In the bag for Beyou

Delta Dore skipper wins Solitaire Affelou Le Figaro on ninth attempt

This afternoon Jérémie Beyou, skipper of on Delta Dore scored a doble victory in La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro. His yacht Delta Dore crossed the finish line of the fourth and final leg from Cork to Port Bourgenay at 14h45m27s (French Time) after 2 days 3 hours and 27 seconds of racing at an average 8.21 knots. This win was enough to secure him the overall elasped time win in this race.

Beyou has sailed this race on eight previous occasions, and winner both this final leg and the race overall, is a momentous achievement for the sailor from Loctudy in northern France. Beyou announced upon arrival that “I have never put so much of myself into something like have done over the past two days”. The strain and exhaustion of the past weeks and particularly the last days were clearly etched on his euphoric face on his arrival. The tough conditions from the outset of the fourth leg from Ireland to the Vendee have put the 43 skippers under considerable pressure who also had to deal with strong currents, rough and crossed seas, 30 knots of wind gusting 45, cold wet and cargo traffic.. “It is magical this moment, you can’t imagine you will get there. It was so tough this morning; there was no wind and you we had to fight for every inch gained to the finish” adds the 2005 Solitaire champion.

Overnight an approaching cold weather front provided the leading Figaro sailors with a chance of clocking near on 10 knots of average speed. The trailing boats missed the shift and are now spread up to 70 miles from first to last. Michel Desjoyeaux on Geant and Oliver Krauss on Espoir Crédit Agricole battled it out for second and third place respectively to the finish line just outside Port Bourgenay.

The sun finally came out after the storm to welcome the winning boats to the little port town of Talmont Saint Hilaire. After 1642 miles covered (428 on the last) over a ruthless 4 leg race between France Spain and Ireland, the young Breton skipper will celebrate his win with family, friends and the hundreds of people who have gathered to welcome the heroes of one of France’s most loved races.