Press release
27/07/2010 - Solitaire du Figaro, start of the 1st leg, Le Havre - Gijon
"A" like anchor, algae and amnesia
Everything began on Tuesday morning with the first “mountainous leg”, as described by the skipper of Groupe Bel. To begin this Solitaire 2010, the 45 contenders will sail from Le Havre to the port of Gijón (Northern Spain), which is just under a thousand kilometres, and will take a little more than three days at sea. Although the start of their route, crossing the Bay of Biscay is forecast to be relatively easy, there will be few delights in store between Normandy and Brittany. Like everyone else, Kito has been making tough preparations for his return to this event.
“We will begin a really mountainous leg”, he says in fun. “We have two passes to pass: the tip of Cotentin and then Brittany. We start on the first night with Barfleur then the Raz Blanchard, areas where we will need to beat against the wind and against the current. The first to get away will have the greatest advantage since the race will be led from those ahead from then on. The difficulties will continue at the tip of Brittany, however, the playing field will be more open since we will be able to pass along the coast, near Brest, or on the outer side of the Island of Sein. Depending on what time we get
there, there will be radical options possible. Afterwards, the Bay of Biscay is looking good with a fairly strong northerly wind, which, despite changing several times, should get us down to Spain fast under spinnaker. This remains a leg with a major risk of intersections and in which the advantage will go to the first.”
Move into first gear!
In the English Channel, near the coast, the idea is certainly to make progress, but above all, not to go backwards and there, between the currents and the seaweed, you can quickly find yourself with the gearstick in reverse.
“We will have a tidal coefficient of 80. We can expect a current of 7 knots and our cruising speed in the Figaro class is somewhere between 5 and 6 knots. It is simple, if you don't make quick enough progress with the wind, you go backwards and you have to drop the anchor, hoping that you find a bottom of
sand and not rocks, where you could get stuck. Then, it is impossible to get some shut-eye, even if the tide turns in six hours, because you are always checking to see that the anchor doesn't slip and that you are ready to go if the wind lifts. Since you use three times the depth in the length of rope, this quickly becomes exhausting to lift, particularly if you have to do this three times because the wind has fallen. Once, I anchored at a depth of 120 metres, I used all the rope I had at hand, even the sheets. It's a comical situation. We take this seriously, because the first to get into first gear are the hardest to catch."
Another amusing side of Figaro racing is the seaweed. “It is a real problem. There is a lot of seaweed and this is increasingly longer with the ecological problems we are aware of. You come across it every five minutes and you are at its mercy. The smallest bit of seaweed on the appendages slows the yacht down. What is the solution? I refuse to dive, because I don't like water (laughs), and particularly because it is very dangerous. I prefer to stop the yacht and reverse, and there again is another reason for going backwards!”
Memory that slips
The Solitaire hurts and we know this. “I remember saying that I would never do it again, and then amnesia takes over and you find yourself looking at the registration form and saying, come on just one more.” For Kito, the last participation was in 2006. “I have not sailed much single-handed this year. In
training you are always world champion, and, after all, manoeuvring in the Figaro is not that complicated. I have a fair amount of experience in sailing and weather, I no longer have doubts about my speed and I am not as good at manoeuvring as those who do this all through the year. In fact, I think I am best when I am a little behind. I like to be in the position of an outsider on the attack. I am dealing with an unknown quantity, but I have not forgotten everything either.”
Schedule for the Solitaire du Figaro 2010
Saturday 24/07 at 18:00: Safety briefing and Suzuki prologue briefing
Sunday 25/07 at 12:00: Suzuki Prologue
Sunday 25/07 at 18:00: Prologue prize giving
Monday 26/07 at 18:00: Weather briefing and start
Tuesday 27/07 at 14:00: Start of Leg 1 Le Havre - Gijon (Spain), 515 miles (955 km)
Tuesday 03/08 at 14:00: Start of Leg 2 Gijon - Brest, 418 miles (755 km)
Monday 09/08 at 14:00: Start of Leg 3 Brest - Kinsale (Ireland), 349 miles (645 km)
Monday 16/08 at 14:00: Start Leg 4 Kinsale – Cherbourg-Octeville, 435 miles (805 km)
Saturday 21/08 at 20:00: Prize giving and official dinner
