La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro Stage 4 Update - Snakes and Ladders

Leading the 43 boat fleet of La Solitaire URGO le Figaro competitors across the English Channel this morning it's Charlie Dalin (Skipper Macif 2015) at the head with a leading pack of 15 boats spread laterally, Sébastien Simon (Brittany Crédit Mutuel Performance) to the west and Nicolas Lunven (Generali) 3 miles to the east.

Overnight the impressive 3-mile lead Custopol's skipper Alexis Loison had gained was completely removed at the Four Channel, a lack of wind and adverse tide left Loison drifting allowing second position Dalin to reduce the distance and sail straight past Loison just boat lengths away, Dalin lead the fleet around the Grande Basse Portsall buoy and this morning across the channel.

There was relief in the voices of the sailors this morning on the VHF, a little wind from the west enough to carry the fleet at 6 knots towards the English coast. A small swell continues to destabilize the spinnakers for the skippers but this is far from the discomfort of the hot windless conditions of last night.

In single file the fleet passed the Grande Bass Portsall buoy, each sailor adjusted their course towards the Wolf Rock. Some have taken the helm, happy to accelerate and sail a faster pace whilst others have sought to remain on the direct route, in turn they have laterally spread apart. In the East, Nicolas Lunven (Generali) declared himself "very pleased with the grouping of yesterday in the Four Channel. Alexis had really escaped and that kind of lead is dangerous for me. He was caught up by the pack and the race restarted." A new start was also noted by Sebastien Simon who returns to the leading group, confessing to having not slept more than an hour in two nights. "I want to give everything on this stage. I was twice in the lead and twice suffered bad shots and found it unfair. I hope this is the last time I have to come back in the pack!"

Still with 380 miles to go to the finish line in Dieppe and 55nm miles to the Wolf Rock turning mark, the final Turkey Trophy of the 2017 edition, anything can happen! Very regular and always placed, Charlie Dalin still leads the pack, centered as usual as of the 08:00 standings this morning, but not without upset. The fleet experiencing yet another 'shut down' in the breeze at 3am whilst mid channel – fortunately this was short lived with the breeze filling in just 40 minutes later and restoring order, the Figaros back up to 5/6kts of speed and allowing a brief rest bite for the sailors who haven't sustained any rest for the last 36hrs. Everyone will be able to use these 55 miles for some good siestas, even if the instability in the direction and the movements of the sea require adjustments.

In the very tail of the fleet, Yannig Livory (Lorientreprendre) spent this morning approaching the Portsall buoy, whilst five competitors (Arthur Prat, Theo Moussion, Marc Pouydebat, Benjamin Augereau and Nathalie Criou) saw the tidal door close before them, forced to wait until mid-morning to find favorable conditions to navigate the Four Channel. This unfortunate timing puts Nathalie Criou (Richmond Yacht Club Foundation) in last place and 52nm adrift of the leaders.

Leading the International skippers as of 09:00 rankings this morning Justine Mettraux opts for a more easterly routing but slides down to 13th continuing her battle on the leaderboard with Figaro expert Jeremie Beyou. Heading up the Brits Alan Roberts sits in 18th place – with only a 1.5miles separating the top 20 boats all is still to be played for as the fleet round Wolf Rock and begin the journey back east along the English coast. Chasing the large leading bunch of 20 boats Milan Kolacek (Czeching The Edge) Hugh Brayshaw (The Offshore Academy) and Mary Rook (Inspire +) occupy the 32nd-34th places, with just 3 miles the distance to the middle of the pack they can only hope for more snakes for the leaders and ladders for themselves to get back into the thick of it!

Quotes:

Nicolas Lunven - Generali - 9th in the 5h rankings:
"It's a bit complicated with soft wind but it's coming back very slowly. There are 6-7 knots of wind, it allows us to advance the course and it's good because since we left we were not very fast, we are under a tight spinnaker, it's a rather pleasant pace, quite fast and easy. A little complicated to rest but I do not despair."

"Alexis Loison (Custo Pol) got to the buoy [Occidental de Sein] with the current and the gaps really stretched very long. But in the channel of the Four, as we arrived with the contrary current, it put all the World right again; So we left together all twenty boats. Just before the lighthouse of the Four there was another slowing of the fleet, so a whole group behind us came back. We all left at the same time to the buoy of Portsall. That's what I'm afraid of, that a competitor will make a breakaway on one of the tidal gates. Alexis did one but he was caught by the pack and I hope there will be no other. Or maybe it was me! We'll see and the wind will decide."

Sébastien Simon - Bretagne CMB Performance - 2nd in the 5h ranking:
"I was in the top 5 in the bay of Audierne and I took the wind that I had, it took me to the Raz de Sein. I got a little sucked by the current and never managed to start. I saw the leaders leave and I found myself in the peloton. I did everything I could to get out, I stayed inside the island of Sein and when I saw the leaders leave it put a blow to morale. I passed the release buoy at the start and then I found myself in the peloton, I found it a bit unfair. I fought to get back and it did the same. This is the third time I have been back in the lead group and I hope it will be the last."

"I didn't rest much, I'm attached to the speed of the boat all the time to advance as fast as possible, looking for weed in the rudders and in the keel. I think this is the last step, I left saying I did not want to regret anything. I thought the steady southwesterly wind would arrive in the evening today, it is still very unstable, a lot can still happen. I prefer to remain vigilant and we will see afterwards. I have 5 to 6 knots of wind, I am under spinnaker, there is a kind of cross sea a little strange it forces us to be on the settings permanently. There is the effect of the current which is very important on the settings of the sails that does not allow us to rest."

"There is a kind of cross sea that is a little strange that somewhat develops the sails from time to time and it forces us to be on the adjustments all the time. There is the effect of the current which is very important on the settings of the sails that does not allow us to rest. I have to be at an hour between the two nights sleep."

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