The first of three legs of the 54th La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec is underway. It takes the 27 men and five women through the English Channel in a "giant slalom" before they sail north-west and set course for the pretty harbour of Kinsale on the south coast of Ireland. It was the young Gaston Morvan ("Région Bretagne CMB") who crossed the start line first in his third participation on Sunday lunchtime. By the evening, however, Guillaume Pirouelle ("Région Normandie") had already taken the lead ahead of Loïs Berrehar ("Macif") and Basile Bourgnon ("Edenred").
Gain maximum experience for the Vendée Globe
As the only German starter and one of only four women in the field, Susann "Sanni" Beucke opened the race cautiously. The 49erFX Olympic silver medallist from Enoshima switched to sea sailing in 2022 and has been training in Lorient ever since, wanting to gain the experience she needs for the 2028 Vendée Globe campaign in the Figaro Circuit.
The 32-year-old started her second La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec with optimism. At her premiere, the professional sailor from Strande had missed the time limit on stage three after tough tests, after several sails had torn in strong winds and she was struggling with fatigue and worries. Nevertheless, she fought her way across the finish line.
That's the big difference to last year: I have a coach and I've already raced." Sanni Beucke
This time, Sanni Beucke is competing with more experience and said before the start: "I feel very good. That's the big difference to last year: now I have a coach and have already raced. I'm going into the first stage with a more competitive attitude than last year. We will have very different conditions: Wind, no wind and transitions. I'm glad that's the case. It's going to be interesting. That's why I want to stay with the fleet to keep learning and progressing."
The moderate to fresh breeze was both shifty and gusty on this starting Sunday of the three-parter and kept the soloists on their toes right from the start. A heavy rain shower was heralded almost dramatically by a sudden calm. But as soon as the small front had passed, the fleet set a powerful course for the canal. The fastest boats are expected to arrive in Kinsale on Thursday morning.
One collision, but no major damage
A collision between Alexis Loison on "Groupe Réel" and Hugo Dahlenne on "YC de Saint Lunaire" caused a scare after the start in the afternoon. Loison is regarded as the top performer among the first participants, the so-called "Bizuth". However, according to the organisers, neither skipper was injured. The damage was described as "not performance-reducing".
This 54th edition of the annual French solo offshore race - the first of five editions fuelled by giant French recycling and alternative energy company Paprec as title sponsor - features three long legs. All are over-600 nautical mile sections, usually lasting around four days and four nights. By the end of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, the participants will have completed a total of around 2000 nautical miles.
One race, three stages: the acid test for Figaro soloists
After the opening leg on the Kinsale course, which begins with strenuous tidal, coastal and channel sections and leads into a more open offshore leg in the Celtic Sea, the second leg covers 630 miles to Roscoff - including a passage through the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man and down into the mouth of the Bristol Channel around Land's End into the Bay of Morlaix.
Before crossing the finish line in Piriac sur Mer, a stretch of offshore racing across the Bay of Biscay and back awaits. Race director Yann Chateau, himself an experienced sea sailor, has designed a course that maximises time on the water, reduces recovery times on land to a minimum and puts all the relevant characteristics of the challengers to the test.
Many French favourites and an ambitious Irishman
The favourites include 28-year-old Guillaume Pirouelle ("Région Normandie") from Le Havre. The former 470 Olympic participant and European Youth Champion in this class was second overall last year, won the second leg and has just won the solo Concarneau Guy Cotten. Compatriot Gaston Morvan is also considered a promising sailor who consistently sails in the top group and finished fifth overall in 2022, but is still waiting for his first Figaro stage win.
The 34-year-old Corentin Horeau is competing in a La Solitaire du Figaro for the seventh time. After a six-year break, he returned to the Figaro Circuit in 2021. Now he is competing in the familiar colours of Banque Populaire. Irishman Tom Dolan ("Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan") has worked hard to secure a regular place at the front of the field. He finished seventh last year and fifth in 2020 and has the potential to finish on the podium.
I am ready. Everything is on board the ship. I have plenty of good food, I have the weather forecast and clear ideas." Élodie Bonafous
Britain's Alan Roberts, most recently a tireless fighter alongside "Biotherm" skipper Paul Meilhat in the Ocean Race, is missing the race for the first time in ten years. This year there are five women at the start, including Élodie Bonafous ("Queguiner La Vie en Rose"), who finished eighth last year and opened the first leg today in sixth place for the time being.
Bonafous has already set up a programme for the Vendée Globe 2028 with her sponsor Queguiner. She has been supported on her journey by Boris Herrmann's Ocean Race team-mate Yann Eliès, among others. The Frenchwoman said before the start: "I'm ready. Everything is on board the boat, I have plenty of good food, I have the weather forecast and clear ideas. I can hardly wait to set off. We're always afraid of forgetting something, but the stress I had was more positive stress, which gives me a boost."
I've worked a lot mentally and I want to work even harder." Élodie Bonafous
Bonafous believes he is well prepared for an attack on the front: "I feel fit. Last year ended well, this year has started well. I've worked a lot mentally and want to push myself even harder, be at sea every night and give it my all. The aim is to do better than last year and ideally finish in the top 5."
A very French solo race - La Solitaire du Figaro in preview:
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
