15 for Trophee BPE

Small, but perfectly formed line-up for Beneteau Figaro's ambitious opening solo Transat event for 2007

On March 25, the Trophee BPE singlehanded transat launches the 2007 Beneteau Figaro season. This year the race runs from Belle Ile to the Caribbean island of Marie Galante, near Guadeloupe. At present 15 boats are entered and there are three more registered, although the list of the participants is not yet closed…

Many skippers from last year's race are returning including Jeanne Gregoire on Banque Populaire, Marc Emig on AST Group, Yannig Livory on Défi Transat 1, former Mini sailor Armel Tripon once again on Gédimat, and of course Gildas Morvan on Cercle Verte, third into Cienfuegos, Cuba in the 2005 Trophee BPE and winner of the 2001 event with Charles Caudrelier when the race was doublehanded.

Other skippers include Servane Escoffier, latest recruit of the Team Brossard and new to the Figaro class, following her participation in last autumn's Route du Rhum.

Last year's winner of the Solitaire Afflelou le Figaro, Nicolas Troussel on Financo will be on the start line, together with Gerald Véniard on Scutum, who many thought should have won that race after he win three of the four legs. Then there are Eric Defert on Suzuki Automobiles, Laurent Pellecuer, Liz Wardley on Sojasun and finally , other taking part of mark, ocean racing Bertrand de Broc, winner into Dakar of the second Trophy BPE in 2003 who returns to the Figaro class once again.

2005 winner Eric Drouglazet is still looking for money to be on the starting line on March 25 while other notable sailors such as Jean-Paul Mouren, Christian Boss, Ewen Clec'h, Jean-Luc Nélias, Erwan Tabarly, Alexandre Toulorge, Nicolas Bérenger are also looking for money too.