Challenging start

All conditions greet the Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro competitors at the start of their second leg from Crosshaven

The second leg of La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro from Crosshaven to Brest got underway today with just the one general recall. The 50 solo sailors finally made a clean start in the light and flukey wind conditions in the Bay of Cork at precisely 11h26 local time.

Before being able to head out into the open sea, the skippers had to sail a 6 mile inshore course with a 2 mile long beat, followed by a short reach and final downwind run to the Radio France mark, at the end of the inshore part. At the outset, the boats starting on the favoured Committee Boat end of the start line, closer to shore, found slightly more pressure, giving them a chance to break away taking an early lead in the light 5 knot breeze.

Conditions could not have been more mixed on the water with brilliant sunshine, sudden squalls with rain showers and a light breeze. Then there was the spectacle of 50 brightly coloured spinnakers set against the rugged green coastline of the emerald isle's southern shore. However competitors had little time to relish the setting, their work cut out for them right from the start of racing.

“It was not an easy start; very technical and then a big cloud came in just over the fleet at the entrance to Crosshaven - so we could see there was good breeze. Heading inshore we made a great gain from the start,” described Foncia skipper Michel Desjoyeaux over the VHF. Starting on the right, Foncia built an early lead round the inshore course to round the Radio France mark ahead of Gildas Mahé ( Le Comptoir Immobilier), Bertrand de Broc ( Les Mousquetaires) and Gildas Morvan ( Cercle Vert).

Things were not looking so good for those who started on the left hand side of the line, most notably for Espoir Crédit Agricole skippered by Christopher Pratt, Gérald Veniard’s Scutum, Italian Pietro D’Alì on Kappa and Etienne Svilarich on Grain de Soleil. By the time Gavottes (Jean-Pierre Nicol), the last boat to reach the radio France mark, the gap between Foncia had built to 40 minutes.

The forecast southwest breeze is freshening as the fleet head towards the Fastnet Rock, that they must leave to port, and which they should reach tonight. Conditions should then strengthen for the spinnaker sprint south to Ushant.