The departure Village of the 56th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec is officially open!

The quays of Rouen's Right Bank are coming to life! The departure Village of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec opened its doors early this afternoon. Free and open to all until Friday, September 5th, it will be the meeting point for the public, skippers, and the world of ocean racing throughout the week.

Visitors can now enjoy the first activities offered at the Village. But the big moment this Saturday will take place in the evening, with the arrival of the 35 Figaro BENETEAU 3 boats entered in the flagship event of the French Elite Offshore Racing Championship, as well as the eight duos of the Défi Paprec. Their voyage up the Seine will be an exceptional spectacle before they dock in front of the Village, scheduled for 8:45 p.m.

© Alexis Courcoux / OC Sport Pen Duick

Official inauguration Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

The official launch of the festivities will take place this Sunday, August 31 at 2:30 p.m., in the presence of:

● Nicolas MAYER ROSSIGNOL, Mayor of Rouen and President of the Rouen Normandy Metropolis

● Augustin BOEUF, Regional Councilor delegated to nautical sports, Normandy Region

●Régis FAOUR, Director of Communications and Events at the Paprec Group

● Dominique RITZ, Deputy Managing Director HAROPA Port Rouen

●Denny IMBROISI, chef and patron of the village of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec

● Jean Bernard LE BOUCHER, President of the Figaro Beneteau Class

● Julie COUTTS, General Manager OC Sport Pen Duick

The traditional ribbon cutting, followed by a stroll through the Village and entertainment on the Main Stage, will mark this highlight.

Denny Imbroisi, patron of the Village of Rouen

This year, the Village of Rouen is sponsored by Michelin-starred chef Denny Imbroisi, an iconic figure in French gastronomy. He will be present at the official opening on Sunday at 2:30 p.m., alongside the partners and skippers.

At 5:30 p.m., he will also offer an exceptional culinary event on the Main Stage: a cooking class with several skippers, open to the general public. This is an original way to celebrate sharing, conviviality, and team spirit—values shared by sailing and cooking.

A week of free activities for all

Every day, the public will be able to enjoy a rich and varied program:

● The Journal of La Solitaire: every day on the Main Stage, in the presence of the skippers, followed by signing sessions,

● Visits to Figaro BENETEAU 3,

● First sailing trips on a schooner,

● Musical entertainment, educational workshops, conferences and activities for the whole family.

A festive event open to all to discover the world of ocean racing and share the sailors' adventure.

Heading for Le Havre and the Grand Départ

After a week of festivities in Rouen, the boats will leave the city late on Friday, September 5th, heading down the Seine to Le Havre. On Sunday, September 7th, at 1 p.m., the Grand Départ of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec will take place, followed 15 minutes later by the Défi Paprec.

© DR

They said:

Sébastien Petithuguenin, Managing Director of the Paprec Group: "Rouen celebrates maritime heritage through the Armada and historic tall ships. The departure village of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec promises to be fun, educational, and festive, to also introduce everyone to this modern adventure that is ocean racing. We hope to inspire vocations. Inspiring the desire and allowing as many people as possible to access ocean racing is indeed the reason for Paprec's involvement in the Figaro circuit, with the Solitaire and the Transat Paprec. My teams and I are also very happy about this departure in Normandy, a region where we are very involved in all our waste management activities with more than 15 agencies and factories and nearly 800 people. A region in which we regularly invest to offer our industrial and local authority clients the most suitable cutting-edge technologies to add value to their waste and transform it into new raw materials or green energy. The people of Rouen were thus able to encounter our low-carbon household waste collection bins, running on gas. The start on the Seine also promises to be spectacular and to highlight the role of the Paris-Rouen-Le Havre route in the decarbonization of transport, a role in which we are proud to play a part. To all the sailors in this 56th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro under the Paprec banner, I wish an extraordinary adventure!

Florent Schindler, News Director, Figaro Nautisme / METEO CONSULT - La Chaîne Météo: "A legendary ocean racing event, La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec has embodied the demands, courage, and magic of solo sailing for 55 years. This year again, 35 sailors will set off to face the pitfalls of the Normandy, Brittany, and Spanish coasts, passing legendary capes such as the Fastnet and Finisterre. Meteo Consult, official weather partner since 2009, will ensure precise and rigorous monitoring to accompany this adventure. But once at sea, everything depends on the audacity, instinct, and seafaring genius of the skippers. Le Figaro is proud to write, alongside these heroes of the open sea, a new page in a story unlike any other."

Julie Coutts, Managing Director OC Sport Pen Duick: "We are delighted to be back in Rouen, a true maritime and nautical icon, for this Grand Départ of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec. This Grand Départ promises to be a highlight for the people of Rouen and visitors, whom we are delighted to welcome in large numbers to the quays. Throughout the week, a wide-ranging programme of activities, both on land and on the water, will offer everyone the opportunity to discover the world of ocean racing and truly immerse themselves in the world of sailing. We would like to warmly thank the elected officials and local authorities who make this event possible."