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La Solitaire du Figaro 2010
27.Juli-19.August 2010
www.lasolitaire.com - Übersicht
Tuesday, 10th August 2010
Solitaire du Figaro: a wet and bumpy ride to Ireland. Le Cleac’h in
the lead once more
The first night at sea of Leg 3 proved to be as demanding as expected,
with the skippers fighting against high winds, cold weather, drizzling
rain, fog and, especially, a very fastidious swell. Several blown
spinnakers but the whole fleet is fastly sailing towards Ireland.
After keeping the lead for more than 24 hours, Thomas Rouxel, has to
lave first place to Armel Le Cleac’h. Yet, nothing is carved in stone
as the first 26 boats are only 5 miles apart at 150 miles from the
finish.
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Foto: Courcoux-Marmara/Le Figaro
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Last night’s Channel crossing from Portsal to Wolf Rock was wet and
bumpy for the 44 skippers racing in the 41st edition of La Solitaire
du Figaro. “Several skippers reported damages and breakages” said
Jacques Caraes form the Race Management catamaran following the
fleet’s progress in the Celtic Sea. The big waves got the best of at
least a dozen spinnakers. Surely annoying but probably not so relevant
for the rest of the race to Ireland because, in theory, the skippers
will not need them to sail to Fastnet Rock and their final
destination, Kinsale. The damage on Armel Tripon’s Gedimat looks more
serious, her hull pierced following a collision after the start in
Brest. “On starboard tack there is a leak” reports Tripon, at the
same time reassuring that the situation seems to be under control and
keeps his spirits high. No doubt that shore teams, sail makers,
riggers and builders will be busy over next week in Kinsale.
For the sailors’ joy the long, uncomfortable reaching in high winds
up to 25 knots, grey and wet conditions came to an end early in the
morning when the leaders rounded the Wolf Rock lighthouse and entered
the Celtic sea. The first skipper to reach midpoint to the finish was
a consistent Thomas Rouxel (Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne). The fleet
later had to deal with a sudden 90° wind shift, provoked by the quick
passage of a front, he wind from south westerly became north easterly.
Sure enough there will be more of such variations to negotiate before
seeing the famous Fastnet Rock, as confirmed by Meteo France’s
weather expert Sylvain Mondon: “the wind shifty and unstable, coming
from the northern sector”. No big news there, since before leaving
Brest all the skippers declared that they very particularly wary of
the Celtic Sea and its tactical tricks.
The tricky sea and hard tactical choices don’t seem to be a major
problem for Armel Le Cleach (Britair) who is reported to have got in
the lead once again, overtaking Thomas Rouxel (Credit Mutuel de
Bretagne) and preceding also Jean-Pierre Nicol (Bernard Controls) in
third. Yet the skippers are sailing in a very compact group, only 4.5
miles separate the leader from the 26th placed, Italian Pietro D’Alì
(I.NOVA.3). Yet, another brilliant performance to register from
Portuguese Francisco Lobato (ROFF/TEMPO-TEAM), who’s been in the
leading pack since the start and now lies in 12th position only two
miles behind Le Cleac’h and first in the newcomers special ranking.
Franco/German Isabelle Joschke (Synergie) is 25th, Swiss Bernard Stamm
(Cheminées Poujoulat) is 35th and Jonny Malbon (Artemis) is in 42th at
ten miles from the top.
As per the latest computer simulations the ETA for the leaders at the
Fastnet could be tomorrow between 9 and 12 GMT while the leaders could
be crossing the finish line at Old head of Kinsale.
Quotes from the skippers:
Corentin Douguet (E.Leclerc Mobile)
"The wind shifted by 90° all of a sudden, it nearly got me by
surprise. I had to tack quickly and now we are on port. We were
heading to target on starboard before and we are doing in now on the
opposite tack! We are approaching the Fastnet faster than expected,
We’ve been busy since the start, no waiting game and it should be
like that to the Rock, a tight schedule. It’s windy but the swell is
more annoying, rough and the autopilot is not working 1005 in these
conditions. You must steer. Typical August day in the Celtic sea.
I’t getting better, the visibility is improving, until a hour ago you
can’t see anything. Still, I like to be here.”
Armel Le Cléac'h (Brit Air)
"After Brittany Point, a long tack and after rounding Wolf Rock there
was a huge wind shift, more than 100°, from SW to NE, the breeze is
coming from everywhere… The night was all right, I was happy to have
left Brest in a good position, I was afraid of getting stuck somehow
in the gulf. The sea is confused, we have a long stretch upwind
tacking to the Fastnet, it won’t be easy to find the best track to
Kinsale. I keep my fingers crossed.”
Yann Eliès (Generali Europ Assistance)
"A front just passed, the wind shifted abruptly but the rain has
stopped and it’s good after a whole night spent under, literally,
buckets of water! You couldn’t see much out there. I tried to go West
and a cargo ship made a u turn just in front of me, I was obliged to
take down the spinnaker. I lost some ground, even if I’m always in
the top pack. There are still options to be made: a ridge, wind
shifts, all the upwind part to the Irish coast that’s going to be
fun…”
Third placed Jean-Pierre Nicol on Bernard Control sailing under
spinnaker in foggy Channel
Positionen 10.08.
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