La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2005

La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2005 La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2005 offers skippers a route worthy of some of the finest editions in the history of the race. 5 host towns, 1,710 nautical miles, a fine balance between inshore and offshore racing… This 36th edition of the race will therefore be intense, and the competition will be open for to the skippers. The shortest leg is 368 miles and the longest 496. The route for the 2005 edition will take the skippers to ports known and appreciated by sailors alike: it covers 1,710 miles and represents in terms of length, a further port of call compared to the 2004 edition. The skippers will spend some 12 days at sea between France, the Basque Country and Ireland.

For its 36th edition of the race, La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2005 confirms once more that the route is based on a complex balance of, offshore and inshore sailing, between tactics and strategies and between sprint and endurance. The Solitaire will start from Perros-Guirec on the 7th of August. This Breton town is the French port that has hosted the race the most number of times, for the first time in 1972 for the start of the Course de l’Aurore. In 2005, for the 15th time, La Solitaire Afflelou le Figaro will stopover in this town on the Côtes d’Armor. This will therefore be an anniversary year for the port, which had not hosted the race since 1996. The winner of the second leg will be announced in La Rochelle, the index port of the Région Poitou-Charentes. The race village will be set up in the prestigious Grands Yachts Basin in the heart of the city. The skippers then head for Ireland, where Cork 2005, the European Capital for Culture, will host La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro in the port of Crosshaven. This friendly and « green » port, first discovered in 2001 when the leg Saint-Quay Portrieux to Dingle was cancelled and once again in 2003, will host the race. The final stage of the race, longest at 496 nautical miles, will confirm the winner of La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2005, upon arrival in Port-Bourgenay in the Vendée Region. Today, Sunday 7th August, SKANDIA skipper Sam Davies began the 2005 Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro, the 1,710 mile solo marathon between France, Spain and Ireland. At 1000 BST this morning, Leg 1 from Perros-Guirec, France to Getxo-Bilbao, Spain (390 miles)got underway in a 10-knot north-easterly breeze. According to Race Director Christian Gout it was “an excellent start” with just one individual recall for Lionel Péan on L’Esprit d’Equipe. Solo offshore legend, Michel Desjoyeaux (Geant) nicknamed ‘The Professor’ led the fleet round the first race mark, the AGF buoy, followed by Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel) and Laurent Pellecuer (Cliptol Sport). With just half a mile separating the fleet as they rounded the mark, SKANDIA was positioned in the middle of the fleet. But just 1 hour and 40 minutes later, Sam suffered an unnerving incident when the keel of SKANDIA hit the rocks close to the “Pierre du Chenal” tower, just in front of Perros-Guirec. Sam immediately hoisted a red flag to protest against another competitor for not giving her sufficient clear water. Today, Friday 12th August, at 1100 BST SKANDIA skipper Sam Davies started the second leg of the Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2005, a 368-mile course from Gextoa-Bilbao, Spain across the Bay of Biscay to La Rochelle, France. The 45-boat Figaro fleet had a good clean start in a northerly wind of around 7 knots, before setting off on a 5 mile inshore course. The fleet reindexed compact as they progressed towards the Radio France buoy – the final mark on of the inshore course. 24.08.2005 At around 06h30 (French time), Marc Lepesqueux (Maisons Pierre),who was leading the fleet at the 04h00 rankings, entered into collision with a cargo freight ship south west of the Scilly isles. Sailing with two reefs in the index and a reefed Solent, Marc was at the helm of Maisons Pierre when he happened to see the cargo ship out of the dark when leaning beneath the boom. When Marc realised the collision would be unavoidable he beared away and jumped below deck to protect from the shock. The 10 m boat is currently being escorted by the catamaran support boat from the Ecole Navale that follows the race. Everything is ok on board, despite the shock Marc has suffered. This news was released only upon the family being informed. After a full-on night of extreme sailing in 25 knot winds and big seas, described by solo legend Michel Desjoyeaux as ‘a minefield’, conditions have worsened throughout today with the wind steadily increasing to 30-35 knots, gusting up to 40-45 knots. The low pressure that intensified on its passage across the North Atlantic is making itself known to the 42-boat fleet as they crossed the mouth of the English Channel today. Marc Lepesqueux, skipper of Maisons Pierre who was leading the fleet during the night, dismasted in the early hours of this morning after colliding with a cargo ship. Fortunately the incident left Lepesqueux unharmed and he is now en route to Falmouth. 25.08.2005 Double Victory for Delta Dore Today saw the double victory for Jérémie Beyou on Delta Dore in La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro race. Delta Dore crossed the finish line of the 4th and final leg from Cork to Port Bourgenay at 14h45m27s (French Time) after 2 days 3 hours and 27 seconds of racing at an average 8.21 knots in top place. 26.08.2005 Quotes: At the finish of this year’s race, what are your first impressions? Christian Gout: “I am truly impressed by everyone’s boat handling ability and by their seamanship. Overall, taking into account the conditions, particularly difficult for August, we saw some extremely well prepared sailors. Three retired on the way. Their decision to so due to technical problems that would not allow them to continue, and to their honour is a true seaman’s one. The others faced both frightening and testing wind and sea conditions, and as we were able to say at the weather briefings, where able to at times put their safety before the race. All were able to prove how the importance of finishing…and to all return and all the while without strain and damage. Even the last, for whom it was probably toughest, felt they knew how to stand back and to say that they had to get to the end. They all did, and they have demonstrated true humbleness when facing the elements. To that I take my hat of.” 26.08.2005 SAM'S THOUGHTS ON THE SOLITAIRE DU FIGARO 2005... After finishing 22nd overall in this year’s Solitaire du Figaro event, Sam Davies speaks about her experience in her third consecutive ‘world championship of solo offshore racing’… How was your fourth and final leg? “It was fun because I like sailing in the breeze, but it was disappointing because I made a wrong decision about my route, so I wasn’t up with the leaders - I went to the west but I should have taken a direct route. Not being up with the leaders at the critical moment meant losing lots and lots of miles, which is a non-returnable option. So it was a bit disappointing at the end because I did the second part of the race knowing I was behind, and knowing that there was no way of catching up. But I enjoyed it – I love sailing in the breeze and it’s not very often that we get lots of wind and we’re actually allowed to go out! It was fun to out there in good waves and lots of wind, Even though if was pouring with rain which I don’t like, it was still enjoyable. I think that was the longest I’ve ever sat on a boat in the pouring rain!" 28.08.2005 The curtain goes down on the 36th edition of La Solitaire Afflelou le Figaro with three new names on the leader boards: Jérémie Beyou, Michel Desjoyeaux, Kito de Pavant. A determined and worthy Jérémie hits the big time to become the new star of the show. Gildas Morvan, Pietro D’Alí and Laurent Pellecuer are all leg winners and race leaders, and have left their mark on this windy edition of the race. Eole, the wind of the God’s, watched over the fleet to ensure fast passages of the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay and the Celtic sea. We take look back on the 1,462 miles covered over the course of the race: