Spinlock delighted to welcome La Solitaire Bompard – Le Figaro to Cowes
by Sarah Griffin 21 Jun 2016 23:03 BST
22-26 June 2016
2016 competitor Nick Cherry running up the deck © Brian Carlin
Spinlock, partner of the Artemis Offshore Academy, is looking forward to welcoming up to 40 skippers from La Solitaire Bompard - Le Figaro to their hometown of Cowes on the Isle of Wight over the 22-26 June.
Official suppliers to the Academy, Spinlock are widely acknowledged as the world expert in rope holding. Spinlock has over thirty years experience of designing and manufacturing rope holding equipment for sailing boats, from dinghies up to the largest super yachts.
The Artemis Offshore Academy is the UK's only training centre for solo offshore racing and has eight sailors competing in La Solitaire 2016 – a challenging race staged over 1500 miles of Europe's toughest waters, testing the abilities of the most experienced of transoceanic sailors. The race is a credible stepping-stone for those heading for the elite stage of solo sailing, the Vendee Globe.
Spinlock products are relied upon by many of the sailors taking part. British skipper and Artemis 37 rookie, Mary Rook, told us why having Spinlock as her official supplier is so important: "We use Spinlock life jackets and harnesses, which are really user friendly and well designed. My particular favourite has to be my Spinlock kneepads, which are mega comfy and absolutely essential to stop my legs being black and blue at the end of every Figaro session! I wear them day and night and can't rate them highly enough."
Fellow rookie, Hugh Brayshaw, told us more about why using Spinlock's products is so important to his race experience: "The Deckvest 5d is light and comfortable enough for me to wear it a lot, plus I don't fancy a trip overboard without it. I clip myself on to the boat with a Spinlock lifeline when I get scared, so I'm often clipped on! We have a selection of Spinlock hardware on board too, such as blocks and clutches. The boat gets a good beating when out racing, but I have confidence in the Spinlock products I have on board to see me through La Solitaire."
The 47th edition of La Solitaire began in Deauville, France on the 19 June and sees the skippers stop at four host venues: Deauville, France; Cowes, Isle of Wight; Paimpol, France and La Rochelle, France.
The stopover in Cowes is the first time the race has visited the town in its history and Spinlock, whose offices and factory are based in Cowes, are delighted to be welcoming the skippers. Spinlock's CEO Chris Hill said, "We are excited to welcome the sailors to Cowes and to the Solitaire Bompard - Le Figaro Race Village. I do hope the sailors enjoy their stay in Cowes and I will be following the race as they head off on the next leg to Paimpol, Brittany."
The Solitaire Bompard – Le Figaro Race Village will offer five days of fun family entertainment in Cowes, including food markets, a drinks bar, live music in the Race Village and 'Try Sailing' for all on the Solent. Alongside the racing and live entertainment, there will be a host of interactive stands and activities to entertain the public.
www.spinlock.co.uk