choices. Leading the fleet since Friday evening is Yann Eliès (Generali), returning to competition for the first time since miraculously surviving severe injury during the 2008-2009 Vendee Globe. The racing is close however, and in such a competitive class nothing will be certain until the very end. Estimated time for the first finishers is from 20H00.
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The South Pays – Eliès Back in the Lead
01-08-2009
Yann Eliès took back the top spot last night (Friday), the strategy of the small group who took the southerly option having apparently paid off. But there is still 128 miles to go to the finish in Coruna, and with the breeze now veering into the north-west there’s no such thing as a sure-fire bet in this first leg of the race. The front runners are estimated to arrive from 2100 local time tonight.
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Mid-Biscay and All to Play For
31-07-2009
It will have been a sleepless night last night for most of the 52 skippers on their way from Lorient to Coruna on the first leg of La Solitaire du Figaro. Within hours of the start, in a respectable 10 knots or so of breeze, they were stalled in the forecast light and variable conditions, and for the single-handers that means only one thing – time spent on deck hand steering and trimming sails to wring out every fraction of a knot of boatspeed.
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Laurent Pellecuer comes out on top after light and tricky conditions on first night at sea
31-07-2009
Laurent Pellecuer holds narrow lead after a sleepless first night at sea in what was forecast to be very light conditions. The frustratingly light conditions mean the skippers have been stuck to helming and trimming sails and spinnaker. By early morning the breeze has veered to the south, spinnakers are packed away and the genoas used in the light 2 to 6 knots of breeze that is expected to build throughout the day.
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Bright sunshine and ideal conditions for start of first leg
30-07-2009
The first leg of the 40th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro, one of the world’s toughest series of offshore races, got underway at 13h00 today in classic conditions. The 52 boat fleet enjoyed a clean start in an 11 knot westerly breeze, with a slight swell, bright sunshine and clear visibility.
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Solitaire du Figaro : 52 Figaro sailors get ready for tactical first leg
29-07-2009
The fifty two solo sailors competing on the 40th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro will set off on the first of four legs tomorrow at 13:00. At 345 miles, the first leg from Lorient to La Coruña in Galicia, across the Bay of Biscay, is the shortest in terms of distance, but one that is likely to test all the sailors technical and strategy abilities.
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Jérémie Beyou wins Suzuki Prologue on La Solitaire du Figaro
28-07-2009
The world’s solo sailing greats have gathered in Lorient to compete on the 40th Anniversary year of what is considered to be one of toughest events of the sailing season, La Solitaire du Figaro. 52 competitors will take part and six previous winners, with a total of ten years’ worth of wins return to test and hone their offshore racing skills against the world’s leading solo sailors and upcoming talent. Among the fifteen rookies keen to leave their mark is Johnny Malbon (Artemis), while fellow Briton Nigel King (Nigel King Yachting) and Franco-German sailor Isabelle Joschke return to make up the fleet’s international contingent. Jérémie Beyou (Bernard Paoli) defied superstition by winning the Suzuki Prologue race in Lorient.
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La Solitaire du Figaro : 40th edition is underway !
26-07-2009
The fleet for the 40th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro is now moored at the pontoons by the Kéroman submarine base, with a final count of 52 skippers expected to be on the start line on Thursday July 30th after Christian Bos announced his withdrawal this morning. On the shore side of the event, La Solitaire’s race village opened its doors this morning in bright sunshine.
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A legendary line-up for the 40th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro
08-06-2009
55 competitors, 3 foreigners and 15 rookies for the 40th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro. From Lorient to Dieppe passing by La Coruña in Spain, Saint Gilles Croix de Vie and Dingle in Ireland, the 2009 edition of La Solitaire will be competed over 1,706 nautical miles. The 2009 line-up is unquestionably/indisputably one of the finest in the history of the race.
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An excellent 40th edition!
18-02-2009
The 40th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro promises to be excellent, with 71 pre-entries of which 20 are rookies, 3 are non French, not to mention the return of five previous winners. An anniversary edition that will take the fleet between France, Spain and Ireland on a classic course covering 1,706 nautical miles over four legs.
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La Solitaire du Figaro 2009: 40th edition
04-12-2008
In 2009 La Solitaire du Figaro celebrates its 40th anniversary and a remarkable history. Since 1970, 538 sailors have made the start line of this “classic” summer event and there will be more newcomers in 2009. In this landmark year, the race sticks to the traditional format with a 1,706 nautical mile course set between France, Spain and Ireland on the Atlantic Ocean, the Irish Sea and the English Channel.
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The 40th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro announces the 2009 French host ports
18-09-2008
With La Solitaire 2008 just finished, all thoughts turn to 2009. This 40th edition will be special, measuring up to expectations with the return of some of the biggest names in offshore sailing. As a preview, the organisers announce the French host ports of call for the new edition; the overall course will be revealed, as each year, on the eve of the opening of the Paris Boat Show on Thursday 4th December.
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Nicolas Troussel wins the 39th edition of Solitaire du Figaro, François Gabart, first in the rookie rankings
12-08-2008
Nicolas Troussel finished 18th on the last leg of La Solitaire du Figaro, but the 6 hour lead he had over his closest rival was more than enough to clinch the overall win of the 39th edition of La Solitaire. Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) and Frédéric Duthil (Distinxion Automobile) take 2nd and 3rd places respectively. François Gabart (Espoir Région Bretagne) wins the 2008 Beneteau Rookie Ranking by finishing 17th overall for his first time participation on the race.
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Frédéric Duthil wins the last final leg of the Figaro in L’Aber Wrac’h
11-08-2008
Frédéric Duthil crossed the finish line at 17:24 and 30 seconds on Monday the 11th of August to win the third and final leg of the 39th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro from Cherbourg to Aber Wrac’h. The skipper of Distinxion Automobiles covered the 470-mile course 71 hours, 23 minues and 30 seconds at an average 6.6 knots. It was a duel for the 2nd and 3rd podium spots 5 minutes later; in an exiting match race right to the finish line, Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) beat Laurent Pellecuer (Dr Valnet-Aromathérapie) to second place by just 21 seconds. Nicolas Troussel (Financo), who leads on the overall rankings, is expected to finish in the next couple of hours to take the overall time win for the Solitaire, his second in 3 years.
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Frederic Duthil takes control on the final spinnaker run
11-08-2008
Frédéric Duthil (Distinxion Automobile) rounded the Brittany Buoy in the lead at 21:38 last night, some 12 minutes ahead of Laurent Pellecuer (Dr Valnet-Aromathérapie) and Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) and by 08:00 had 95 miles to go to reach the finish in lAber Wrac’h. GMF, the medical assistance boat, that follow the fleet, marked off the boats rounding and we see that all had passed the mark by 08:00 this morning and are now making a steady 8 knots as they gybe and jostle for the best approach in the 10 to 15 westerly, southwesterly winds.
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The final battle
10-08-2008
A fierce battle for the lead ensues on the final leg of La Solitaire du Figaro yacht race. Nine boats are within just a mile of each other as they furiously beat upwind to the Brittany Buoy, 20 miles further out to the East before they turn and make the final direct run back to l’Aber Wrac’h. Just 38 boats remain with 8 abandons since the start on Friday in Cherbourg. The front that swept over the fleet yesterday bringing with it over 30 knots of wind and heavy seas has finally eased and settled.
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Duthil, Bérenger et Chabagny continue to led in the breeze
10-08-2008
The competitors in La Solitaire has reduced to 38 Figaro sailors. Conditions on the water have calmed slightly since the passage of a front yesterdy evening. It has been a busy night and last nights leaders continue to hold on this morning; Frédéric Duthil (Distinxion Automobile), Nicolas Bérenger (Koné Ascenseurs) snf Thierry Chabagny (Suzuki Automobiles).
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Duthil, Bérenger et Chabagny continue to led in the breeze
10-08-2008
The competitors in La Solitaire has reduced to 38 Figaro sailors. Conditions on the water have calmed slightly since the passage of a front yesterday evening. It has been a busy night and last nights leaders continue to hold on this morning; Frédéric Duthil (Distinxion Automobile),
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Uncomfortble Sailing conditions for Figaro competitors
09-08-2008
Eric Drouglazet (Luisina) just leads the fleet of 44 Figaro sailors ahead of Nicolas Bérenger (Kone) on the final leg of La Solitaire from Cherbourg to l’Aber Wrac’h in Brittany. Conditions on the water are rough, 30 knots of Southwesterly wind, with gusts of up to 40 and rough choppy seas. Overnight the fleet as split into three distinct groups from North to South, currently above Ushant, to find the best angle of approach to the next major point of passage, the Brittany weather mark some 250 miles West off Brittany.
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Waiting for the front
09-08-2008
The 46 skippers have spent the first night at sea leaving the Cotentin coastline behind and heading southwest towards the Brittany buoy, the next point of passage, 220 miles away. The boats make headway threading their way through the different veins of current as they tack they way up to the next mark, each choosing the best way of approach out to the English Channel.
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Course modification for final Figaro leg
08-08-2008
Following the postponement ashore to the start of the third and final leg of La Solitaire du Figaro race this morning, a modification to the course was announced to the skippers this afternoon. Because of the 40 to 50 knots of wind forecast over the Celtic and Irish Seas on Tuesday, the course will no longer take the fleet up round the Isle of Man, which would be dangerous for the 46 strong fleet of solo sailors. The new course is 501 miles long and will take the fleet 250 miles west of Brittany and back to the finish with a mark south off the isle of Sein.
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The last and longest leg – 825 miles
07-08-2008
The third and final leg for the 2008 edition of La Solitaire du Figaro will set off tomorrow from Cherbourg-Octeville to L’Aber Wrac’h in Brittany. The course is 825 miles long from the start all the way up to the Irish Sea, round the Isle of Man and back down to the finish in Brittany. This is the longest leg in the history of the race. It will be the equivalent to two traditional legs, as the 39th edition will not be stopping in Ireland this year. All the same, the single-handed sailors will spend a long time in Irish waters, as they set course to round the Isle of Man, North-east of Dublin.
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Troussel counts his advantage in hours…
05-08-2008
Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) is the worthy winner of the second leg, however Nicolas Troussel (Financo) has been masterful in the way he has mananged to further extend his lead in the overall time ranking. The 2nd and 3rd spots change; Gildas Morvan knocks Christian Bos out of second and is 6 hours and 18 minutes behind with Erwan Tabarly (Athema) pinching third from Frederic Duthil (Distinxion Automobiles), 7 hours and 33 minutes from the leader. All three skippers are hugely experienced and can count 29 participations between them in what is widely acknowledged as the toughest race on the Figaro circuit.
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Cercle Vert wins in Cherbourg
04-08-2008
Gildas Morvan celebrated his 40th birthday on the eve of the start the race from Vigo to Cherbourg, three days later he can blow out four candles and celebrate his fourth leg victory since his first participation in the race in 1993. When asked at the start of La Solitaire du Figaro back in La Rochelle, what would his experience bring, he responded: “The difference comes down to how you handle the race, how you start and how you position yourself against the rest of the fleet.” As to whether he would be aggressive or not he responded, “There are key moment on each race, and these you have to know how to recognise and make the most of.
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Gildas Morvan 56 miles from the finish in Cherbourg…
04-08-2008
The 47 skippers racing in La Solitaire passed the Brittany headland last night, some better position than others. Gildas Morvan continues to lead this morning, Guernsey and heading for the Cotentin headland, before the final run to the finish. Gildas holds a 10.4-mile advantage over Gildas Mahé (Le Comptoir Immobilier) on the 11:00 position report and with the 10 to 15 knots of Westerly breeze; the fleet averages just over 8 knots sailing under spinnaker. The first are expected to finish any time fro 18:00 to 20:00 local French time.
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Lenze dismasts in the Bay of Biscay
03-08-2008
Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) continues to lead forty-eight hours into the 2nd leg of La Solitaire du Figaro race in 15 knots of southwesterly wind and big seas and is just over 200 miles from the finish. Lenze dismasts in the early hours of the morning following a collision with a cargo ship; safe and sound, the skipper heads for his home port in Trinité-sur-Mer under motor, forced to abandon the race. The leaders are expected to pass Ushant from 10 p.m. this evening, just as the tide will to turn and Jean-Philippe Le Meitour (La Voix de l’Enfant) trails alone, 40 miles behind Elodie Riou on KPMG and over 90 miles from the leader.
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Frank Le Gal hit by cargo ship
03-08-2008
Last night in the black of night with no visibility Lenze was dismasted as a result of entering into collision with a cargo ship. The skipper, Frank Le Gal (Lenze) is sound and safe and motors towards Trinité-sur-Mer as he is forced to abandon the race. Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) continues to lead the competition.
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The Rich get Richer
02-08-2008
Twenty-four hours into the second leg of La Solitaire du Figaro and conditions on the water have changed. The sun has come out, there is 15 knots of westerly breeze and the fleet makes good headway to the Brittany point, the next major mark of passage on the 575-mile race from Vigo to Cherbourg-Octeville on the Normandy coast.
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Freeway across the Bay
02-08-2008
The Figaro fleet has covered over a hundred miles since yesterday’s start and the latched on to the stonger westerly breeze that will eventually take them across the Bay of Biscay towards Ushant. Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) leads by 6.7 miles and average boat speeds close on 9 knots.
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Figaro Fleet Finally Off
01-08-2008
The second leg of La Solitaire du Figaro from Vigo to Cherbourg-Octeville got off today at 14:45 after further delays due to lack of wind. This forced the Race Committee to adopt an alternative start plan. The fleet of Beneteau Figaro boats was towed out 1.5 miles offshore beyond the Cies Islands for simple start, at right angle to the rhumb line and so leaving out the traditional offset and Radio France Marks in order to sailors to get off as soon as possible.
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Leg two Figaro Start postpone to Friday 10 am
30-07-2008
The Race Director of La Solitairere du Figaro announced this afternoon, a postponement to the start of the second leg of the race, 590 miles from Vigo to Cherbourg in France. The start, initially to be given on Thursday 31st at 16:00, is now set for Friday at 10:00.
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Nicolas Troussel secures massive advantage on first Figaro leg
29-07-2008
Nicolas Troussel crossed the finish line of the first leg of La Solitaire du Figaro on board Financo yesterday afternoon just before 4 p.m., a massive 5 hours, 33 minutes and 44 seconds ahead of Christian Bos, the first of his 49 rivals. The Figaro sailors continued to arrive off Cape Ortegal throughout the night and Tuesday morning with Fabrice Amadeo on Aquarelle.com bringing a close to the fist leg, 21 hours and 35 minutes after the winner. Following Troussel and Bos, Frédéric Duthil finished third more than six and a half hours later. The wind then dropped frustrating any hopes of a comeback for the remainder of the solo sailors.
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Four competitors have yet to finish the first leg…the remainder head for Vigo under engine
29-07-2008
By 06:20 this morning, forty-six of the competitors had crossed the finish line of the first leg in Galicia. The time differences are massive, Troussel holds a 5 hour 33 minute and 46 second lead over Christian Bos, then the following 29 boats finish up to ten hours behind.
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Nicolas Troussel wins in Spain
28-07-2008
The skipper of Financo crossed the finish line at Cape Ortegal at 15:50 and 46 seconds. Nicolas Troussel therefore wins the first leg of the 39th edition of the race after 73 hours, 32 minutes and 46 seconds of racing at an average 4,35 knots over the 320 mile shortened course.
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Troussel leads alone…
28-07-2008
There is a radical change to the situation of the Figaro fleet now sailing off the Asturian coastline in 25 knots of westerly wind and just 40 miles from the finish. Nicolas Troussel (Financo) extends his lead over the remainder of the fleet to 25 miles and the latest ETA is brought forward to this afternoon.
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Lack of wind forces Race Committee to Shorten first leg of Figaro
27-07-2008
The light conditions felt over the Bay of Biscay over the past two days have forced the Race Committee and Race Director to come to a unanimous decision to shorten the 450 mile leg from La Rochelle in Vigo by some 130 miles. The 2006 winner, Financo, continues to make gains over his 49 rivals increasing his advantage to nearly 60 miles over last placed Fabrice Amadeo (Aquarelle.com).
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First Figaros now expected Tuesday to Wednesday in Vigo - Galicia
27-07-2008
The light conditions experienced since the start of the first leg of La Solitaire du Figaro have means the fleet of 50 competitors are unlikely to reach the finish in Vigo before late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
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The Biscay Doldrums
26-07-2008
Christian Bos (Région Midi Pyrenées) slides into the lead ahead of Erwan Tabarly (Athema) twenty-four hours into the first leg of La Solitaire du Figaro race. The fleet of 50 boats left La Rochelle on Friday lunchtime in very light breeze, have had virtually no wind over night with just slightly more this morning and making painfully slow progress to the finish in Vigo, 380 miles away. Just 70 miles in twenty four hours and light conditions to come sets back the ETA to late Monday or early Tuesday.
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A first calm night at sea off La Rochelle
26-07-2008
Since yesterday’s afternoon’s start of the Solitaire du Figaro in La Rochelle, the fleet of 50 competitors had covered just 27,4 miles at 04:30 this morning, that is an average 1,9 miles per hour! So a frustratingly calm night for the sailors, who are left to work continually, fine-tuning their boat.
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Light Conditions for Figaro Start
25-07-2008
The 50 sailors competing in this year’s Solitaire du Figaro finally got off today on the first leg from La Rochelle in France to the Galician port of Vigo in Northern Spain. This is the first of three legs that make up 1,880 miles long race between France and Spain via the Northern Irish Sea.
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50 Solo sailors for Friday Figaro start
24-07-2008
Fifty sailors will set off from La Rochelle tomorrow at 13:00 on the first of three legs of La Solitaire du Figaro, they key event of the Figaro solo sailing calendar.
The 2008 edition will cover 1,880 miles over three legs: La Rochelle to Vigo in Galicia, then a return leg to Cherbourg in France before the final marathon leg of 826 miles (the longest leg in the 39 year history of the race) to L’Aber W’rach on the northern tip of Brittany, by way of the Isle of Man in the north Irish Sea.
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The Suzuki Prologue, the traditional warm up event to the start of La Solitaire du Figaro takes place today in La Rochellle.
23-07-2008
49 competitors will cover the 17-mile course set on the Perthuis, between the Minimes Point and Boyard Fort with the finishing line opposite the l’île d’Aix
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51 skippers on the starting line of the Solitaire du Figaro.
17-07-2008
At 2 days of opening of the village of the 39ème edition of the Solitaire du Figaro with La Rochelle, they are from now on 51 competitors including 11 freshers, 4 women and 5 foreigners, to take the departure of the race on Friday July 25.
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54 skippers take on the Solitaire du Figaro 2008
11-06-2008
The scene is set for the 39th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro: 54 competitors, 5 women and 13 rookies, 3 legs, 1880 nautical miles of racing. From La Rochelle to Vigo in Spain, passing by Cherbourg-Octeville to finish in l’Aber Wrac’h via the Isle of Man, the 2008 Solitaire fleet will be given free rein to show off their talents on a race course carefully planned by race director Jacques Caraës.
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La Solitaire du Figaro 2008: 79 skippers entered to date!
18-02-2008
79 skippers of which 25 are rookies, 6 are women and 8 from outside France, have registered to take part in La Solitaire du Figaro in 2008. For this 39th edition of the race, the competitors will follow in the footsteps of the original “Course de l’Aurore” race, a race made up of three stages, amounting to a new record 1,880 nautical miles.
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La Solitaire du Figaro 2008: Three stages and even more miles
29-11-2007
La Solitaire du Figaro 2008 returns to the original format: the 39th edition of the race, like the original Course de l’Aurore, it will be made up of three stages, one less yet with even more miles and a new host stop over port. There will be record 1,880 miles to cover over the course of the race between France and Spain and through the Irish and Celtic Seas.
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La Solitaire du Figaro: Suzuki signs 3 years partnership
02-10-2007
Suzuki signs up to be main sponsor of La Solitaire for the next 3 years, an event they have supported since 2006. Suzuki France and Groupe Le Figaro have signed a partnership deal for 2008, 2009 and 2010. The race therefore calls itself once again “La Solitaire du Figaro” and introduces a new event logo with the main sponsor, Suzuki.
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Review of the 38th edition of La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro - A Solitaire for the Brave
23-08-2007
The 2007 edition of La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro race has been held in truly wintry conditions: Lots of wind, cold, rain and big seas… A Solitaire held in testing conditions, a Solitaire for the brave. The first leg to Ireland was incredibly varied and tactical, full of opportunities to come back, followed by a second very fast sprint south to Brest for the second leg. Then two huge and memorable storms in the Bay of Biscay, one the competitors had to endure upwind on the third leg and the other downwind with anemometer readings of 50 knots during the final leg. Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) proves to the world that when he competes only two other spots remain on the podium at the end of the race. The ‘King of Solo’ continues to show his dominance in this game completely: with four out of four podium finishes, a leg win and logically the overall title holder. Incredible. Just behind him half a dozen new sailors take some of the glory. Fred Duthil (Distinxion), with good fortune on his side this year, won two legs, the first into Ireland and the final one to Les Sables d’Olonne. Corentin Douguet (E.Leclerc/Bouygues Telecom) gained such a huge time margin winning the leg to La Coruña that he was able to take the third step of the podium on only his second participation in the event, whilst Nicolas Lunven (Bostik) won first place in the Bénéteau Rookie Rankings.
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Michel Desjoyeaux gives us his first impressions after winning La Solitiare Afflelou Le Figaro.
21-08-2007
Three thirds; Crosshaven, La Coruna and Les Sables d’Olonne and one memorable 1st place in Brest What does it feel to have won the La Solitiare for the third time?
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Frédéric Duthil wins in Les Sables d’Olonne and Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) overall winner of the 38th edition of La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro race
21-08-2007
Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) wins La Solitiare Afflelou Le Figaro race, one of the toughest single-handed sailing events in the French Figaro racing circuit. The third place finish in Les Sables d’Olonne, 41 minutes and 55 seconds behind Fréderic Duthil (Distinxion) and Gérald Veniard (Scutum) respectively, was enough to secure him the overall time lead to clinch the title of winner. Three third places and one win on the second leg produced a sufficient gap with total time deficits to win the race overall.
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Fréderic Duthil wins the fourth and final leg of the 38th edition of La Solitiare Afflelou Le Figaro between La Coruña and Les Sables d’Olonne.
21-08-2007
The skipper of Distinxion, crossed the finish line at 02h20m10s this morning and covered the 340 mile course in 1 day 11 hours, 20 minutes and 10 seconds at an average 9.62 knots.
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Rough Conditons for Figaro Finish
20-08-2007
The sailors competing in La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro race are encountering tough conditions for the fourth and final leg between La Coruña in Galicia and the finish in Les Sables d’Olonne. The sea is forecast to be very rough with four to five metre waves and the anemometers are reading 40 knots, due to increase when the front passes bringing gusts of 50 knots before the night is out. More than 200 miles of the 355-mile race have been covered since the start at 3 pm yesterday. Race Director, Jacques Caraës, announced this morning that as a security measure, the Port Bourgenay Mark, south of the Sables d’Olonne, has been removed from the racecourse.
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Médiathèque
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