Figaro Solo Transatlantic race 2005 03.04.2005 SKANDIA CROSS START LINE AT 1308BST... Skandia is a leading provider of long-term savings and pioneer of the highly successful multi-manager investment approach. IN BRIEF: * TODAY, SUNDAY 3RD APRIL, AT 1308BST, SAM AND SKANDIA CROSSED THE START LINE OF THEIR FIRST SOLO TRANSATLANTIC RACE TOGETHER… * “I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO GO NOW! THE BOAT IS READY AND I FEEL READY…” * “IT'S MY SECOND SOLO TRANSAT RACE. THE FIRST ONE WAS THE MINI-TRANSAT IN 6.5M BOATS. THIS RACE IS A LOT LONGER SO ALL IN ALL IT'S A BIT MORE OF A CHALLENGE…” * SAM IS THE ONLY BRITISH SAILOR AND ONE OF 6 SKIPPERS IN THE 12 STRONG FLEET WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY RACED ACROSS ATLANTIC… 03.04.2005 - An der Startlinie Photo : Benoît STICHELBAUT / DPPI IN DETAIL: The wait is over. At 1000BST this morning, SKANDIA and the other 11 Bénéteau Figaro2 boats left the dock and headed towards the lock, on tow (engines are now sealed for the duration of the race). The dock at the Quai du Commerce in St.Nazaire was lined with supporters, media, friends & family seeing off the 12 skippers. They reindexed in the lock for just over one and a half hours to allow the preparateurs to clean the bottom of the boats in cleaner water! At 1308BST, Joel Batteux, Mayor of Saint Nazaire fired the starting gun for the Trophée BPE, 4265 miles from St.Nazaire to Cuba. In a South-South West winds of about 10-12 knots, Dominic Vittet (ATAO AUDIO SYSTEM) was the first boat to cross the start line in the Loire Estuary, followed by Yannick Bestaven (AQUARELLE.COM) and Jeanne Gregoire (BANQUE POPULAIRE). There was an individual recall for David Raison (COUTOT ROEHRIG) who jumped the gun. Light winds are forecasted for today which will mean a slow and frustrating start for the 12 skippers and whilst it is due to be very shifty overnight and into tomorrow morning, by noon the breeze should have settled into the North at around 18kts. FROM SAM BEFORE THE START How are you feeling right now? Any pre-race nerves? “I just can't wait to go now! The boat is ready and I feel ready. At the moment, I'm feeling excited about it, more than apprehensive. It's a small race - there's only 12 boats so it's a bit like a family of friends going off on an adventure because we've never sailing these boast that distance before non-stop and solo so I don't think anyone is really nervous. We've been following the Vendée Globe, Ellen's record attempt and Orange sailing round the world all winter so I think everyone is dying to get out there now and get sailing because we've been motivated by our friends who have been doing amazing things. I'm really looking forward to it!” How many times have you raced across the atlantic solo? How does the Trophée BPE compare to the Mini-Transat? “It's my second solo transat race. The first one was the mini-transat in 6.5m boats with a stop in the middle in the Canary Islands so it's a little bit different. The boat is bigger and more comfortable and the race is a lot longer than the mini-transat so all in all it's a bit more of a challenge - it's the next step up from the Mini-Transat” Do you have a message for your sponsors and supporters? “Just once again a massive thank you! It's thanks to everyone who sponsors me, especially Skandia, that I'm here right now at the start of this race - this adventure! I hope that I can make everybody proud! I hope that everybody follows the race with interest because I think it will be an exciting race! I will try and keep everyone updated as much as possible as I'm going along!” This is the first ever solo transatlantic race on the Bénéteau Figaro2 and the second time Sam has attempted to race solo across Atlantic. Only half of the Trophée BPE skippers have previously completed a solo transatlantic race, they are: Yannick BESTAVEN (AQUARELLE.COM), Antonio Pedro DA CRUZ (LITTLE BLACK SHARK), Jeanne GREGOIRE (BANQUE POPULAIRE), David RAISON (COUTOT ROEHRIG) and Armel TRIPON (GEDIMAT). After being chosen as one of the 24 sailors, Sam has spent the winter at her base in Port La Forêt, training at the Pôle Finistère Course au Large elite sailing academy. Of the 12 Trophée BPE skippers, 6 are part of this team who have spent the winter training together on the water and in the classroom. Now Sam has a chance to put what she has learnt in to practice… TROPHEE BPE SKIPPERS IN THE FINISTERE COURSE AU LARGE TEAM CAUDRELIER Charles (BOSTIK) DAVIES Sam / SKANDIA DROUGLAZET Eric (CREDIT MARITIME - ZEROTWO) GREGOIRE Jeanne (BANQUE POPULAIRE) MORVAN Gildas (CERCLE VERT) TRIPON Armel (GEDIMAT) 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) 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 : MARLOW ROPES Official Rope Supplier to Sam and the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team http://www.samdavies.com/marlow 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 Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE