July 27, 2010 - RACING - SailTube

La Solitaire 2010 - Start

La Solitaire du Figaro and 45 competitors are set to sail from Le Havre for Gijón on a 515 nautical mile leg tomorrow, Tuesday 27th July; the first of four stages over the course of the next four weeks.

With eight rookies geared up for their first participation, five non French sailors wishing to leave their mark and three women including the return of Karinne Fauconnier, the 2010 line up promises to produce some memorable racing.

After yesterday’s Prologue, won by Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert), the solo sailors have spent the day making final preparations for tomorrow’s 14:00 start. The first leg comprises a 515-nautical mile run, the longest of the four legs, from Le Havre, in Northern Normandy to the pretty port of Gijón in Asturias on the Cantabrian coastline. 'It is a very technical and difficult leg route across the to Cherbourg peninsula and then though renowned difficult areas across the Breton coast before crossing the Bay of Biscay' explains Jonny Malbon, who returns on board Artemis for his second participation.

The weather forecasts vary and there could be either very light wind for the start of up to 10/12 knots from the northwest depending on which module you look at, explains Sylvain Mondon (Météo France). 'In the worst case we could have little and variable breeze for the start or if we look at the more favourable modules, we could see the northwesterly breeze established for the upwind run to the Cotentin headla...

MORE >>

Comments(0) - Comment