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Plus de Figaro30 miles to the finish in Kinsale, which way to go?
11-08-2010
The fleet rounded the famous Fastnet Rock shortly after midday on Wednesday, the five leaders only two minutes apart. But it’s the final lap to Kinsale, under the imposing Irish cliffs that’s probably going to be decisive for the leg and the overall ranking. A photo finish is most probable and suspense runs high when the 44 skippers are 30 miles form the finish.
Less than two minutes, that’s the time difference between the first and the fifth skipper who rounded the Fastnet Rock, that is to say 116 seconds after more than 300 miles sailing! That’s the Solitaire du Figaro, racing singlehanded on one design boats always close, very close to your adversaries. It was Adrien Hardy (Agir Recouvrement) to hoist his spinnaker first after the famous rock followed by Yann Eliès (Generali Europ Assistance) who’s really putting all his strength and determination, in third Thomas Rouxel (Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne). A more and more convincing Francisco Lobato (ROFF/TEMPO-TEAM) rounded in eight position overall and first of the newcomers to the race, only ten minutes later.
Yet nothing, absolutely nothing is for sure in this third leg of la Solitaire du Figaro: the wind is shifty, instable and tricky to read on the water surface under the high cliffs. The distances among the skippers are minimal and the pretenders to victory, sailing just metres apart hungry for glory. Thirty miles from the finish and suspence runs high.
Kinsale is Marcus Hutchinson’s reign, Marcus today is Head of External Relations at Team Origin, the British challenge to the 34th America’s Cup but he’s mostly a well experienced solo sailor, raced the Solitaire twice (in 1998 and 2000) and he knows perfectly the area and the coast where he often sails with his family. He says: “The last stretch to the finish is a bit like the Channel, on a lesser scale. There are several capes and bays between the Fastnet (which lies only five miles from the shore) and Kinsale. The direct route takes the skippers to two capes: Galley Head, at 30 miles and then Old Head at 5 miles from the finish. There are also strong currents, there can be no less than 3 knots at Old Head. The wind coming down the cliffs is often unsettled. In a word, it’s tricky, not easy at all.” A similar forecast comes from Météo France expert Sylvain Mondon, according to whom the wind could be up to 5 knots lighter or stronger under the influence of the cliffs.
Earlier in the afternoon the skippers made their choice facing a dilemma: shorten the route sailing closer to the coast and rising to find lighter and unsettled breezes or go further offshore to benefit from “clean” air but having a longer way to go? The provisional leaders
Adrien Hardy and Yann Eliès opted for the first one while Gildas Morvan chose the second. Who made the right gamble? The future will tell…
According to the latest position report the first non-French skipper is still Francisco Lobato (ROFF/TEMPO-TEAM) in sixth, Isabelle Joschke (Synergie) is 24th, Bernard Stamm (Cheminée Poujoulat) is 27th, Pietro D’Alì (I.NOVA.3) is 34th and 41st is Jonny Malbon (Artemis). The finish line, placed SE of the Kinsale river across the Committee boat and “Bullmann” mark, could be crossed by the leaders between 8 and 9 p.m.
Yet nothing, absolutely nothing is for sure in this third leg of la Solitaire du Figaro: the wind is shifty, instable and tricky to read on the water surface under the high cliffs. The distances among the skippers are minimal and the pretenders to victory, sailing just metres apart hungry for glory. Thirty miles from the finish and suspence runs high.
Kinsale is Marcus Hutchinson’s reign, Marcus today is Head of External Relations at Team Origin, the British challenge to the 34th America’s Cup but he’s mostly a well experienced solo sailor, raced the Solitaire twice (in 1998 and 2000) and he knows perfectly the area and the coast where he often sails with his family. He says: “The last stretch to the finish is a bit like the Channel, on a lesser scale. There are several capes and bays between the Fastnet (which lies only five miles from the shore) and Kinsale. The direct route takes the skippers to two capes: Galley Head, at 30 miles and then Old Head at 5 miles from the finish. There are also strong currents, there can be no less than 3 knots at Old Head. The wind coming down the cliffs is often unsettled. In a word, it’s tricky, not easy at all.” A similar forecast comes from Météo France expert Sylvain Mondon, according to whom the wind could be up to 5 knots lighter or stronger under the influence of the cliffs.
Earlier in the afternoon the skippers made their choice facing a dilemma: shorten the route sailing closer to the coast and rising to find lighter and unsettled breezes or go further offshore to benefit from “clean” air but having a longer way to go? The provisional leaders
Adrien Hardy and Yann Eliès opted for the first one while Gildas Morvan chose the second. Who made the right gamble? The future will tell…
According to the latest position report the first non-French skipper is still Francisco Lobato (ROFF/TEMPO-TEAM) in sixth, Isabelle Joschke (Synergie) is 24th, Bernard Stamm (Cheminée Poujoulat) is 27th, Pietro D’Alì (I.NOVA.3) is 34th and 41st is Jonny Malbon (Artemis). The finish line, placed SE of the Kinsale river across the Committee boat and “Bullmann” mark, could be crossed by the leaders between 8 and 9 p.m.
