Figaro: Ahead of the Fig’Armor start – a declaration of love for Figaro sailing

​Jens Meiser is a family man, entrepreneur and sailor. Back home on Lake Constance, he sails an Esse 850 called “CPMNK”. On board this yacht, the skipper from the Langenargen Yacht Club He also enjoys sailing solo. Since Christmas 2024, however, the 46-year-old from Balingen in southern Baden-Württemberg has had another passion: sailing on one-design foiling yachts of the Figaro Beneteau 3 class and France’s offshore sailing scene.

How a chance encounter turned into a passion for *Figaro*

By chance, Jens Meiser – whose company manufactures technical textiles for the automotive, aviation and rail industries and also operates in France – happened to spot a Beneteau Figaro 3 whilst attending a business meeting in La Rochelle a good year and a half ago. “I wondered what sort of interesting boat it was and got talking to the charter operator, Marcus Hutchinson,” Meiser recalls vividly.

It marked the start of a journey of discovery with far-reaching consequences. Hutchinson is not only Vice-President of the Figaro Class, but also one of its key figures and a knowledgeable point of contact for newcomers to the Figaro Class. About the man who has also been involved in major team projects such as those of Mike Golding and Imoca greats such as Paul Meilhat By the time Thomas Ruyant had taken over as manager, Sanni Beucke had already joined her boat. The boat and the class have now also captured Jens Meiser’s imagination.

As recently as the weekend before Christmas 2024, he went sailing with Hutchinson on the boat he’d got to know better over the past year. This year, Jens Meiser has chartered the Beneteau Figaro 3 GER 20 “Chipmunk” for almost the entire season. A year and a half and many experiences on from that first encounter, the man who, at the age of just 18, took the initiative to obtain his first sailing licence and thus discovered the sport of sailing in wind and waves, is now not only a Figaro enthusiast but also a fan of the French offshore scene and its cradle, La Base.

“I’m fascinated by offshore sailing. In France, it stems from a sense of community. Schools, universities, towns, districts and regions all support offshore sailing. It’s not an elite sport.” Jens Meiser

Naturally, Jens Meiser has also taken note of the recent upheavals in the Figaro class: Although organiser OC Sport intends to hold the classic La Solitaire du Figaro once more in 2027 using the Beneteau Figaro 3, the plan is to switch to Ocean Fifties in 2028 as part of a modernisation programme. In France, the radical shift in social class has sparked widespread criticism, because the Figaro class plays a key role in the offshore training and progression system, coming after the Minis and before the Imocas and Ultims. Many future Imoca and Ultim stars have earned their spurs here.

New Figaro plans for the Paris Nautic Show 2026

The class and its key members have already announced their own new initiatives, which are expected to take place at the Paris Nautic Show 2026 to be presented from 25 to 29 November. Jens Meiser, who has now become deeply involved in the French Figaro scene, says: “This development also presents an opportunity for the class to take matters into its own hands. Of course, 50 years of tradition and the class itself are very important to ensure that the pool of young sailors is not lost.”

Meiser himself has been training more intensively this year following his debut in 2025. He has long been aware that: “The Figaro class is uncompromisingly honest; every mistake costs you immediately.” The boat is moored at La Base in Lorient, where Meiser is currently preparing for the Fig’Armor double-handed race as part of the German Figaro duo with Andreas Wittmann. There, they are surrounded by the most famous racing teams and boats, such as Boris Herrmann’s new “Malizia 4” and “Gitana 18” – both on the water and on land. They have been giving it their all in their daily training sessions over the past few weeks.

“We’re giving it our all. There’s a lot to learn. Over the last few days, we’ve only been setting out in the afternoon and coming back at night. That way, the thermals are just right for the start,” said Jen Meiser last week with a smile, talking about training for the upcoming Fig’Armor with his co-skipper Andreas Wittmann, who has been his friend for 30 years.

We’ve already secured a podium finish at the Figaro

Jens Meiser had the New Zealander Oakley Marsh has already secured second place this year in the Figaro double-handed race, the Défi Paprec. Aspiring Figaro sailors often use the double-handed race as a way into the scene. Meiser had offered Hutchinson the chance to involve up-and-coming talent who lacked the budget to compete in Figaro double-handed races: a win-win opportunity for everyone. Meiser continued to develop his skills in La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, Oakley Marsh successfully completed the race, and Hutchinson has once again inspired his Figaro sailors.

Nine double-handed crews and five solo sailors have entered the small but strong field for the Fig’Armor, which starts on 3 August. Well-known duos such as Figaro specialist Hugo Dhallene with Chloé Le Bars, Simon Adrien with former Solitaire winner Nicolas Troussel, and former Mini-Transat winner François Jambou with Pascal Fievet, are testament to the quality of the field, in which Jens Meiser and Andreas Wittmann are set to prove themselves from next week onwards.

Usually at home on Alpine lakes, the Meiser/Wittmann duo are now taking on the French Figaro elite in a sailing area that poses very different challenges with its tides, rapidly changing weather conditions and long offshore legs. Jens Meiser and Andreas Wittmann – an old friend, a physicist and a former Libera sailor and sailing instructor – are relishing the challenge. “It’s precisely the challenge of the Figaro class that excites us, because the boats used here are absolutely identical,” says Jens Meiser, explaining the thrill of the sport.

"In the Figaro class, success does not depend on the equipment budget, but on sailing ability, good preparation and making the right decisions at sea." Jens Meiser

​The minimalist Fig’Armor takes its participants to and from Lorient via a challenging 450-mile offshore course in the Bay of Biscay. Strong currents and tactically complex passages make the regatta a gruelling test every year. The German Chipmunk team has focused above all on continuous development. Meiser and Wittmann aim to gain valuable experience at the very highest international level and also to show others that it is possible to make the transition from Germany’s inland waters to the French offshore scene.

Meiser is seeking to attract more Germans to France’s offshore hub

“It’s important to me to show what the class is all about. About Marcus Hutchinson and the many dedicated people here,” says Jens Meiser. He is inspired by Lorient’s La Base as the home of the major offshore racing teams, as a springboard for a constant stream of new talent and as a melting pot – a “unique area and network”. The man from Lake Constance is convinced: “More Germans need to come here. It’s such a fantastic place.” Boris Herrmann, Lennart Burke, Melwin Fink, Sanni Beucke and other Lorient experts have long attested to this.