Figaro Solo Transatlantic race 2005 24.03.2005 LESS THAN 10 DAYS TO GO UNTIL SAM & SKANDIA START THEIR FIRST FIGARO SOLO TRANSAT RACE… Skandia is a leading provider of long-term savings and pioneer of the highly successful multi-manager investment approach. IN BRIEF: * ON APRIL 3RD, SKANDIA WILL BE ON THE START LINE OF HER FIRST FIGARO SOLO TRANSATLANTIC RACE - THE TROPHEE BPE FROM ST.NAZAIRE TO CUBA... * SAM IS THE ONLY BRITISH SAILOR IN A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE 12 STRONG FLEET THAT INCLUDES TWO PREVIOUS FIGARO WINNERS... * SAM COMPLETES SEA SURVIVAL COURSE AND MAKES FINAL PREPARATIONS BEFORE DEPARTING PORT LA FORET FOR ST.NAZAIRE… * JEAN-YVES BERNOT, EXPLAINS THE WEATHER SYSTEMS COMPETITORS CAN EXPECT DURING THE RACE… * DOWNLOAD THE TROPHEE BPE COURSE MAP BY GOING TO http://www.ocftp2.com/images/8544high_he.jpg IN DETAIL: In less than ten days time, on April 3rd at 1300BST Sam will be on the start line of the Trophée BPE - her first solo transatlantic race onboard SKANDIA Figaro. Last week, Sam completed her last training race with her preparateur Erwan LeMeilleur, and has been making last minute repairs & final preparations. At the end of this week, they will be leaving their base at Port La Forêt, for the delivery trip to St.Nazaire, 60 miles to the south. Of the 12 competitors (listed below), Sam is the only British sailor taking part, and will be up against former Figaro winner Eric DROUGLAZET as well as Charles CAUDRELIER, winner of La Solitaire du Figaro last year. Also, Sam’s team mate in last years top 5 result in the 2-up Transat AG2R, Jeanne Gregoire (Banque Populaire) will this time be one of Sam’s biggest rivals. The course is an interesting one, with the great circle route taking the boats very far north – potentially an upwind race, before the descent towards Cuba. It promises to be a very tactical race, without the prospect of the downwind surfing conditions usually experienced in transatlantic races that head towards the Caribbean. This transatlantic race is the first of three events for Sam in the Figaro circuit this year – with the Generali Soli in the Med in June and the big one, La Solitaire, in August. To download the Trophée BPE Course Map (St.Nazaire – Cuba) please go to http://www.ocftp2.com/images/8544high_he.jpg TROPHEE BPE ENTRY LIST (skipper / boat name/ sail number*) 1. BESTAVEN Yannick / AQUARELLE.COM / 34 2. CAUDRELIER Charles / BOSTIK / 3 3. DA CRUZ Antonio Pedro / LITTLE BLACK SHARK / 47 4. DAVIES Samantha (GB) / SKANDIA / 10 5. DROUGLAZET Eric / CREDIT MARITIME - ZEROTWO / 6 6. EMIG Marc / TOTAL / 30 7. GREGOIRE Jeanne / BANQUE POPULAIRE / 40 8. LIVORY Yannig / ENTREPRENDRE AU PAYS DE LORIENT / 67 9. MORVAN Gildas / CERCLE VERT / 5 10. RAISON David / not communicated / 93 11. TRIPON Armel / GEDIMAT / 57 12. VITTET Dominic / ATAO AUDIO SYSTEM / 22 (*If a skipper's finishing position in the Championnat de France 2004 is in the top 10 this determines the number on their indexsail) Official race website: http://www.trophee-bpe2005.com (French only) INTERVIEW WITH SAM What have you been up to this week? "This week has been pretty busy. In fact, I am loosing track of which week is which because time is going so fast. At the end of the "stage" of on-the-water training we did an overnight training race, which was really good for me (and the others who are doing the BPE) to get everything up and running in "race mode" for the Transat. Erwan and I had made it our goal that "Skandia" was race ready - in configuration for the BPE, so as well as racing (like normal) I spent a fair amount of time running the weatherfax, Iridium, sending e-mails (trying to send photos!) receiving weather forecasts etc. - I even chose the worst point (upwind, big swell, really uncomfortable!) to cook my spaghetti bolognaise!!! I was really happy at the end of the race because everything was great on board. I had sailed a good race too, making a small tactical error in the night, but generally good. The only thing that was strange was that I was having trouble with my water ballast… So, Erwan checked out the ballast, and found that the entire Port tank had delaminated with water inside the balsa core - pretty serious problem. So we called Beneteau and they have begun straight away to help us re-construct a new tank! One of the guys at Beneteau worked all weekend to prepare the work, which is underway whilst I write. Luckily, Skandia is so well prepared and ready, apart from this, that it is not too stressful to have such major work going on one week before we start! It is just a little inconvenient! I am really lucky to be part of Offshore Challenges, because I have the support of the team - when one person has a problem, everyone in the team works together to help the "priority skipper" (i.e. whoever has the race the closest) get through. And in this case, Oli and Rob have come down from Lorient (where they are working on Ellen's tri - B&Q Castorama) to help Erwan supervise the repairs." How did your Sea Survival course go this week? What did it involve? "The Sea Survival is a course / certificate that is compulsory for those of us who are doing the Transat - part of some new rules that are coming into force. We've done it before, but it is always good to re-cap and refresh the memory and learn any new techniques. It comprised of first aid, fire-fighting, general safety tips, liferaft, survival in the water, flare firing... We were messing around a bit in between survival in the water (conserving body heat, floating properly, getting in, out and under obstacles) and liferaft practise - launching, re-turning, getting in and out of liferafts...) It is good timing to do it just before leaving on a Transat because it makes me think about how I would deal with situations on board, and whether I need any extra kit (other than what is defined in our rules.)" To download a photo of Sam and the Finistere Course au Large team taking during their Sea Survival Course, go to http://www.ocftp2.com/images/8580low_pf.jpg (Sam is in the middle of the group – wearing a red and yellow hat!) How are you feeling about leaving Port La Forêt? "It seems strange that our training is nearly over - time passes so quickly. I feel like I could do a year of this training and still have LOADS left to learn. At the same time, I have learnt a lot in the last two months. I am IMPATIENT to start the BPE. It feels like AGES that I have not raced properly! And having watched my teammates race around the world this winter I have extremely itchy feet! It is good that the first race is a Transat because I need to do a long one!!" How are preparations going for the race and for the delivery trip to St.Nazaire? "As I said above - preparations are great - I have never felt so ready to go this early. I even have all the food sorted! I am trying to do as much as possible now so that I can concentrate on weather and strategy as much as possible in the last week, at St Nazaire. This week, Jeanne Gregoire and I are "sharing" a day with Jean-Yves Bernot to study the course in detail and really get my head into the race. Some of the day will be in the classroom, some in our boats - to optimise our chart table, and make our lives as easy as possible on board. The only slight thing holding us up is the ballast tank problem, which should be all fixed by Friday night, which is when I plan to leave on the delivery to St.Nazaire. The delivery trip is the last time I will sail offshore and overnight before the start. Roindex will come with me - I want to have someone to try to help me get into the sailing a bit - we have done a lot of sailing this winter, but not much offshore or overnight (it has been too cold) and I feel that I need to push myself back into the rhythm of being offshore. I felt a bit "rusty" last week (everyone said the same thing - phew!) so it would be good if Roindex is there to "coach" me a little! I really want to make the most of this last trip. At the same time as we take the boat, Erwan will be driving the cradle to St.Nazaire to drop it off for the ship to go to Cuba for the return of the boat...Life is complicated!" JEAN-YVES BERNOT, one of sailing’s top weather experts has been spending time at the Finistere Course au Large centre teaching the team how to read the weather, the best way to use the routing software on maxsea and advice. We caught up with him to find out more… Can you explain how you have been working with Sam and the team at Finistere Course au Large to improve their knowledge? What kind of work you have been doing? "In such a competitive fleet, strategy will be a key part of the game. Sailors need to be familiar with the weather tools they are allowed to use during the race - weather charts by weather fax and GRIB files from the internet these are basis for on board weather routing. This needs timely analysis to be sure the tools give more answers than questions... However, sailors need to know what the general weather is on the course and what kind of strategy they will have to handle. Remember the ultimate goal for a navigator is not weather, but to make a good course in a difficult working environment. Key words are "autonomy in decision making." How is the weather looking for the start of the race? and during the race? "It's too early to give accurate weather forecast for the start, but we can say the systems of travelling low pressure will be at work. This means westerlies, and a lot of decision making about how the front will cross the fleet & how to manage the low pressure centre... Be dynamic..." What weather systems will the fleet experience during the race? "The big picture is 3 index systems: 1. From start to Azores - the fleet is in the range of North Atlantic low pressure systems. Expect SW to NW wind medium to strong, and quickly changing weather. Aggressive strategy is needed to try to make a break before the Azores. 2. From Azores to West Indies - the question is how deep to go to the South to get the Trade Winds. heading directly to the South will ensure steady downwind conditions at the cost of a longer course. Sailing a more direct course will ensure short distance at the price of more difficult weather patterns, and the threat of being trapped in the Azores high pressure system with it's infamous light winds. 3. The Caribbean sea is normally the doindex of steady NE trade winds. Some trade winds failure related to US coast cold fronts may put some spice in the game." The Route du Rhum is another transatlantic race with a similar route (St.Malo – Guadeloupe) which takes places in November on 50ft & 60ft mono & multihulls. How is this race different from a race like the Route du Rhum? How will this affect the weather & the race? "Compared to Route du Rhum, this race is somewhat different: - The race is longer because it is sailed in a smaller boat. This means between 3 weeks and 1 month at sea alone, with hard racing. Being in good condition in the last part of the race will be paramount for both boat and sailor. - This is a one-design race, with so little difference from boat to boat that any mistake will be paid for - Starting in April means a vigorous first part from the Bay of Biscay to the Azores, together with cold weather in Northeast Atlantic. On the other hand, the tropical part should be more steady than what we may expect in November. - The long coastal part in Caribbean Sea needs awareness after an Atlantic crossing. It will probably be difficult after 3 weeks offshore to have the stamina to deal with all the traps we can expect in coastal sailing: navigation, changing coastal weather, tactics with close competitors etc..." 2005 FIGARO PROGRAMME 3 April: Trophée BPE 2005 (St.Nazaire – Cienfuegos, Cuba) 6-25 June: La Generali Solo 2005 1-28 August: La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2005 PARTNER OF THE DAY : ACTIVE24 Official Internet hosting supplier to Sam and the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team http://www.samdavies.com/active24 Email powered by Active 24 For more information visit http://www.samdavies.com/skandia or contact : Josie Robinson (English) josie@offshorechallenges.com T: +44(0) 870 063 0210 Caroline Muller (Francais) bienvenue@welcomeonboard.fr T: +33 (0)6 80 40 00 24 Other information sources online: Finistère Course au Large Classe Figaro Bénéteau * Skandia Set Sail aims to offer people more opportunities to participate in the sport on a broader level. Its objectives are to make sailing more accessible, grow the sport’s reach and enrich peoples’ lives through the sport. * Skandia's Set Sail portfolio is divided into three groups: events; teams and athletes. * Events include: the title sponsorships of Skandia Cowes Week, the world’s oldest and largest regatta on the Isle of Wight, UK (title sponsors for 10 years in 2004); Skandia Geelong Week in Victoria, Australia – now twinned with Skandia Cowes Week; the Skandia Brown Cup (the Scottish Schools Sailing Championship) and Skandia Cowes Youth Week, a leading international match racing championship. * Teams include: the Skandia Maxi, Australia’s biggest ocean racing yacht and line-honours winner of the 2003 Sydney-Hobart Race. * Athletes include: Star class yachtsmen Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell and Sam Davies, the up and coming single-handed yachtswoman and her Figaro campaign. * Sail 4 Cancer is the official charity of the Skandia Set Sail programme www.sail4cancer.org * For further information contact www.skandiasetsail.com * Skandia in the UK launched in 1979 and is now one of the UK’s leading financial services groups providing pensions, investment and protection products through intermediaries in the UK and overseas. Creators of the multimanager approach, Skandia has teamed up with the world’s top fund managers to create a range of funds tailored for investors’ individual needs. * Parent company, Skandia Insurance Company Limited, is one of Europe’s oldest insurance companies. It has developed and evolved constantly over the years to reach its present position as one of the world's leading long-term saving companies with operations in over 20 countries and assets under management exceeding £56 billion (as at 31.12.04). For more information on Skandia Insurance Company Limited visit www.skandia.com * For more information on Skandia in the UK visit www.skandia.co.uk Issued by Skandia Life Assurance Company Limited. Registered Number: 1363932 England. Registered Office: Skandia House, Portland Terrace, Southampton, SO14 7EJ Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE