Tabarly out in front

As leg two of the Solitaire du Figaro sets sail from Gijon

The start gun went off at midday local time in Getxo-Bilbao, for the 45 skippers taking part in La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro, who set off on the start of the 368-mile long second leg to La Rochelle in France. To start with competitors sailed a short inshore course of five miles in a gentle 4-5 knot breeze. This took just under two hours for the leaders.

Erwan Tabarly sailing Thales got off to the best start, leading the way round the course to set off into the Bay of Biscay en route for the Birvideaux lighthouse just off the northern tip of Belle Ile. Tabarly (nephew of the great Eric) was followed around Radio France Buoy by Sam Davies on Skandia, the bit between her teeth following her disastrous start on leg 1. In succssion after Skandia was a trio of former winners - Dominic Vittet ( ATAO Audio System), Kito de Pavant ( Groupe Bel) and Michel Desjoyeaux ( Géant).

From here the Figaro sailors will have to find their best way across the Bay of Biscay through the light winds of the anticyclone to Belle-Ile.

Leg one winner Gildas Morvan on Cercle Vert did not have the start he would have hoped for, rounding the last mark in 31st place. Morvan is hoping that the recent month spent sailing in the Mediterranean in events such as the Generali Solo will stand him in good stead to deal with the light breeze and tactical decisions required over the next leg.

“All the weather forecasts agree in that there will be little wind for the start," he said. "We will need to cross the ridge of the low pressure, extended over an area that has little wind in the middle of the Bay of Biscay in order to get the lift we need to get the Birvideaux and then pick up the northerly breeze for the long run down to La Rochelle.”

Pre-race favourte Yann Eliès on Groupe Generali Assurances gave some insight into his tactics: “My strategy? I follow Mich Des, pass him and get away! No seriously, it looks like this leg is going to be very strategic. It is a leg for thinkers, as we will have to make decisions. It is based purely on the weather.”

While Figaro legend and Vendee Globe, Route du Rhum and the Transat winner Michel Desjoyeaux gave his take: “The ridge may move down a little. The weather situation is not complicated, but does have some subtleties. As to my strategy, I am not too sure… there is always a little breeze on the way and there will be northwesterlies waiting for us. We should take about 60 hours and arrive on Sunday evening. For sure being well placed at the Birvideaux lighthouse will be key because there could be some gains to be made for the leaders.”

Crossing the Bay of Biscay the forecast is for light northerly winds of around 10 knots which are due to veer northeast. “It will be tricky sailing around the edge of a high pressure system which is not really moving anywhere," commented Sam Davies. "The obvious route is to go left, to the west to get round the ridge - the question is how far west should we go before tacking? It is a toss-up between sailing a shorter distance but closer to the high pressure or to bear away west on a longer but faster course."

“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do yet and I probably won’t until the last minute - I do know that when I have made a decision about the route I’m going to take, I’m going to be confident and stick with it no matter what. I’m not going to do what everyone else will do. I have a feeling that most people will go one way and follow each other, and a few will risk it and take the other option. “

At the latest polling Thales remains in the lead while Fred Duthill on Brossard has climbed to second and Charles Caudrelier on Bostik moves into third. Skandia holds on the the leaders in fifth position and while leading rookie, Italy's Pietro D’Ali has moved up to eighth on Nanni Diesel.