|
La Solitaire du Figaro 2011
www.lasolitaire.com -Übersicht
Saturday, August 13th 2011
Kurs Leg 3 nach JLes Sabbles d'Olonne
|
Getting ready for the “big one”!
The third leg from Dùn Laoghaire to Les Sables d'Olonne is due to start on
Sunday 14th August noontime. The 46 skippers and organisers alike are
getting ready for the longest leg of this 42nd edition of La Solitaire du
Figaro Eric Bompard Cashmere. Westerly winds will be on the menu
for the first part of the course, 475 miles but from the tip of Brittany, the solo
sailors will have to get the best of their weather routing abilities to
decipher three different sea breeze patterns, which will most probably make
the final stretch between the Sein and the Vendée extremely uncertain...
|
After Friday’s official prize giving ceremony of the second leg and a
cocktail reception at the National Yacht Club, skippers and shore crew were
back to business on the pontoons, giving the final touches to the boats,
getting ready for the third leg. Tourists, sailing fans and many teen
sailors in Dùn Laoghaire for the Topper Worlds visited the boats.
And while food, water and clothes were stowed away, most of the sailors were
studying the most recent weather forecasts to plan their strategy over the
next three days which looks everything but an easy one.
For the start it will probably be a nice Westerly breeze to accompany the
sailors, but then the situation will get more and more complicated,
especially from Tuesday afternoon because an anticyclone system will slowly
move towards France (finally!) producing a light wind “bubble” extremely
delicate to negotiate. And those who will be able to get safe over the
traditionally crucial area of the Raz de Sein, have a chance to create huge
gaps.
Still the last part to the finish is not to be underestimated: in the
absence of gradient wind, all will be played in light sea breezes. Many
variables will have to be taken into consideration: air temperature,
humidity, instability, the coast effect on the wind, the isobaric gradient
and many others. With such tricky tactical options to take, the results the
situation could change significantly. What is certain is that nothing is for
certain until the finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne!
The course
The third leg is a long run full south of over 300 nautical miles to the
Brittany point. Once the Saint-Georges channel is crossed, between Ireland
and Wales, and Wolf Rock lighthouse has been left to port side, east of the
Scilly Isles, a further 90 nautical miles will reindex to reach the coast of
Finistère.
The Portsall Grande Basse buoy marks the entrance of a coastal part of the
course as the skippers then need to round the Brittany point leaving Ushant
to starboard. Careful and good tactical choices will be of utmost
importance. Some skippers will undoubtedly attempt the passage by the
Fromveur leaving the Molène archipelago and the Isle of Sein to port;
others, depending on the weather windows and the currents, will opt for the
Four channel and the raz de Sein, aware that these passages are marked by
strong currents that can really get in the way of making progress.
The course is then clear to sail to the south of Brittany and reach the
Vendée: a further 130 miles of long-distance racing to Les Sables d’Olonne.
The options should reindex open however as some may decide, in the event of
weak winds, to take a more easterly course, looking for coastal breezes
between the isles of Groix, Bell-Île or Yeu. Others shall opt for following
the more direct course, more offshore, to reach the cardinal South mark Le
Nouch, that has become legendary thanks to the Vendée Globe.
Skippers’ quotes
Jérémie Beyou (BPI) – Race leader
"I’ve been studying closely the weather forecast. It is indexly to get the
best possible info to prepare the boat. I’ve to decide how much weight to
take on board, the food needed, how much it will take to get to Les Sables,
wheter it is 60 kilos or the maximum weight we can carry 100kg. I reckon we
will start reaching up to Wolf Rock in more than 15 knots. And later it will
be downwind as we approach the tip of Brittany, there will be an area of
light winds to cross. It will not be easy with the strong tidal current ...
And then once we reach the coast, it will be mostly sea breeze we will have
to get the best out of. That's the plan. But nothing for sure, especially in
light winds."
Conrad Humpreys (DMS) – Looking forward to Les Sables d’Olonne
“I feel good, had two good days of rest in Dùn Laoghaire. I’m very motivated
for this leg, the weather forecast is good for the first bit so we should be
able to get some rest in the Irish Sea. Then it will be quite complex when
we hit Brittany. The boat is in top conditions, I arrived here with no
damage, we did just some small checks, we cleaned the bottom, checked the
sails. I prefer to be light, but for this leg, it’s three days long, and at
least for the reaching first it would be ok to be close to the maximum
weight. And in the end it will be sea breeze so I think I will take more
food and eat more… Ranking wise, at the moment I’m 3% behind Jérémie Beyou
so I think of it in terms of percentage, I’m three hours from the leader and
I’d like to finish my first Solitaire maybe within 5%, that would be a good
achievement. In terms of ranking I still ahve a chance to get into the top
20 but I will be happy to be in the 30. I’ve good speed and in this leg I
would like to be in the first pack, like I did on the first leg. Just over
six years ago I finished the Vendée Globe in Les Sables d’Olonne and every
time I get there the hairs stand up on the back of my neck because I have
such special memories, not only about the place but about the people… I’m
looking forward to arriving there!”
Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert)
“On the eve of the start, generally you try to sleep, and then there is some
minor detail to double check on board, see if everything is ok with the
elecronics and the software, see if the sails have been properly repaired.
But indexly you study the weather, because the models get more and more
reliable. There is a lot to do to plan the strategy. This leg is not going
to be easy, many options, a lot of tactics… I could sleep and recover, so
I’m ready. I already had my bag of bad luck on the first two legs, so I hope
this one is going to be an lucky one.”
Nigel King (E-Line Orthodontics) – “I’ll try to sail well”
“We had a good stopover, I feel pretty fresh and ready to go. My shore crew
did a good job on the boat, we’re just checking that we don’t miss anything.
The race so far has thought me not to expect too much, I will just try sail
well and hopefully this would put me somewhere near the front. For the
general ranking my position is difficult, having lost so much time, so all I
can do now is try to sail weel on the last two legs. In a way I have no
pressure now, so I’ll be able to enjoy the sailing.”
For the latest videos please register at:
http://solitairedufigaro.nefertiti-prod.tv
Formats: Flash, I-Phone and Quicktime
Facebook:
http://fr-fr.facebook.com/pages/La-Solitaire-du-Figaro/340274282728
www.lasolitaire.com
Sabina Mollart-Rogerson
|
|
|
|