The first stage of La Solitaire du Figaro on Bay of Saint Brieuc on France’s north westerly Channel coast enjoyed a spirited send off in perfect 15-18 knot northerly winds.
France’s Tom Laperche (Team Bretagne CMB Espoir), who won the Solo Maître Coq and was second in the Drheam Cup, was leading the fleet on the beat out of the bay towards the turn left turn where sheets would be eased.
Britain’s solo skippers made solid rather than spectacular starts, Phil Sharp (OceansLab) recovering quickly back into the fleet after being called as being over the start line before the gun.
This was the top 10 at the first buoy 3 miles upwind after the start:
1st – Loïs Berrahar (CMB Performance)
2nd – Marc Mallaret (CER Occitanie)
3rd – Anthony Marchand (Groupe Royer – Secours Populaire)
4th – Fabien Delahaye (Laboratoires Gilbert)
5th – Corentin Douguet (NF Habitat)
6th – Éric Peron (French Touch)
7th – Pierre Quiroga (Skipper Macif 2019)
8th – Adrien Hardy (Ocean Attitude)
9th – Xavier Macaire (Groupe SNEF)
10th – Kevin Bloch (Team Vendée Formation)
11th Goodchild
As the fleet negotiate the rocky north Brittany, English Channel coast this evening and into the night ortherly wind is due to fade, heralding the arrival of a high pressure ridge of very light, unstable and unpredictable winds.
Follow the race tracking at https://lasolitaire.geovoile.com/2020/tracker/
