The City of Le Havre will host La Solitaire du Figaro race for the very first time. With a long history and experience of hosting large-scale events, the Paul Vatine’s basin and its entire new infrastructure will undoubtedly provide all the facilities for a great start for the event from the 20th to the 27th July. On July 27th the Figaro fleet will leave Le Havre for Gijon in Spain on a marathon 515 nautical mile leg, which will see the fleet sail on both the English Channel and the Atlantic Sea.
The initial part of the leg will be technical as the fleet negotiate the approach to the Brittany headland, then Chenal du Four, Raz de Sein, Mullein Archipelago and Isle de Sein. The sailors will need to be vigilant and take particular care before the 270 mile crossing of the Bay of Biscay. “This first stage of the 41st edition of the race is the longest and probably the most demanding. This will be good warm up for the sailors who should be relatively fresh at the beginning of the race,” explains Jacques Caraës, the Race Director. With a history of hosting ten previous editions of the race, Gijon is a landmark for La Solitaire. The fleet will take a few days rest before leaving Asturias on August 3rd on the 418-mile run to Brest. The second leg up to Brest will not be so straightforward; with a return crossing of the Bay of Biscay to negotiate and the SN1 mark to be left to port. Following this, there should be a beautiful sail along the south coast of Brittany, leaving the Croix Island to port before reaching Finistère.
The last part of the course will be very strategic, particularly when passing the Bay of Audierne, followed by the passage of the Raz de Sein. These twenty miles are crucial and will require special attention as the sailors can either make up or lose ground depending on how they negotiate the tides. “The dangers multiply towards the end of this second leg after the sprint across the Bay of Biscay”, says Jacques Caraës, “and will no doubt keep the suspense going right to the end.” After having had a few days rest in Brittany, it will be time to leave the Port du Moulin Blanc on August 9th and head to the Irish town of Kinsale.
La Solitaire returns to the much-loved town of Kinsale for the 19th time in the 41-year history of the race. Although the event has not returned since 1997, it remains to this day, one of the greatest stopovers of the race. Relatively short at 349 miles, the 3rd stage of the race, will be nothing but easy. Upon leaving Brest harbour, the Figaro Bénéteau 2 fleet will head out into the Chenal du Four along the Portsall rock plateau. Then follows an 89 miles stretch along the English Channel up the Cornish coastline to Wolf Rock, which must be left to port. The fleet will converge at the legendary Fastnet Rock, which must be left to starboard, after the 165 mile stint across the Celtic Sea, before heading eastwards to Kinsale. The 41st edition of the race will conclude in Cherbourg in Normandy on the fourth and final 435-mile leg. "Competitors will leave the Irish coast on a heading to the Fastnet Rock, some 45 miles away, which they will leave to port. Following this they will head down across the Celtic Sea and leave the Scilly Isles to port when they sea Bishop Rock lighthouse.
Then there is a 100 mile stretch across the English Channel to reach the West Lizen cardinal, just to the north of the of the Vierge Island. This mark needs to be left to port before the 140 mile sail towards the Channel Islands”, explains the Race Director. Finally, the last few miles of the leg between the islands will allow skippers to use strategy and play tactics for the second time in this edition. Here there will be more options to evaluate on how to each the Cotentin coastline. The sailors will need to maintain alert as the Raz Blanchard can play games and will no doubt hold us all in suspense right down to the final miles to the finish line. This will be the 7th time La Solitaire will finish in Cherbourg-Octveille. On the 22nd of August, the now traditional boat parade will take place to celebrate the conclusion of the 41st edition of this legendary event. The Figaro sailors will delight once again in the very varied course along the four stages that make up the race this summer. After an incredible 2009 edition, every sailor has shown eagerness to get to the starting line and write a new page in the history of this phenomenal race, La Solitaire du Figaro.
Schedule for La Solitaire du Figaro 2010 LE HAVRE Village Opening: Tuesday, July 20 Suzuki Prologue: Sunday, July 25 Leg 1 Start: Tuesday, July 27 The Solitaire stops in Le Havre for the first time GIJON (515 miles) Arrival of boats: Friday, July 30 Leg 2 Start: Tuesday, August 3 The Solitaire stops in Gijon for the 11th time Host City: 1991-1992-1994-1995-1996-1997-1998-2001-2002-2004 BREST (418 miles) Arrival of boats: Thursday, August 5 Leg 3 Start: Monday, August 9 The Solitaire stopped in Brest for the 10th time Departure City: 1970-1971-1994-1999 Host City: 1981-1988-1997-2007 Arrival City: 1995 KINSALE (349 miles) Arrival of boats: Wednesday, August 11 Leg 4 Start: Monday, August 16 The Solitaire stops in Kinsale for the 19th time Host City: 1974-1975-1976-1978-1979-1980-1983-1984-1985-1986-1988-1990-1991-1992-1993-1994-1995-1997 CHERBOURG-OCTEVILLE (435 miles) Arrival of boats: Thursday, August 19 Closing Regatta: Sunday, August 22 The Solitaire stopped at Cherbourg for the 7th time Departure City: 1991-1998-2006 Host City: 2008 Arrival City: 2000-2002
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