La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro Stage 2 - Downhill across Biscay
by La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro 3 Sep 2018 20:45 BST
3 September 2018
La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro Stage 2 © Alexis Courcoux
The first 24 hours of the second stage of La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro, racing from the Bay of Saint Brieuc to Ria de Muros Noia in Galicia, proved as difficult and demanding as the forecasts predicted. But the just rewards arrived this afternoon off Ushant, on the NW corner of France as the wind steadied and built allowing speeds to rise.
After a long, exacting, sleepless night negotiating the north coast of Britanny in light northeasterly winds of just 4-6kts and strong tidal currents the 36 solo racers on their 32ft one design Figaro Beneteau 2s making between 3 and 4.5 knots for much of the time, the leaders were in more solid, regular downwind conditions.
Late this Monday afternoon, 26 hours after yesterday's light winds escape from Saint Brieuc, the leaders were covering ground at more useful speeds across the early stages of the 370 nautical miles passage across the Bay of Biscay, typically 11kts for closely grouped pacemakers Anthony Marchand (Groupe Royer-Secours Populaire) and Pierre Leboucher (Guyot Enevironnement), all in sight of each other.
Britain's Alan Roberts (Seacat Services) has made wise strategic choices and held excellent speed through the day to establish himself in an excellent fourth place, in close company with his training group partners from the Pole Finistere, Charlie Dalin (Skipper Macif 2015) and Sébastien Simon (Bretagne CMB Performance). Southampton trained naval architect Dalin is the four times podium finisher who, is bidding, one last time, for his first overall win before moving to the IMOCA 60 class.
It is very early in the four stage race, which finishes in Saint Gilles Croix de Vie - home of Beneteau - on Friday September 14th, but Anthony Marchand has already proven himself something of a strong title contender who is currently thwarting Dalin's ambitions.
While Dalin's comprehensive Macif programme has seen Volvo Ocean Race and 1997 La Solitaire winner Franck Cammas augment the Macif backroom support staff for the first two leg starts, Marchand last Wednesday night won Stage 1 - his first ever leg win in eight attempts, He now has sailed an accomplished opening 140 nautical miles, to lead this 520 nautical miles stage to the sheltered river estuary finish line, which is situated between between Vigo and La Coruna.
Speaking in their native Saint Brieuc, where both sailors started their sail racing careers, three times La Solitaire winner Yann Eliès said he believes Marchand, now 33 years old, is a more mature, rounded sailor since racing as under 30 year old crew on the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race finishing third with MAPFRE.
In search of extra speed and consistency pre season Marchand called up last year's La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro winner Nicolas Lunven, also winner in 2009, for advice and worked with him and has also complemented his squad training with the Port La Foret team by two boat training and testing with Alexis Loison (Custo Pol).
The top five leaders this afternoon, Marchand, Pierre Leboucher (Guyot Environnement), Dalin, Sébastien Simon and Roberts and all current trainees at the legendary Port La Foret programme - are within half a nautical mile of each other with some 355 nautical miles to race to the finish line. There is a half mile gap back to Xavier Macaire (Groupe SNEF).
Some will be rueing there decison to stay high and west on the passage through Ushant, holding through the Fromveur channel late this morning and early afternoon, among them England's Hugh Brayshaw (KAMAT). Along with Gildas Mahé (Breizh Cola), Erwan Tabarly (Armor Lux) and Loison, Brayhaw, 25 years old and last year's amateur winner, dropped from a top ten place to lies 23rd this evening, some ten nautical miles off the lead.
The race across Biscay should be fast and engaging as the breeze picks up progressively to 20-25kts during tonight and tomorrow. The leaders are expected off Cape Finisterre late Tuesday and on th finish line Wednesday early morning.
Irish rookie Tom Dolan (Smurfit Kappa) was of the rookie division very early today but lost out to French rival Thomas Cardrin (Team Vendee Formation) who gained more than nine nautical miles over the day to lie 10th this evening. And his rookie compatriot Joan Mulloy (Taste the Atlantic A Seafood Journey) was making good inroads into the back of the fleet after having to return to port after the start with a main halyard problem.
Standings at 1815hrs: (UTC +1hr - French unless stated)
1 Anthony Marchand (Groupe Royer-Secours Pompier) 350.6nms to finish
2 Pierrer Leboucher (Guyot Environnement) + 0.3nms behind leader
3 Charlie Dalin (Skipper Macif 2015) +0.5nms
4 Alan Roberts, GBR, (Seacat Services) +0.5 nms
5 Sébastien Simon (Bretagne CMB Performance) +0.6 nms
internationals
9 Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork) +2.1nms
23 Hugh Brayshaw GBR (KAMAT) +10 nms
28 Nick Cherry GBR (Redshift) +11.5nms
29 Thomas Dolan IRL (Smurfit Kappa) +11.9nms
34 Joan Mulloy IRL (Taste the Atlantic A Seafood Journey) +22.4nms behind leader
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