The 46 skippers are profiting from the quiet and relaxed atmosphere in Dún Laoghaire to recover from a very tough second leg. Each has his or her own way of recharging the batteries... a massage, a pint of Guinness, some shots on the green, a little jazz or a rugby match on TV...

Not many Solitaire skippers were on the pontoons today. As some are seeing the physiotherapists, who are working around the clock on the tired muscles, others are planning to spend a couple of hours to visit Dublin's historical city centre, some solo sailors relax just enjoying a beer and a quiet moment on the terrace of the National Yacht Club. Some of the most energetic ones, like race veterans Jean Paul Mouren and Gildas Morvan, opt for one or two rounds on one of the world-famous Irish golf courses. There is a rugby match to watch on TV, with a particular meaning to all, as it's France v. Ireland. And, Alexis Loison, who turns 27 today plans to have a very special birthday celebration.

The Figaro fleet docked at the National Yacht Club. Photo: Michael Chester

And while the sailors try to get in top form again during the short stopover in Ireland, shore teams and sail makers are very busy before the start of leg three, suffice to say that during the crossing from Caen to Dún Laoghaire, no less than 24 spinnakers and 7 jibs were damaged...

Still, everyone seems to be greatly enjoying the friendly atmosphere in Dún Laoghaire, where the skippers were welcomed by the famous Irish warmness.

Sam Goodchild (Artemis): on his coming to Ireland, commented: "I got a very warm welcome, it was great to be greeted on the water, the people are friendly, its nice and relaxed. I'm looking forward to taking it easy and enjoying the jazz festival in Dùn Laoghaire"

Conrad Humpreys' (DMS): comments are as positive as his fellow countryman's: "This part of Ireland I've been to a few times, the yacht club here hosted us for several weeks during the Round Ireland Race. The craic is brilliant, it's great fun, very lovely people. There's a lot of interest in this race in Ireland, it always has a strong presence here."

Paul Meilhat (Macif 2011): "I slept 18 hours flat out. We had such a lovely welcome, like we always get when we go to Ireland. Great warm meal with a cold beer upon arrival. I went to bed on Wednesday at lunchtime planning on getting up for dinner later. I asked Fabien, Jimmy and Eric if they could wake me up to go. I thought they forgot me but in fact they tried, they knocked on my door, called me from the reception, managed to get a key card for my hotel room and came in. They shook me but just could not wake me up. I woke up at 10 am this morning after sleeping 17 or 18 hours. It was purely the hunger that got me up in the end!"

Nigel King (E-Line Orthodontics): "It's good to be in Ireland, it's always nice to come here, I'm looking forward to a Guinness tonight, haven't had one yet! In the 2007 Solitaire we went to Cork and in 2009 we went to Dingle, now Dublin, it's always a great experience."

Today, Alexis Loison (Port Chantereyne Cherboug-Octeville) celebrates his 27th birthday in Ireland: "I may eat fish and chips with a candle on it, have a beer tonight to celebrate!  For once, I'm onshore and not alone at sea for my birthday. Taking stock of this second leg, my spinnaker is at the sail doctor being mended, physically my back hurts this morning and now I am on the waiting list to the one of the physiotherapists who are all busy today.  I have to just really try and make the most of opportunities that come my way.  This last leg I really had to work hard to climb up a few places so I am not too unhappy with my results.

While Loïc Le Garrec (Saveurs d'Evenements) turned 38 yesterday: "I could not really make the most of my birthday yesterday at the finish of the race. In fact, for the past three years, I have spent my birthday in the Irish Sea. I woke up alone at 1 am and by then it was too late to go for a drink with everyone. I was truly shattered after the race. It was a particularly hard one."

Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert): "Time to cheer up with a round of golf in Ireland and prepare to watch the France v. Ireland rugby match" "In 15 year editions of racing in the Figaro, I've never ripped a spinnaker. So I was not expecting it. Being let down by the material is not easy to accept. On this race I blew both my spinnakers. The bigger one first and then I hoisted the smaller one only to see it rip. I ended up sailing with my genoa off the spinnaker pole for 20 miles. It really was quite miserable and the results are hard to swallow. I am ready now to put that behind me and enjoy a tour of Dublin followed by a round of golf. Then there is the France v. Ireland rugby match to watch on Saturday."

Yannig Livory gets the chicken pox! On the second leg, around reaching Cherbourg area, the skipper of One Network Energies started to fee ill. Spots started to appear all over his body, which caused severe itching. He felt completely run down and permanently cold. "I was just shattered and everything itches. It was just awful with the wet weather gear on. The doctors diagnostic in Ireland is: I have chicken pox...I suppose that at 45, it is never too late!

Penalties for leg 2

The jury gathered on Thursday 11th of August to decide the outcome of 10 cases put forward at the end of the second leg of La Solitaire du Figaro. Yanning Livory (One Network Energies) and Maurice Tannyères Louis (St Ericsson) get a one hour penalty applied for not completing the course correctly: they sailed round the wrong side of Mullins Island on the shore side just two miles from the finish. Yoann Richomme (DLBC), Isabelle Joschke (Galettes Saint Michel) and Damien Guillou (La Solidarite Mutualiste) get a 25 minute penalty for broken propellor shaft seals. Finally, Sam Goodchild (Artemis), Sébastien Picault (Kickers) and Xavier Macaire (Starter ActiveBridge) each get a 5 minutes penalty for a broken safety gauge seal. These penalties do not change the order of the overall standing for the top 10 positions.

The 2005 Solitaire du Figaro champion crossed the finish line Dún Laoghaire not only to win the second leg but take the overall lead in the four-stage sailing race.  Nicolas Lunven, the 2009 champion was second with Adrien Hardy, who won the stage to Ireland in 2010, third.  Morgan Lagravière, was top rookie in 6th.  The first of the four British sailors, Phil Sharp, was 23rd, just over an hour behind the leader.

The pewter grey skies cleared briefly to let some bright sun through to spotlight the first Figaro on the horizon and reveal the breakaway leader of the 46 solo sailors competing on the second of four legs that make up La Solitaire du Figaro race.  The second leg, 440 miles from Caen to Dún Laoghaire close to Dublin on the East coast of Ireland, set off last Sunday and took just over 65 hours for the winner to complete.  Jérémie Beyou (BPI), blew his spinnaker in the shifty breeze just a couple of miles from the finish, but had been surfing downwind at a blistering average of 14 knots, whilst keeping a close eye on his pursuers as he helmed his boat to victory at 10:15 in the morning.  The successful and experienced French solo sailor, averaged 6.7 knots over the 65 hours and 25 minutes and 16 seconds. He was both jubilant and exhausted upon arrival.

Nicolas Lunven sailing on Generali from France was just under 20 minutes later in second place with Adrien Hardy on Agir Recouvrement finishing third a further 18 minutes astern.  Members of the National Yacht Club, international visiting media, and support shore crew welcomed the skippers on the arrival pontoon with champagne to celebrate.  Rookie, or first time participant to complete the gruelling race was Morgan Lagravière in an impressive 6th.
The four British entries, was headed by Phil Sharp on Spirit of Independence in 23rd, just over an hour behind the leader then Nigel King (E-Line Orthodontics) in 32nd, Sam Goodchild, the youngest skipper at just 21, Sam Goodchild was 33rd  in Artemis, and Conrad Humphreys (DMS) in 40th just over two hours behind the winner.  Francisco Lobato on Roff, who comes from Portugal, finished in 28th place.

The race was really tough and  the conditions, with upwind sailing though squalls, strong tidal currents and rocky channels at the start, were truly demanding. But the adrenaline rush come back for the downwind overnight reach up the Irish Sea to the finish.

All 46 competitors remain in Dún Laoghaire Harbour until the start of leg three on Sunday 14th of August: 475 miles from Dublin to Les Sables d'Olonne in France.

Jérémie Beyou (BPI) – winner in Dún Laoghaire after 440 miles racing from Caen: "Oh my, it feels good to get to the finish line... and in first. I've worked a lot for this race and sometimes it just pays off. It's not easy to be in front and stay there. All in all I feel very happy. Winning is something magical, impossible to explain what you feel, it's just great. It was a though one, squalls at the start and at the finish...it looked like it was going to last forever.  The wind on the last part was coming in from all over the place, shifting continuously.  My big spinnaker just exploded in the final miles of the race, but then I guess it was taking its revenge as I treated it so badly! And the boat too, I reckon Fanch (his shore team ed. note) is going to be busy with the repairs. Last night there were three of us, Nico Lunven, Erwan Tabarly and myself sailing side by side... I really took the gamble by going along the coast on the most direct route, not an easy decision to sail so close to the Irish coastline.  We all knew it was going to be a hard race.  I was the first one to hoist the spinnaker yesterday, the others were waiting and I said to myself: Go Beyou, you can do it!  I did not sleep much on the first night and on the first day either. It was impossible, but I had some rest on the second one, sailing along under the southern British coastline towards Lands End. O would not quite call what I had sleep; it was more like a few siestas on deck to keep an eye on Erwan Tabarly.

Morgan Lagravière (Vendée) sixth and first rookie to finish in Dún Laoghaire 41 minutes and 59 seconds behind the winner: "It's been the toughest leg I've ever sailed. Three hard days and nights in strong wind and choppy sea and not progressing much... I can't say it was fun, I wanted to sail well but it was also frightening, downwind with 35 knots! It was not easy to keep the boat going straight. I'm obviously happy with my result but I need to rest, eat and take a break, think about something different. Honestly,. I'm glad to get into the game, these are very special and interesting races, but they're so tough! It was hard since the very start in Caen and then I was helming all the time. At the finish, when you are already tired, it's not easy to sail under spinnaker in 30 knots, boats surfing at 18: amazing! One realizes that it is so easy to fall overboard, when the boat is rocking and jumping. I've started this project with Vendée and I would do anything to race well, even if it's cold, the food is awful, no sleep and you end up totally exhausted. It's nice to be back ashore and put things into perspective: I'm more experienced now and I got a good result."

Francisco Lobato (ROFF) from Portugal finishes 28th and 1 hour 46 minutes and 26 seconds behind the winner: "This second leg was not much better than the first one. I started well, but then almost all my options were not right and I kept loosing ground on the leaders. Between Land's End and the St George Channel I decided to go East, it didn't pay off... Only on the final downwind part, while approaching the finish, I managed to climb back some ten/twelve places by staying more inshore. I can't say I'm happy with the result."

Phil Sharp (Spirit of Independence) – first Briton to finish in Dún Laoghaire: « It was a hard race, it was very testing in certain places but they were actually very exciting and enjoyable conditions. I hit a particularly good set of waves and I was just Surfing along at 18knots for about half a minute. Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable, we're all insane! »

Nigel King (E-Line Orthodontics) and Sam Goodchild (Artemis) were fighting neck-and-neck for much of the leg:  "We had a chat last night, we were close enough to talk to each other! I've had a better leg than last leg but I didn't sail the first eighteen hours very well. I don't know what's going on, I lost a lot of time in the first twenty-four hours and then spend the rest of the race trying to figure out how to recover."

Conrad Humphreys (DMS) decided to stay to the right fleet to avoid an area of high pressure initially forecast, but now questions that decision: "I realised I'd made a mistake by not crossing over to the Irish coast early enough but I'm happy, we've got here in one piece and I'm still in very close contention with the rest of the pack, so that's the most important thing. I love Ireland and I'm sure there's a very good pint of Guinness waiting for me!"

Sam Godchild (Artemis) whose decision to tack early upon rounding the Channel Islands: "That was a bad idea, I got my timings wrong. There were three big tactical decisions, the first two I made were wrong which was disappointing and I think I could have done better in this leg. The third was ok and I made up for a lot of time lost after Land's End."

Crossing the Dún Laoghaire finish line this morning at 09:14:16 French solo sailor Jérémie Beyou won the second leg of 42nd edition of famous sailing race Solitaire du Figaro. It took BPI skipper, who was crowned overall winner back in 2005, two days, 17 hours and 25 minutes to cover the 470 miles from Caen to Dùn Loaghaire, sailed mostly upwind in strong conditions. Beyou was welcomed in Dùn Laoghaire by race organisers and representatives from the National Yacht Club but few else as rain lashed the east coast port as the fleet arrived. Big celebrations are planned to welcome the fleet to Dublin Bay for the first time over the next four days.

Second place goes to Nicolas Lunven on Generali, whose more offshore option on the final stretch to the finish paid off, and third to Adrien Hardy on Agir Recouvrement by only eight seconds on Thomas Rouxel on Bretagne Credit Mutuel Performance.

Latest Figaro race reports here

The ETA in Dún Laoghaire for the La Solitaire du Figaro yacht race is tomorrow morning.

The first arrivals of the 46 competitors of La Solitaire du Figaro yacht race and accompanying French Naval Patrol Ship (PSP Cormoran) and the race management boats are expected in Dún Laoghaire on Wednesday anytime between 08:00 to 11:00.

Times could change, depending on the weather conditions.

The second leg of the four stage La Solitaire du Figaro race starts tomorrow from Caen in Normandy to Dún Laoghaire harbour just outside Dublin in Ireland. The 47 solo sailors will set off at 16:00 local French time on the 470-mile race with key points of passage, in what forecasts show will be strong conditions for a mainly upwind leg to Ireland.  Final briefings, routing strategy, food storage and equipment are being done in Caen the day before the start.

The skippers of La Solitaire du Figaro in the Cloître de l'Abbaye Aux Hommes in Caen Photo: Courcoux/Marmara

The course to Ireland will see the fleet cover the first forty-six miles of the race on potentially reaching conditions up to Barfleur in 10 to 12 knots of South-westerly winds.  "Conditions are forecast to freshen up over the course of the evening and we could see 25 knots with gusts of up to 35 at the Cap de la Hague, where we have decided to put in a mark at La Plate tower to avoid the sailors getting too close the rocks which are not all shown on many charts" explains race Director Jacques Caraës. The fleet then head down the Gros du Raz and leave Alderney to starboard on the run past Herm Island, then round Guernsey on starboard.  "The reason we have set Guernsey to starboard is to keep the fleet out of the busy shipping lanes further north into the Channel," continues Caraës.  The wind is forecast to veer round to the North as the fleet will make headway up the Channel towards Lands Ends, 122 miles away.  The conditions should remain fresh at 20 knots, gusting 30 for this part of the race and then ease on Tuesday as the breeze will back round to West, Southwest for the final miles to the finish in Dún Laoghaire, 205 miles away from Land Ends.

Interestingly, the effects of a system of low pressure approaching over North West of Ireland on Wednesday could shake up positions and see the fleet compress on the final approach, as the breeze is likely to be felt first by those at the back end  "Two miles from the finish, we have marked that Mullins Island must be left to port in order to avoid the busy fishing area" concludes Jacques who estimates the arrival of the boats in Ireland on Wednesday.

Experience, together with physical endurance will really count for the Figaro sailors, as they face strong upwind sailing conditions for the first two days of racing , fitness and mental alertness to then tackle the final sprint up the St. George's Channel, navigate the numerous sand banks along the Irish coastline, and possibly then have to sail under spinnaker to the finish in Dún Laoghaire.

Quotes from the skippers on the eve of the start of the race from Caen to Ireland
Fabien Delahaye (Port de Caen Ouistreham) – current race leader: "The fight will be tough"
"I have reconfigured the set up on the boat for this next leg.  It is perfect, the refuelling is done, everything is ready to go.  Now I am looking at the weather to see how to set the ballast.  We have the right to carry 100 kg of material over a 20 litre container at the foot of the mast that can be filled.  On each leg we decide what we want to do, depending on the weather.  For the first, it was just over 60 kg on board.  I wanted to be light.  I left with the clothes I had on and a set of oilskins, nothing else, not even a fleece.  For the second leg, if you want to be heavy, you can take a dry suit, fleeces, three sets of oilskins... there will be lots to be able to get changed into! On this kind of leg you could see less options, as those who are used to strong conditions and like to work hard at the helm should get along fine.  It is going to be a tough leg where you need to be good technically, handle the boat well and most likely are going to wear yourself out.  We will also spend over three night at sea, sleep management is important, as is knowing how to deal with the pilot.  Those who have experience of sailing on the Figaro will definitely shine out.  People like Gildas Morvan, he is known for his ability in strong conditions.  I am going to hang in there and try to not get done over.  We are like sea wolves...the fangs are out...the fight will be tough!"

Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert): "Upwind sailing is pure happiness"
"I had a good workout a month ago in the Mistral and Tramontana.  I won two races in 25 knots so that is where I do well.  It is quite usual that on a sail up to Ireland, conditions are often strong and it tends to be upwind.  So psychologically, your mind is already prepared.  Not wishing to be overly confident and boastful, but these are conditions I like, I feel at ease in and that the boat performs the best in.  My grandfather loved it and my son loves it... I'll tell you: upwind sailing is pure happiness! "

Francisco Lobato (Roff) 36th on the first leg
"I prefer downwind to upwind sailing when it is windy.  There are three legs to go and I have mucked up the first, now I have to remain consistent and in contact with the leaders.  On the reach we could see small groups forming who will then separate on the upwind beat, some will prefer to head towards the English coastline and others further out into the Channel.  There will no way of controlling all the boats so it will be a matter of really choosing well the bunch to sail with."

Sylvain Mondon, Artemis and CEM weather support from Meteo-France :
"Rainy weather with moderately strong SW winds to begin with, veering NW later in the West part of the English Channel. It will be quite windy for English Channel crossing in the very first hours of the leg will be only 15-20 knots, but increasing very quickly after Barfleur."

Phil Sharp (The Spirit of Independence):
"It looks pretty hideous, it's going to be North-West, probably 30 knots, gusting more around headlands and there will be a 4-5 metre swell as well as that...It's going to be a pretty tough leg."

Conrad Humphreys (DMS):
"The main challenge for this one is going to be the strength of the wind off Barfleur and around Cherbourg and probably limiting some damage around the Alderney part of the race. The second big challenge will be this ridge of high pressure and how dominant it becomes in the Irish Sea."

Nigel King (E-Line Orthodontics):
"So, the course for leg 2 is we leave Caen on Sunday early evening and then we head around Barfleur and Cherbourg peninsula. Leave Alderney to starboard, Guernsey to starboard and then head off to Land's End and then straight up to Dún Laoghaire,  It will be good to have some decent breeze, we haven't sailed in a lot of breeze all year so I think it will be nice for us to have some strong winds. Historically in the strong winds I've always done all right. So hopefully I can settle down into the race. It will be nice to be getting a bit of a kicking rather than wondering when the next puff is going to come along."

Sam Goodchild (Artemis):
"It's going to be a mix of everything - upwind, downwind, strong wind, light wind. The whole of the second leg is a challenge, there's no specific challenge. The entire race is a challenge, that's why we are here."

Thirty hours into racing on the first leg of La Solitaire du Figaro, 320-miles from Perros-Guirec in Northern Brittany to Caen,  lower Normandy, and the leaders are positioned just 5 miles from Fairways, off the Needles, on the western tip of the Isle of Wight fighting against the tidal current. 

The race stops in Dun Laoghaire Ireland from August 12th, the only foreig stop over of the circuit.

Thomas Rouxel (Bretagne Crédit Mutuel Performance), moves into the lead ahead of his two closest rivals, Nicolas Lunven (Generali) and Jérémy Beyou (BPI), in what has been a cat and mouse game for the pole position since yesterday's start.  Britain's Phil Sharp (Spirit of Independence) punches his way up to 6th place overall and leads the rookies on their first Solitaire race.  What remains to be seen is if the light easterly thermal breeze will hold up for the sailors as they battle against the strong tidal current to get round the Fairways mark for the Southerly course back across the Channel to Caen.

The light conditions for Sunday morning's start gave way to moderate southerly breeze to allow the 47 competitors a Channel crossing towards Plymouth and the Hands Deep course mark under spinnaker in relatively good 7 to 8 knots pace.  The fleet then made the most of the favourable tide on the run along the South coast of England, where the sailors each chose how best to negotiate rounding the various headlands and associated current on course for the Fairways.  The wind gradually died out this afternoon just off Anvil point ,12 miles from the turning point, leaving the skippers the choice of either attempting to fight their way against the 3 knots of tidal current and dying breeze or dropping anchor to sit it out until the tide turns.

The leaders (Rouxel, Lunven, Beyou) on the direct heading are followed by a group made up of Eric Drouglazet (Luisina), Fred Duthil (Sepalumic), Erwan Tabarly (Nacarat) and rookie sailor, Phil Sharp (Spirit of Independence).  Further north, a breakaway group looking for the shelter of Poole Harbour and hoping for a thermal breeze to propel them round the Fairways and into the favourable current is made up of Laurent Pellecuer (Atelier d'architecture JP Monier), Frédéric Rivet (Vendée 1), Morgan Lagravière (Vendée), Charlie Dalin (Keopsys) and Jean-Pierre Nicols (Bernard Controls).  If their gamble does not pay off, they could pay with a costly time deficit on the leaders.  Others have opted for more southerly and offshore course in the hope that a veering wind could provide a good angle of approach to the mark, but for now Thierry Chabagny (Gedimat), Etienne Svilarich (Volkswagen Think Blue) and Alexis Loison (Port Chantereyne-Cherbourg-Octeville) can just hope as they see themselves fall back on the position reports.

The situation is not so clear for the sailors, led by Michel Bothuon (Les recycleurs bretons), who have not passed Anvil Point, where the tidal effects are strong.  Sam Goodchild (Artemis), Francisco Lobato (ROFF) and Nigel King (E-Line Orthodontics) caught up in this bunch can only hope that the leaders are forced to drop anchor to reduce the distance.

Phil Sharp (Spirit of Independence) from Jersey has made an astounding climb over the course of the last 24 hours, having started in the bottom half of the fleet, he is now well positioned 1.1 miles behind the leading trio in 6th place overall behind Erwan Tabarly (Nacarat) and is currently heading the rookie rankings.  Phil has gradually progressed and moved his way up the fleet opting for a more offshore course just south of the rhumb line and is well placed to round the Fairways mark, just 5 miles away at 15:30.  Devon's Conrad Humphreys (DMS) stays within reach of the leaders at just 2.2 miles in 18th place.

British skipper, Sam Goodchild (Artemis), enjoyed a brilliant start in Perros Guirec on Sunday, to round the first course mark in 7th place, holding on the the race leaders throughout the day. This morning the Race Committee reported that Sam had torn his spinnaker, which would explain the loss of ground on the lead and his current  41st place and 9.4 mile deficit on the leaders.

Weather conditions have been better than anticipated since Sunday's start in Perros Guirec, allowing for the solo sailors to keep up a pace that could see them arriving into Caen from Tuesday afternoon.

Skipper's quotes over the VHF today:
Eric Drouglazet (Luisina):"We could well be anchored about ten miles from the Fairway buoy. I did not sleep all that much last night, so have not sailed all that badly. The leading boats are going to get round the next mark with the favourable current, but for those left behind it is only get to get worse and worse..."

Paul Meilhat (Macif 2011): "This is a beautiful leg with a lots of chances. And there will be more to come! It's a bit like having a fresh start, this passage from Portland Bill.We had light conditions and everyone came back from behind. I am very happy right now and everything is going well...I have good boat speed. I have been playing it bit by bit and think I'll try to continue with this strategy. I'm in shorts and a T-shirt: it's very nice after night in the drizzle. But there will be another difficult night. As soon as the thermal wind is going drops we are just going to come to a standstill..."

Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert): "It was not all that great at the start.  Then I managed to get back by sailing well up to Hand Deeps.  Overnight got in too close to shore.  It was not a good idea trying to go in close round Start Point.  Now, I have come back a pit on round Portland Bill further out.  For now we have 8 knots from the West, but it is is going to drop and it is going t be really very painful getting the turning tide at the Needles!"

Thomas Rouxel (Bretagne Crédit Mutuel Performance): "There is a real battle going on with the three of us, Jérémy Beyou, Nicolas Lunven and myself.  All is going well but it is not over yet!  We are making slow progress with the wind we have, but from 14:00 onwards we should have the current against us to deal with too.  I think that it is going to be complicated and a whole lot of things could happen..."

Isabelle Joschke (Galettes Saint Michel): "For me, I see that there has been a turnaround. The first group was caught in the calm. A large group came back on this leader group. We are all under spinnaker, the wind is getting up in the bright sunshine and flat seas: it's very nice. The first night is always difficult to rest. I had a few naps and I ate well. It's hard to let go of the pressure because we are all in contact. I'll try to go take a nap now that the wind is established and before it once again becomes complicated. We will find ourselves facing the current to get passed the Isle of Wight. If we are forced to anchor, where I am, there a 30 metres of depth... It will not be very nice!"

Morgan Lagravière (Vendée):"I had a good first 24 hours and then about two hours ago mucked up the getting passed the transition area which needed special care and managed to loose quite a few places.  Not easy to decide on which position to take but I am feeling good in terms of keeping up the pace.   I  am annoyed with myself and so will have to work out my anger and climb my way back up the fleet."

Official opening of the Race Village in Caen at 17:00 local time
The official opening of the village of La Solitaire du Figaro Eric Bompard Cashmere in Caen will be held at 17:00 in the presence of Philippe Duron, Mayor of Caen and president of the Urban Community Caen la mer, Laurent Beauvais, President of the Region lower Normandy and Jean-Léonce Dupont, Chairman of the General Council of Calvados.

The 42nd edition of La Solitaire du Figaro race got off to a good start on Sunday in Perros Guirec, despite the light five-knot westerly breeze and unusual downwind start.  Hundreds of fans lined the cliffs and crowded onto the many spectator boats to see the fleet of Figaro sailors set off on the first 320-mile leg of the four stage month long race. 

Treated to a colourful downwind spinnaker start at 11 am, which was fired by Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, the French Minister for the Environment, the crowds watched on as the fleet headed off to the first mark blanketed by a curtain of mist and haze.

The fleet is headed for Dun Laoghaire and a special festival is planned around the fleets arrival on August 12th. The local council has installed a special marina to greet the fleet who will be based at the Carlise pier in front of the National Yacht Club.

In conjunction with Alliance Francaise the National Yacht Club will hold a reception on Friday 12th August to celebrate the stopover.

Nicolas Lunven (Generali), winner of the 2009 edition, reached the Radio France mark first, two miles into the race, followed by Thomas Rouxel (Bretagne-Credit Mutuel Performance) and Eric Drouglazet's shocking pink Luisina spinnaker rounding in third.  Sam Goodchild (Artemis), the first British entry and youngest competitor as well as first sailor rookie, rounding in seventh.  Notably Isabelle Joschke (Galettes Saint Michel), the Franco-German sailor competing on her fourth Solitaire with a new sponsor, fought her way out of the busy start line and rounded in sixth place.

Spinnakers were swiftly packed away and genoas raised to sail with care round, leaving to starboard the rocks at the the Seven Islands or Sept Iles plateau, before the 90 mile crossing of the English Channel to Hands Deep, the next waypoint, in Plymouth Sound.  It looks like the fleet will have a dark first night with little moonlight and a low gradient breeze as the damp and light front travels across the Channel from West to East and dies out on the approach to the southern English coastline.  Rounding the next point of passage at Hands Deep buoy off Plymouth could be further complicated by the turning tide at 07:00.

Follow the progress the skippers make with the position reports and rankings will from 16:00 local French time, updated 5 times a day and are available on www.lasolitaire.com.

Sam Goodchild (Artemis) before the start in Perros Guirec:
"The weather forecasts look slightly better this morning, so I think we could have a bit of breeze for the start.  I am going to focus on keeping up with the fleet, but that is not to say that I will not do my own thing.  I do not agnate to take major risks and finish in Caen six hours behind the leader having to play catch up for the rest of the race.  There are four Brits, so it would be nice to beat them and a few French too!  The main thing I need to try and manage is sleep well balance the timing and not sleep too much or too little.  For some good luck and energy I have my special Grenada Chocolate Company bar!"
Nigel King (E-Line Orthodontics):"This is the first Figaro race start without my wife, so it is a bit strange, but hopefully together with a bunch of friends she can come and see the boats sail past Fairway at the Needles.  Looking forward to starting and getting off now.  Not got any special snacks on board, just lots of green apples! "
Phil Sharp (Spirit of Independence) being seen off by his father, :"Ready now to get racing and taking my granny's special "go fast" fruit cake.  I have a quarter for each leg and it is enormously good and keeps the morale going. The pressure is on to do well, but I am feeling driven."
Conrad Humphreys (DMS): "I always get a little nervous before starts. Probably, in many ways more so for this race because it is so intense and the competition is all around you, whereas for a Transatlantic it's a different set of pressure."

Erwan Tabarly (Nacarat) upon leaving the dock this morning in Perros-Guirec: "I slept very well! Given the conditions we have to start, I am not going to get stressed at this point. On the contrary, I am feeling quite serene. It is going to be calm, but the stress will be trying to be up at the front from the start and then things will be ok.  I am not worried about the calm conditions so long as the boat is moving.  If we end up going backwards, then it is not going to be much fun!  I just really want to do well this year.  That is pretty much how I am feeling before today's start."

Eric Drouglazet (Luisina) on his 19th participation speaks before the start: "This first leg is not looking all that clear, the conditions are not all that endearing!  When you train all winter in windy conditions you get to be good at boat handling.  When you have such light conditions, it does not come down to how you handle and anyone can do well.  The rookies and young ones can do well.  There should also be lots of seaweed, which again raised the uncertainty.  The English coastline is going to be the toughest part and we will all find out pretty quick who handles it best.  We could see puffs of wind just a few metres away allowing for some getaways and gaps to build.  So having a good handle and understanding the weather will be key.  It is likely we will have to anchor as the tidal coefficients are so high."
Yannig Livory (One Network Energy): "It is not going to be too windy out there!  The weather forecasts are not all that clear and the tides have a big coefficient...There are lots of people here who want to win this first leg.  The most complicated thing is going to be sailing along the South coast of England because there are a number of headlands to round.  There won't be much time for sleep, but then there should be just three nights at sea."

Two new stained glass windows were unveiled in the Maritime Institute of Ireland's (M.I.I.) maritime museum in Dun Laoghaire this week, writes Jehan Ashmore.

For several years the museum has been closed for vital repair and extensive renovation work. In October the M.I.I. will celebrate their 70th anniversary which will be marked by a 'soft launch' and in the following year the museum is to be officially re-opened in Easter 2012.

George Sisk's new Wow sailed to success in the Crusiers Zero divison of the Dublin Port sponsored Dublin Bay Sailing Club race this afternoon. The new J111 that sailed its first race in July's Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta beat Vincent Farrell's Tsunami, a Beneteau 40.7, for the Bay's big boat IRC honours. Full results for the entire Dublin Bay Sailing Club race (for 23 JULY 2011) are below:

BENETEAU 31.7 Echo- 1. Fiddly Bits (Kevin Byrne et al), 2. Thirty Something (Gerry Jones et al), 3. Attitude (D.Owens/T.Milner)

BENETEAU 31.7 - 1. Prospect (Chris Johnston), 2. Magic (D.O'Sullivan/D.Espey), 3. Thirty Something (Gerry Jones et al)

CRUISERS 0 - 1. Wow (George Sisk), 2. Tsunami (Vincent Farrell)

CRUISERS 1 - 1. Gringo (Tony Fox), 2. Jalapeno (Dermod Baker et al), 3. Xtravagance (Colin Byrne)

CRUISERS 1 Echo - 1. Jura (Barry McCabe), 2. Gringo (Tony Fox), 3. Jalapeno (Dermod Baker et al)

CRUISERS 2 Echo - 1. Cor Baby (Keith Kiernan et al), 2. Smile (O'Connell/Healy/O'Sullivan), 3. Bendemeer (Lindsay Casey Power)

CRUISERS 2 - 1. Jawesome 11 (V.Kennedy/M.Dyke), 2. Smile (O'Connell/Healy/O'Sullivan), 3. Cor Baby (Keith Kiernan et al)

CRUISERS 3 - 1. Supernova (K.Lawless et al), 2. Asterix (Counihan/Meredith/Bushell), 3. Jammie Dodger (J.H & D.O'Neill)

CRUISERS 3 Echo - 1. Taiscealai (Brian Richardson et al), 2. Jammie Dodger (J.H & D.O'Neill), 3. Asterix (Counihan/Meredith/Bushell)

DRAGON - 1. Phantom (D.Williams/P.Bowring), 2. Susele (Michael Halpenny), 3. Sir Ossis of the River (D Bergin)

FLYING FIFTEEN - 1. Deranged (C.Doorly), 2. As Good As It Gets (Alan Balfe), 3. Snow White (Frank Burgess)

FLYING FIFTEEN - 1. Fflogger (Alan Dooley), 2. Snow White (Frank Burgess), 3. As Good As It Gets (Alan Balfe)

GLEN - 1. Glenroan (Terence Moran), 2. Glencree (J.Bligh/H.Roche), 3. Glenluce (D & R O'Connor)

IDRA 14 FOOT Race 2- 1. Dunmoanin (Frank Hamilton), 2. Squalls (Stephen Harrison), 3. Doody (J.Fitzgerald/J.Byrne)

IDRA 14 FOOT - 1. Squalls (Stephen Harrison), 2. Dart (Pierre Long), 3. Dunmoanin (Frank Hamilton)

MERMAID Race 2- 1. Jill (P.Smith/P.Mangan), 2. Kim (D Cassidy), 3. Aideen (B.Martin/D.Brennan)

MERMAID - 1. Kim (D Cassidy), 2. Jill (P.Smith/P.Mangan), 3. Aideen (B.Martin/D.Brennan)

PY CLASS - 1. R Tate (Laser), 2. Desmond McCarthy (Laser 1), 3. Orla Callender (Laser 1)

PY CLASS Race 2- 1. R Tate (Laser), 2. Desmond McCarthy (Laser 1)

SHIPMAN - 1. Macro One (Joseph Murray), 2. Whiterock (Henry Robinson), 3. Euphanzel lll (Louis McSherry et al)

SIGMA 33 - 1. Popje (Ted McCourt), 2. Leeuwin (H&C Leonard & B Kerr), 3. Gwili Two (D.Clarke/P.Maguire)

SQUIB - 1. Kookaburra (P & M Dee), 2. Little Bird (N Barnwell), 3. Pintail (M Muldoon & B Stevens)

SQUIB Race 2- 1. Little Bird (N Barnwell), 2. Nimble (Brian O'Hare), 3. Kookaburra (P & M Dee)

WHITE SAIL CRUISERS Echo - 1. Nirvana (Bernard Neeson), 2. Persistence (C. Broadhead et al), 3. Act Two (Michael O'Leary et al)

WHITE SAIL CRUISERS - 1. Act Two (Michael O'Leary et al), 2. Persistence (C. Broadhead et al), 3. Arwen (Philip O'Dwyer)

Royal St. George Commodore Martin Byrne's day got off to a tricky start on the second day of the 2011 Dragon Edinburgh Cup yesterday when he and his crew Pedro Andrade and Adam Winkelmann found themselves close to colliding with the committee boat having been hit by another Dragon in the final moments before the start gun. Fortunately they missed the committee boat, but by the time they had extracted themselves from the situation they had been forced left and lost a lot of ground so finished the race in eighteenth place. They recovered somewhat in the final race with a seventh but go from second to fourth in the overall rankings.

After a day of mixed fortunes with a convincing win in race three followed by a 29th in race four Klaus Diederich's sailing Fever with Peter O'Leary and David Burrows has dropped down from third into fifth but remains in the running for the Edinburgh Cup.

The day's two top performing teams were led by Cowes based Julia Bailey, sailing Aimee with Graham Bailey and David Heritage, and Russia's Olga White, sailing Murka 7 with Martin Leifelt and Vadim Statsenko. Bailey took a third in race three and then went on to win race four in impressive style, taking her from fourth to second overall. White scored a ninth followed by a third and moves into third place, four points behind Bailey.

For overnight leader Mikhail Muratov, sailing Murka 8 with Valentin Uvarkin and Vladimir Krutskikh, it was a day of consolidation and a fifth followed by a ninth allowed him to retain his lead by a seven point margin.

Other top performers today were Olaf Sorenson from Kinsale racing Christianna with Shawn Kingston and Mark Pettitt, and Tim Tavinor from
Burnham racing Tigger with Thomas Wilton and Ollie Moser. Sorenson sailed an impressive third race, pushing race winner Klaus Diederichs
all the way down the final run to finish a close second, while 2011 Dragon World Champion crew Tim Tavinor finally found his form again
coming second to Julia Bailey in race four.

"About as difficult as it gets. I'm not sure when I've seen a trickier race course than that and the last race was particularly difficult." was how Graham Bailey described the second day of racing at the 2011 Dragon Edinburgh Cup supported by Aberdeen Asset Management in Abersoch. Despite the exceptionally difficult conditions the race committee was able to run two further races today bringing the total races sailed to four out of a possible six.

The day's two top performing teams were led by Cowes based Julia Bailey, sailing Aimee with Graham Bailey and David Heritage, and Russia's Olga White, sailing Murka 7 with Martin Leifelt and Vadim Statsenko. Bailey took a third in race three and then went on to win race four in impressive style, taking her from fourth to second overall. White scored a ninth followed by a third and moves into third place, four points behind Bailey.

For overnight leader Mikhail Muratov, sailing Murka 8 with Valentin Uvarkin and Vladimir Krutskikh, it was a day of consolidation and a fifth followed by a ninth allowed him to retain his lead by a seven point margin. Martin Byrne's day got off to a tricky start when he and his crew of Pedro Andrade and Adam Winklemann found themselves close to colliding with the committee boat having been hit by another Dragon in the final moments before the start gun. Fortunately they missed the committee boat, but by the time they had extracted themselves from the situation they had been forced left and lost a lot of ground so finished the race in eighteenth place. They recovered somewhat in the final race with a seventh but go from second to fourth in the overall ranking. After a day of mixed fortunes with a convincing win in race three followed by a 29th in race four Klaus Diederich's sailing Fever with Peter O'Leary and David Burrows has dropped down from third into fifth but remains in the running for the Edinburgh Cup.

Other top performers today were Olaf Sorenson from Kinsale racing Christianna with Shawn Kingston and Mark Pettitt, and Tim Tavinor from Burnham racing Tigger with Thomas Wilton and Ollie Moser. Sorenson sailed an impressive third race, pushing race winner Klaus Diederichs all the way down the final run to finish a close second, while 2011 Dragon World Champion crew Tim Tavinor finally found his form again coming second to Julia Bailey in race four.