Record entry for this years Figaro

Star studded regulars joined by 33 newcomers

The Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2004 is a veritable sporting and human challenge. To Date 76 skippers have registered, amongst these there are 33 newcomers, 3 women and 9 foreigners. A record, not equalled in 35 years, which makes this Solitaire race the key event this Summer. The Start, initially planned for Monday 19th of July will now take place on Friday 23rd of July.

For 35 years the Solitaire has been the star event in the Figaro Bénéteau circuit and this is confirmed once again this year with the record number of pre-registered entries. Sailors well and not so well known, professionals or amateurs, graduates or newcomers … there are many who are eager to cross the start line of this mythical race this coming 27th of July.

Like every year, the Solitaire will bring together one of the most important fleets of monotype boats. Among the 76 skippers who have announced their intention to participate in the Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro are the experienced sailors of the circuit such as Armel Le Cléac’h (winner of the last race in 2003), Kito de Pavant (winner in 2002), Eric Douglazet (winner in 2001), Pascal Bidégorry (winner in 2000), Dominic Vittet (winner in 1993), Marc Emig (winner of the novice class in 2003), Gildas Morvan, Yann Eliès, Charles Caudrelier, Ronan Guérin…, sailors with impressive past records; Marc Thiercelin, Lionel Péan, Jean Luc Nélias, Halvard Mabire… and the last winner of the Mini Transat; Armel Tripon.

Over the years the number of foreign skippers has been on the increase, which shows that the Solitaire is an event known and recognised both in France and abroad. Hence there are 76 wanting to cross the start line for the 35th edition of the Solitaire; Sander Bakker (The Netherlands) Samantha Davies (England), Peter de Smet (Belgium) Eskill Degsell (Sweden) Hervé Fabre (Switzerland), Pascal Desmarets (Belgium) Antonio-Pédro Da Cruz (Cape Verde) Victor Maldonado (Mexico), Branco Palic (Croatia). The number of newcomers is high and shows the keen interest sailors have for this event.

Previous Figaro contenders are equally numerous, as there are 4 pre-registered, two of which are holders of the Jules Verne Trophy who have set off on Orange for a new record attempt.

For technical and logistical reasons, the race organisation, in agreement with the skippers has decided to delay the start, initially planned for the 19th of July, to Friday 23rd of July.

“The 2004 edition of the Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro will not be lacking in panache. Although the race is shorter than in 2003 it will be just as technical and challenging. It will crown, as it has now been doing for 34 years, a great navigator and a very big champion.” Explains Race Director, Denis Horeau.

The skippers will set off on July 27th with the one and the same goal in mind: to win the Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2004. And to cross the finish line in first place at Quiberon, they will have to excel in tactics, strategy, weather analysis and also race between France, England and Spain. The 1, 476 nautical miles will take the skippers from the English Channel to the Bay of Biscay passing through the Atlantic.

The stop-over ports, previously visited and new to the race on this 35th edition of the Solitaire, will work in close collaboration with the race organisation to make this event a great and wonderful success.

For the first time Caen will welcome the race from the 19th to the 27th of July. A historic year for the city, as it celebrates the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The Solitaire will also be celebrating as the solo skippers embark, 60 years after the soldiers on D-Day, on the opposing route heading for Caen’s sister town, Portsmouth in Southern England. This 160 nautical mile leg is one of the shortest in the history of the Solitaire.

Entry list:

	First Name - Surname	Nationality	No of Previous Races
1	AGUILAR Patrick	French	Newcomer
2	ARTAUD Christophe	French	4
3	ATTANASIO Romain	French	4
4	AUDIGANE Sébastien	French	6
5	BAKKER Sander	French	1
6	BALOGH François	French	4
7	BEAURIN Laurent	French	Newcomer
8	BERENGER Nicolas	French	1
9	BEYOU Jérémie	French	7
10	BIDEGORRY Pascal	French	7
11	BIGOT Gaël	French	Newcomer
12	BOISSIERES Arnaud	French	2
13	BOS Christian	French	3
14	BOSSARD Philippe	French	Newcomer
15	BOUVET Christophe	French	1
16	BULOT Jean-François	French	1
17	CASTILLA  Manuel	French	Newcomer
18	CAUDRELIER Charles	French	4
19	CHABAGNY Thierry	French	3
20	CUINET François	French	Newcomer
21	DA CRUZ Antonio-Pédro	Cape Verde	Newcomer
22	DAHIREL Frédéric	French	Newcomer
23	DANIEL Marie-Albane	French	Newcomer
24	DAVIES Samantha	English	1
25	de PAVANT Kito	French	4
26	DE SMET Peter	Belgiian	Newcomer
27	DEGSELL Eskill	Suédois	Newcomer
28	DELORD Alain	Français	2
29	DESMARETS Pascal	Belge	Newcomer
30	DROUGLAZET Eric	Français	11
31	DUTHIL Frédéric	Français	Newcomer
32	EINHORN Jacques	Français	3
33	ELIES Yann	Français	7
34	EMIG Marc	Français	1
35	FAVRE Hervé	Suisse	Newcomer
36	FERON Mathieu	Français	Newcomer
37	FOUCHE Jean François	Français	Newcomer
38	GAVIGNET Sidney	Français	2
39	GRÉGOIRE Jeanne	French	2
40	GREGOIRE Yann	French	1
41	GUERIN Ronan	French	9
42	GUILOUET Arnaud	French	3
43	HUART Christophe	French	Newcomer
44	JACQ Rodolphe	French	Newcomer
45	KOCH Antoine	French	4
46	KRAUSS Oliver	French	Newcomer
47	LE BLEVEC Yves	French	1
48	LE CLEAC'H Armel	French	4
49	LE GAL Franck	French	Newcomer
50	LEBRETON Benoît	French	Newcomer
51	LECHARPENTIER Bertrand	French	Newcomer
52	LEPESQUEUX Marc	French	3
53	LEQUIN Benoît	French	Newcomer
54	MABIRE Halvard	French	6
55	MAISONNEUVE Brieuc		Newcomer
56	MALDONADO Victor	Mexican	Newcomer
57	MASSU Philippe	French	1
58	MOREAU Pierre Yves	French	Newcomer
59	MORVAN Gildas	French	8
60	MOUREN Jean-Paul	French	17
61	NABART Laurent	French	3
62	NELIAS Jean-Luc	French	Newcomer
63	NICOL Jean-Pierre	French	Newcomer
64	PALIC Branko	Croatian	Newcomer
65	PEAN Lionel	French	8
66	PELLECUER Laurent	French	7
67	PERON Eric	French	Newcomer
68	PETIT Benoît	French	3
69	PILAT Eric	French	1
70	RIOU Yann	French	Newcomer
71	TABARLY Erwan	French	4
72	THIERCELIN Marc	French	5
73	TOULORGE  Alexandre	French	4
74	TRIPON Armel	French	Newcomer
75	VENIARD Gérald	French	Newcomer
76	VITTET Dominique	French	6