Golding's first Figaro foray

Vendee Globe skipper spoke to madforsailing about the two handed Tour de Bretagne

After seven races over the course of a week Mike Golding and Marcus Hutchinson finished 16th overall in the Figaro class' two handed Tour de Bretagne. The racing for the 30ft one design Beneteaus began in St Malo last Sunday (20 May) and coast hopped anti-clockwise around the Brittany coast with daily legs usually of 30-60 miles length - but occasionally as long as 120 miles - between bijou French ports such as Loctudy and St Quay Portrieux. The event wound up yesterday with racing off Ile de Groix and a prize giving in Lorient.

After a slow start to the week with finishes in the low to mid-fleet, the British duo on board EDS Atlantic Challenge began to find their form and in yesterday's windward-leeward came a creditable eighth. "We were halfway through the fleet which wasn't particularly flash," commented Golding last night on his performance. "But we arrived with one day's practise under our belts and we've been getting better as it's gone on. Today we did two windward-leewards and got eighth in a 30 boat fleet - not that bad as there were lots of top boats behind us including Mich." Michel Desjoyeaux, Vendee Globe winner and one of the best in the Figaro fleet, was in fact crewing for Vincent Riou, shore manager for his successful PRB Vendee Globe campaign.

"The weather has been pretty benign all week as we've been under the influence of this anticyclone," said Golding. "There was not much input to make, nothing flashy to do with the tactics. There were some guys who knew the coast well and really knew what the tide was doing. We did go in and out of the rocks, but it wasn't in rough weather and it wasn't dangerous or as exciting as it has appeared in the photos." He added that it was a thoroughly enjoyable event, with each town they visited laying on a big dinner at night and some very, very good sailors to race against during the day.

Golding says he would like to do more Figaro racing, but at present has no firm plans to do so, particularly as his racing commitments this season on board his Open 60 are intense with IMOCA, the Open 60 class association, running their first Grand Prix in Quiberon in two weeks time, the EDS Atlantic Challenge kicking off on 1 July and then the Transat Jacques Vabre two handed transatlantic race to Brazil starting on 4 November. "I could be interested in doing some more (Figaro racing). I've learned so much it is something on my agenda. Singlehanding these boats would be fun as they are so level. It is a good way of finding out how good you are...or not!"

The Tour de Bretagne was won by Figaro regular Gildas Morvan and crew Charles Caudrelier on board Cercle Vert, two points ahead of Pokemon skippered by Bruno Jourdren. Brittany-based Scot Yann Jameson on board Toubois finished a commendable fifth in the 29 boat fleet, which bodes well for a good performance in the class' top annual event, the Solitaire du Figaro. This 1,744 mile singlehanded event starts on 5 August from La Rochelle and comprises four legs to Gijon, St Quay Portrieux, Dingle in Ireland, finishing in Txingudi Hendaye.