Elies unlucky prologue winner

James Boyd reports from the start of the Solitaire du Figaro in Les Sables d'Olonne

The Solitaire du Figaro ramped up today with the Bayer-sponsored prologue race held in the waters off Les Sables d'Olonne on France's Atlantic coast.

This was the first occasion that the 42 singlehanded competitors taking part in La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro (to give the race its official title) have lined up in anger, their 32 footers in race-ready trim.

Racing took place in a slight swell in 8-10 knots of wind. "I went for the left end of the line but it was very left biased and everyone was going for that end of the line and I was very nervous not to hit anyone two days before the start of the big race," commented Skandia skipper Sam Davies. "So I chickened out of going for it and gybed round and started a bit late towards the committee boat end. But the wind shifted back to the right a bit so it ended up not being so bad."

In fact neither end of the line or side of the course really paid off. Jérémie Beyou on Delta Dore got off to the best start with key players going hard right and hard left, Charles Caudrelier heading left, Armel Le Cleac'h on Créaline heading right while Alain Gautier and Loick Peyron started on starboard and soon flopped back on to port, choosing the middle.

Among those who were surprisingly behind were Gildas Morvan and Michel Desjoyeaux - however there may be a reason for this. Traditionally it has been unlucky to win the prologue to the Figaro to the extent that last year potential winner Gildas Morvan refused to cross the finish line.

At the windward mark it was Yann Eliès ( Groupe Générali Assurances) that rounded first, with Pascal Bidegorry on Région Aquitaine just sneaking inside Créaline of Armel Le Cleac'h. Action at the weather mark was exciting, all the more so because the boats were being sailed singlehanded and with only marginally less aggression than a fully crewed race. This resulted in a penalty turn for Erwan Tabarly on Thales.

The top three at the initial windward mark managed to maintain their positions to the finish line with Yann Eliès taking victory at 16:16:20 after one hour 16 mins and 20 seconds racing.

Sam Davies finished 32rd, just behind the only other female competitor Jeanne Gregoire. "It was the kind of day when it was really wavey and the breeze was really inconsistent and it paid to stay on the edges. And I tried once to tack in on a shift and I think I would have gained on a normal day but because there was no wind in the middle of the course, I lost out."

Davies says her boat Skandia is fine and is just missing the batten at the top of the mast to flick the mainsail round. "All the navigation is ready. Mark is bringing the freeze-dried food. I can't wait to go." The start of la Solitaire du Figaro is on Wednesday.

To read more about the Solitaire du Figaro - see our special section on it here