Solo across the Atlantic in a Figaro

The Trophee BPE sets sail this weekend

Perhaps not the smartest move of the otherwise impeccible Classe Figaro, but their season opener every other year tends to be the most arduous event of the season and this year being an odd number, means it is the Trophee BPE, singlehanded across the Atlantic from the island of Belle Ile in the Bay of Quiberon, off La Trinite-sur-Mer, Carnac, etc to the island of Marie Galante, the 61 sqm island directly to the south of Guadeloupe.

Understandably therefore while typically 40-50 boats compete in the class' premier event, the Solitaire du Figaro, only 14 are making the passage across the Atlantic.

The line-up is as follows:

1 Gildas Morvan - Cercle Vert
2 Thierry Chabagny - Suzuki Automobiles
3 Erwan Tabarly - Athema
4 Adrien Hardy - AGIR Recouvrement
5 Gérald Véniard - MACIF
6 François Gabart - Espoir Region Bretagne
7 Eric Drouglazet - Luisina
8 Franck Le Gal - Lenze
9 Isabelle Joschke - Synergie
10 Yannig Livory - CINT 56 67
11 Nicolas Troussel - Financo
12 Armel Tripon - Gedimat
13 Louis-Maurice Tannyères - Nanni Diesel
14 Victor Jean Noël - Pays Marie-Galante



Favourite among these is probably Nicolas Troussel (above), winner of last year's Solitaire and of this event in 2007 (he was also second in the Trophee BPE in 2001), who's hasn't managed to secure sponsorship yet to graduate up to the IMOCA Open 60 class.

Another past Solitaire winner in the fleet is the ever present Eric Drouglazet, who won the Trophee BPE in 2005. They will face stiff competition from Figaro veteran, burly Gildas Morvan, who was Troussel's runner up in the Solitaire last year and who has previously finished this event second in 2003 (when he sailed with Bertrand Pace) and third in 2005, but finished a disappointing 12th in 2007. Morvan is a classic case of always the bridemaid, never the bride and after 16 years Figaro racing, it is about time he won one of the class' major events! Last weekend he won the Prologue event. Thierry Chabagny is also capable of winning being a regular top 10 placer in both the Figaro and the Class 40.

Of the newer generation coming through we have former Mini Transat winner Armel Tripon and Isabelle Joschke, who won the first leg of the 2007 Mini Transat and who is now applying her same level of intensity to the Figaro. It is only a matter of time...

The Trophee BPE this year sets off on Sunday, 5 April.