Please select your home edition
Edition
Ovington 2021 - ILCA 3 - LEADERBOARD

Phil Sharp's first Figaro 3 race of the season starts tomorrow

by OceansLab 24 Jun 2020 13:10 BST
Phil Sharp, OceansLab Figaro 3 © Vincent Olivaud / www.olivaud.com

The Solo Maitre Coq will mark the start of the Figaro 3 season this year with 30 figarists eager for the battle ahead following three months of delay due to confinement.

This will be Phil Sharp's first official race in this foiling one-design class, and with 10 skippers capable of winning, there will be no room for complacency.

Starting off from Les Sables d'Olonne the course will take the skippers on a 340 mile solo journey around Belle-île, Île d'Yeu and Île de Ré: a life-size rehearsal of the circuit's pinnacle event, the Solitaire du Figaro, of which Sharp hopes to compete in this September. But first he must learn how to think like a figarist, "I am used to long ocean races with long-term strategies. This circuit is based on shorter, more intense coastal courses where fleet tactics, land effects and tides come heavily into play", commented Sharp.

The forecast for the two-night course shows light and variable winds, of which tactical choices and shifty conditions will no doubt intensify this challenging race.

Learning a new discipline

A sailor who has never been afraid of pushing his limits, proven by his accumulation of 25 podiums in offshore races, three World Sailing Speed Records and two Class 40 Championship trophies. "The boat is still fairly new to me and I still have a lot of work to do on performance optimisation and speeding up manoeuvres, which all comes down to time on the water. Every opportunity to train and race will add to my development and give me the tools and experience I need to tackle difficult situations ahead", continued Sharp.

Fierce competition

This year competition is high for Sharp. Not only will he be pitting himself against a pool of multiple Figaro du Solitaire veterans including Yann Eliès, Xavier Macaire, and Vendée Globe winner Armel Le Cléac'h, he will also be competing against previous Class 40 teammates Adrien Hardy, Corentin Douguet, and Robin Marais.

"It is fantastic that the season is about to kick off after the recent delays and uncertainty, and I now feel hungrier than ever to get racing. With such strong competition, I will be happy with a top-half finish in what will be my first Figaro race in 6 years. Regardless, it will be a great learning opportunity for me, benchmarking myself against some of the best in solo offshore racing", commented Sharp.

Accelerating ocean protection

Sharp will race under the colours of his OceansLab project, launched at the end of last year with the aim of accelerating clean innovations in the maritime sector by reducing emissions and improving the health of the oceans. The Lab is close to completion of a marinised hydrogen fuel-cell that can help decarbonise the maritime sector.

His Figaro 3 uniquely uses a 100% biocide-free antifouling. The innovation consists of a silicone-based protective film bonded to the hull of the boat to preserve performance offering an optimal antifouling solution.

More information at solomaitrecoq.com and oceanslab.world.

Related Articles

Tom Dolan at Solitaire du Figaro Leg 2 Day 4
For the Irish skipper there's good news and bad news Day four of leg two started in light airs for most of the fleet. The leading bunch have passed Cape Finisterre, funneling through a mandatory checkpoint gate added by the race committee, and are closing in Vigo, around 40 miles to the south east. Posted on 19 Sep
Dolan makes western gamble in Solitaire du Figaro
Currently 56 nautical miles (103km) behind the leader Offshore racing is about making educated guesses. You read the forecast, make your plan and sail to it. Posted on 18 Sep
56th La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Leg 2 day 3
Advantage to the Southerners On this second leg of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 2025, between the Bay of Morlaix and Vigo in Spain, two options have taken shape over the past hours. Posted on 17 Sep
Dolan charges on in La Solitaire du Figaro Leg 2
The Kingspan skipper led a group that tacked out west around sunset As the second morning of Leg Two dawns, it's all about positioning out in the Bay of Biscay for the fleet of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec. Posted on 17 Sep
Dolan at front of the pack in Solitaire du Figaro
The fleet are now crossing the Bay of Biscay in Leg 2 Irish sailor Tom Dolan is on the leading edge of the pack in the second leg of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, with 385 miles (~710 kilometres) remaining in the leg that will finish in Vigo, in northern Spain. Posted on 16 Sep
56th La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Leg 2 start
After a 30-hour delay, the 34 sailors were finally able to head out to sea After a 30-hour delay, the 34 sailors competing in La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 2025 were finally able to head out to sea and face the elements. At 7 p.m. this Monday, September 15, the starting gun was fired. Posted on 15 Sep
Dolan continues Figaro campaign despite injury
Leg 2 of the Solitaire du Figaro is set to start on Monday evening, after a 24-hour delay Irish Offshore Sailor Tom Dolan starts Leg 2 of the Solitaire du Figaro on Monday evening, after a 24-hour delay due to extreme winds. The 900km leg, delayed to allow dangerous sea conditions to ease, takes the fleet across the Bay of Biscay to Vigo. Posted on 15 Sep
La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Leg 2 start tomorrow
After 486 miles of a modified course, the Spanish coast will come into sight On Monday, September 15 at 2.45pm, the 34 solo skippers will set course southwards towards the port of Vigo, Spain. A leg already shaping up to be demanding, with a depression forcing the race committee to postpone the start by 24 hours. Posted on 14 Sep
Tom Dolan fights back to solid 6th despite injury
46 minutes behind winner Alexis Loison in La Solitaire du Figaro Leg 1 After 638 miles of racing, the Kingspan skipper came home 46 minutes behind leg winner Alexis Loison, having mounted a strong comeback on the final stretch across the English Channel. Posted on 11 Sep
La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Leg 1 overall
Alexis Loison wins the first leg, Hugo Dhallenne and Charlotte Yven complete the podium Many were hoping to claim victory in the opening leg of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, but the honours went to Alexis Loison (Groupe REEL), who took the win with a race time of 3 days, 18 hours, 55 minutes, and 26 seconds. Posted on 11 Sep