Figaro underway

Light weather first leg anticipated

The 52 skippers taking part this year in the 35th edition of La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro are under way on the first leg of the race.

At 11.52am (French Time) Gilles Sabin, President of the Race Committee set a 30 minute delay to the start to the race, due to the light winds experienced in the Bay of Ouistreham, in France.

At 12.30 the start gun was fired and the sailors set off under 4 knots of breeze. The current and light winds caused individual recalls for Eric Drouglazet on Credit Maritime-Brokerline, Christian Bos on Raynal et Roquelaure and Stephane Sevaux on Sarthe.

At 15.26 Gildas Morvan on Cercle Vert led around the first mark, the Radio France buoy. In so doing he earns an 800€ bonus and as he leaves the French shores behind. The fleet now head for Portsmouth, following a 156-mile course set by the race committee.

First mark is the Royal Sovereign Lighthouse before turning on a westerly course towards the finish line in Portsmouth. The boats are due to arrive in Portsmouth from Wednesday afternoon and will remain in Gunwharf Quay until Friday morning.

The weather forecast shows very light winds over the next 24 hours, so nerves of steel and clever tactics will be key for what promises to be a complicated first leg. The skippers are at the mercy of light winds, strong currents and tides, and maritime traffic on what is the shortest leg of the race. A race that will travel from France to England, then back to France and on to Gijon in Spain before finally finishing in Quiberon in Southern Britanny in mid August.

The second leg of the race, from Portsmouth to Saint Gilles Croix-de-Vie, in the Vendee region, will start on Friday 30 July at 10.30 (GMT).