And they're off...

La Solitaire du Figaro sets sail from Le Havre

The 45 sailors competing in the 41st La Solitaire du Figaro got off today at 14:00 under overcast skies in the bay of Le Havre with 8/9 knots of breeze from the northwest.

Bar the two individual recalls given to over eager rookies, Francisco Lobato on Roff/Tempo Team and Louis Maurice Tannyeres on St Ericsson, the race got off to a clean start. Eric Peron on Massif 2009, warded off some stiff competition to reach the offset mark after some thirty minutes racing in the lead and stayed ahead of Fred Duthil on BBox and Adrien Hardy on AGIR to grab lead around the Radio France mark.

The fleet now face their first night at sea with wind predicted to rise gradually overnight to up to 20 knots from the north, backing to the northwest at they approach the Cotentin and Barfleur headlands.

The sailors now face multiple difficulties, but one in particular that all unanimously complained of before the start is the seaweed. “It can stop the boat and even modify your course, especially at night when you don’t see it and you could be sleeping… you can well sail for 20 or 30 minutes without realising and that’s a disaster. It’s a minefield for everybody and I am under the impression that I get more than the others!” declared Luisina skipper Eric Drouglazet.

The first part of the leg to Gijon will be inshore and very technical with initially the crossing of the Bay de Seine. The skippers will then have to pass the Cotentin and the Raz Blanchard headlands, well known for the strength of their currents. Aurigny Island must be left to starboard, passing Cap de Hague, before the sailors head southwest through the Channel Islands. Guernsey and Herm are official gates, which means that the fleet have to either sail through the narrow passage called Great Russell on a direct route, or sail a more southerly course depending on the state of the tide. In short this first leg requires careful navigation and strategy to be well positioned for the second stretch along to Ushant.

The passage between the Chenal du Four and the Raz de Sein is yet another difficult and technical area that will remind the trailing skippers that nothing is yet decided with so many obstacles to face. The Triagoz isles, île de Batz, île Vierge, the Four lighthouse, Molène archipelago, Saint-Mathieu point, the legendary île Tévennec, île de Sein, passage of the Raz de Sein... there will be so many key moments to tackle each requiring careful navigation. Once these initial 90 miles have been covered, the sailors will head south across to Gijón on the north coat of Spain.

Among the non-French, italian Pietro D'Ali on I.NOVA 3 reached the Radio France buoy in 21st while Mini Transat winner Francisco Lobato was up to 31st after his OCS . Artemis' Jonny Malbon reached it in 41st place.

Comments from the skippers prior to the start:

Frédéric Duthil (BBOx Bouygues Telecom): "Excellent conditions for me"
"I had a very good night before the start. It won’t be as easy as it looks. The issue is to decide which way to go up to Barfleur and be wary of the seaweed. I am feeling much better physically (Fred broke its right elbow some weeks ago and he’s still recovering, ed. note) because the wind is fairly light for now. It’s good because I will probably manage to sail without feeling too much pain. I will do my best to save energy and get to Gijón, keeping on recovering for the second leg."

Jeanne Grégoire (Banque Populaire): "Ideal conditions"
"I’m already missing my bed. Waking up today I thought: I’ve at least three sleepless nights ahead and I don’t know when I will have the chance to rest again like this. I’ll have to force myself to take some short naps but no panic if there will be no siestas before the Channel Islands, I will have to wait and see… Anyway, we’re expecting ideal conditions for the first leg."

Jonny Malbon (Artemis): "I’m more relaxed than last year"
"I slept well, despite waking up every now and then, I don’t know why, guess it’s the stress. I went to bed early and I rested enough, so I’m all right and much more relaxed than last year. I was so nervous in 2009. The hours before the start are always a bit hard and all you wish is to be on the water, start racing and concentrating."

Karine Fauconnier (Eric Bompard cachemire): "Staying focussed"
"I slept very well, soundly and woke up in top form, not to early. I’m not very focussed though, so I’m trying forget about everything else. I’m concentrating on the weather forecast because the evolution is not too clear. You have to get the best possible data just before the start to develop your strategy. I work with Jean-Yves Bernot from the Centre d’Entraînement in Port La Forêt and I usually ring up my old friend Pierre Lasnier for a last minute advice and then we go back to the good old days of the Figaro when I started. Sailing in the Channel will be tough, we will be all very close and we won’t many chances of napping. We will have to watch out for the raz Blanchard and Guernsey, and there will be seaweed too… We will need to rest every now and then and be focussed for the passage of Four, choose among different options…"

Damien Guillou, rookie (La Solidarité Mutualiste): "I managed to relax"
"I slept even better than the night before the Prologue. I haven’t been thinking about the race and have just relaxed, disconnected my brain in a way. So it’s good, I am all right. The first leg is a bit complicated tough, the initial part has to be dealt with attentively. I feel good and I’m not stressed at all. We will start in light air up to Cherbourg and Blanchard. I believe you have to stay in the leading pack, not to make any mistake or take any risk, right from the beginning. Being late at the raz Blanchard would be an error because it’s a dangerous area with a strong currents, In fact, I think it will be necessary to pay full attention until Guernsey."

Marc Emig (marcemigetmoi.com): "Leading in the Bay of Biscay"
"For me the Solitaire is the first stage of a long-term programme which should lead me to the 2012Vendée Globe. There are at least twenty boats that can be in the top ten overall, so it’s hard to target the upper part of the scoreboard. I did well when I first took part (fifth overall and first rookie in 2003) but not that good in the last editions. I believe this first leg is not too complicated, as far as weather is concerned, it does not look physically demanding. Obviously there are some difficult passages like the raz Blanchard or the Brittany point but it’s mainly in the Gascony Gulf where it will be important to be in the first group, because there’s always the risk that the leaders can flee."

Sébastien Josse (Vendée): “I wanted to come back"
“It’s been some years that I wanted to come back to the Solitaire. There are some very good and well experienced sailors like Armel Le Cléac’h or Gildas Morvan and some new ones, the rookies, who get better and better: Lunven, Gabard, Rouxel, Delahaye… The level is always very high. I had a good season start, we will see what comes of it… You risk to be a bit stressed in this first leg because it’s very long and tricky, but if you choose the right option there is a chance that it will be close racing up to Gijón.”

Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat): "All options are open"
"I like the weather forecast, it looks like the breeze won’t be so light, that’s good news. We do not know how it’s going to develop, the idea is to be in the leading pack at the Channel Islands. It’s not impossible to do well, we will see, everything can happen but I leave all my options open. I will try to sail clean… that’s to be in the right spot at the right time."

Eric Drouglazet (Luisina): "be in the lead at Raz de Sein"
"La Solitaire, it’s always the season’s big disappointment. I keep coming back and I’m really motivated, trying to win once more. I believe I have less speed issues than last year when I could not be among the best ones. Luisina is a fairly fast boat and I will be able to sail as I wish, without taking too many risks. We worked on the sails to get more speed. This gives me the necessary calm to race. What I’m worried about is the seaweed that can stop the boat and even modify your course, especially at night when you don’t see it and you could be sleeping… you can well sail for 20 or 30 minutes without realising and that’s a disaster. It’s a minefield for everybody and I am under the impression that I get more than the others! This first leg is going to be tricky, I’m never calm when the experts say it’s going to be an easy one. I’m experienced enough to know that it’s going to be complicated, and it’s 500 miles long. My old friend Jean le Cam would agree with me. There will be areas with a strong current, tidal flows and the Bay of Biscay to cross: all you need to have a nice time in August. We won’t be able to sleep much until the Raz de Sein, afterwards some quick naps sailing under spinnaker, but you will have to fight to be in the lead.