Solitaire du Figaro Start 1.Juni 2013 - Übersicht Press release of 06/01/2013 Are you ready? Done and dusted with the prologue, that gave the skippers the opportunity to say goodbye to Bordeaux and the huge crowds who gathered on the riverbanks, the fleet reached Pauillac and everyone's mind is now set on tomorrow's start. The first is the longest, 536 nautical miles, of the four legs and also the newest with a start and a finish that are almost completely unknown to the skippers. A relatively easy crossing of the bay of Biscay, a strategically tricky passage at Cap Finisterre and a far trickier approach to the Portuguese coast: the outcome in Porto could be unexpected and unpredictable… An unusual prologue With the Garonne's level rising steadily for hours and because of the presence of drifting wood that could increase the already risky descent of the river, the race direction and the skippers opted for an unusual starting procedure of the prologue Bordeaux-Pauillac/Eric Bompard cachemire: the 41 boats gathered in the starting area and crossed the line in groups of four, one every minute, for a most unusual pursuit race. Prolog Foto: © A.COURCOUX For the superstitious sailor, a victory in the Prologue of the Solitaire du Figaro-Eric Bompard cachemire is bad luck. As a matter of fact nobody, in the previous 43 editions of the race, has ever won the prologue and the race itself and the parade of sails does not award any point. But competitors are competitors and do well in front of the cheering public, the supporters and the sponsors is both motivating and gratifying for anyone. A brand new leg The first leg of the 44th Solitaire du Figaro - Eric Bompard cachemire is the longest, newest (start and finish locations have never before been visited) and potentially the toughest of this year's edition. 26 miles in almost fresh waters among the current and the sand banks on the Gironde estuary, followed by the passage of the spectacular Cordouan lighthouse, a westbound crossing of the Bay of Biscay, the always tricky rounding of Cap Finisterre and a potential tough navigation along the Iberian coast, plus the final approach to another river mouth in Porto. A stage that could prove even more complicated, given this year's absence of the Azores' High on Western Europe. The weather conditions, at least for the initial hours, look set. The 41 solo sailors will sail east of the high-pressure ridge generating some northerly breeze and later head towards the south side of the Azores' High, that creates an easterly wind flow, down to Cap Finisterre. In the Bay of Biscay, the fleet should encounter first some moderate conditions -10 to 12 knots in the Gironde and some 15 in the gulf- later increasing and reaching 25 knots. But, as the Iberian peninsula represents a barrier, this effect could well be short lived, and the fleet could be left drifting in very light airs. According to the latest calculations, the front pack could round Cap Finisterre on Tuesday afternoon but the reindexing 150 miles to Porto could be the most trying ones. All the skippers, experts as well as newcomers, agreed on saying this leg can be crucial for the final result. The youngest of all, Irish rookie David Kenefick, (Full Irish) made no secret of the tension he was experiencing on the eve of his biggest challenge so far. “I'm a little bit nervous, it's my first Figaro, my first leg and the longest of the race. Luckily the weather is going to be quite nice, it's going to be downwind and a little bit trickier down Cap Finisterre. I think the hardest part will be getting down the river with all the broken threes floating in it. So I think we will have to try and not damage the boat. Then it's into the first night, I always hate the first night because I get really lonely so I packed my favourite dinner: shepherd's pie!” At the other end of the spectrum Jean Paul Mouren, Groupe SNEF at his 27th participation to the race, shared some of David's concerns: “I expect the leg to be fast, we will be out of the bay quickly then there is a small low pressure over Spain created by hot air. I think that the finish will be totally unpredictable, and a high-tension one. The first part on the river is going to be fun; winches are going to heat up. But sure the show will be spectacular!” Tomorrow's start, that promises to be extremely exciting, will be live streamed on the official website from 12:30. Skipper's quotes: Michel Desjoyeaux, TBS: “The first part off Pauillac is very much north/south oriented so we will have to tack a lot to get out of the Gironde. We will have to deal with that. Once out in the Atlantic, conditions should be pretty nice, reaching in a wind that should get stronger. It shouldn't be too complicated until Cap Finisterre. From there on things are going to be a bit trickier. One could choose to stay inshore, risking to get stuck in light air, or stay well off, in fresher air but covering more miles”. Sam Goodchild, Shelterbox – Disaster Relief: “Sure this first leg should be interesting. Looks like there will be no big opportunities on the first half of it, but later off the coast of Portugal… weather and strategy could mix things up. My target is to try and stay in the top twenty. I want to be as consistent as possible, not only on he first leg but also up to Dieppe. How have I prepared? I focused on keeping everything simple; I worked to get that insight that makes sailing and trimming instinctive. If things come natural, as it does for the good ones, you are quicker. The Prologue? I worry more about it than the whole Solitaire! It's going to be dangerous, breaking something could mean disaster. I'm not superstitious so if I'll happen to be in front, which I believe not, I will cross the line”. Henry Bomby, Rockfish: “First part in the Channel is going to be quite important and also quite difficult. I'm nervous about trying to make a good start and not be too far behind once we exit the river. So that's my biggest concern and after the finish will be quite difficult as well so I will have to make sure I'm well rested for it. I'm not sure we will get much sleep once we get around the corner. Make sure I am still in the race at the end of the first leg is the most important thing and goal for me. I guess the crossing of the Bay of Biscay is going to be fairly easy but the finish is going to be hard, for sure. I have to make sure I will not be completely exhausted because there are three more legs after this. It is key to stay in touch and not loose to much time on the first leg”. Anthony Marchand, Bretagne Crédit Mutuel Performance: “The first leg may look easy, as far as weather is concerned. It's a scenario that we know well. But actually, it's going to be tough, as we will all do the same course. Even a small lateral separation will make a difference. One mile, even some dozen metres, will be crucial. It'll be imperative to be fast, steer a lot. Te biggest question mark is the finish in Porto, with a light, possibly very light wind. The biggest gains or losses could be made there. I believe it will be a pretty stressful finish”. Schedule - Sunday, June 2nd 10:30: Boats start to dock out 12:52: Start procedure begins 12:30 Start of the live streaming 13:00: Start of the first leg of the Solitaire du Figaro- Eric Bompard cachemire, to Porto (Portugal). The leg gets underway with a spectacular inshore course 12.5 miles long in the Gironde estuary between Pauillac and the island of Patiras. 14:30: Reverse tide, to lead the fleet to the end of the estuary (around 27 nm to cover on the river). Evening: Radio France mark to round at the pointe de Grave, in the south passage of the Cordouan lighthouse. Follow the latest news on the Solitaire du Figaro - Eric Bompard cachemire at www.lasolitaire.com The 2013 Solitaire du Figaro - Eric Bompard cachemire in short The sailors: ?42 entries, 6 past winners, 6 non-French skippers, 7 newcomers and 1 female sailor The race schedule: Stage 1 - Bordeaux/Porto (Portugal): 536 miles Start: June 2nd at 13:00 (start line in Pauillac) ETA: June 5th Stage 2 - Porto/Gijón (Spain): 452 miles Start: June 8th at 12:00 ETA: June 11th Stage 3 -Gijón/Roscoff: 436 miles Start: June 13th at 12:00 ETA: June 16th Stage 4 – Roscoff/Dieppe: 514 miles Start: June 20th at 13:00 ETA: June 23rd Site de la Solitaire du Figaro Eric Bompard cachemire Folkeboot - interWEB - HDSLR - Dortmunder - Casual Dating - Singlebörsen © 1996-2016 SEGEL.DE