Animated weather report for the 1st leg of La Solitaire du Figaro: Le Havre - Gijón

Having left in a light steady North Westerly breeze between 5 and 10 knots in the Seine Bay on the 27th of July, Brit Air then embarked on a long stretch along the Normandy coastline. The wind then backed to the West and strengthened to 13/18 knots, which allowed Armel Le Cléac’h to head round Barfleur on a port tack averaging over 9 knots. The skipper left Hague point, in the middle of the first night at the same speed, on starboard tack with a stronger breeze of 11 to 15 knots. The passage of the Channel Islands was still upwind with a westerly wind averaging 8 to 12 shifting according to the fronts and becoming more northerly. This weather situation, to be approached with care due to the strong tidal flows and the presence of rocks, accompanies Brit Air to the Four channel between Ouessant and Finistére and forces the solo sailor to tack several times before leaving the Channel on the second race day. The fleet sailed past Brittany point with a fresher northerly/north-westerly breeze (8/12 knots) giving the Solitaire skipper the chance to approach the Bay of Biscay in a more relaxed way. The big challenge lying ahead: a ridge generated by the Azores high-pressure system and quickly spreading across the Bay. Armel Le Cleac'h opts for a more easterly route, adding some miles to the direct route to the finish, but avoiding the risk of lighter air. The north-westerly wind averaging 5/9 knots on the northern part of the ridge, slowly shifted north under the ridge centre, later turning to north/east at the southernmost limit. Brit Air gibed at the centre of the Bay of Biscay (on the third night) before attacking the last part of the first leg. The wind kept shifting to the East on the Spanish coast with an intensity of 7/10 knots, leading the skippers to sail on converging routes to the finish on their last day at sea. Brit Air negotiated the weather, which is usual at this time of the year, yet never easy to deal with.