Fréderic is one of the few skippers, sailing in this annual highly competitive race that is not a full time professional sailor. An insurance specialist and former world champion windsufer, Duthil from Larmor Plage, in the Morbihan area of Brittany, is now enjoying sailing in the Figaro Class. This is the fourth time Duthil takes part La Solitaire it is the first time that he wins a leg.
Twenty-five competitors have finished within just one hour of the winner, which leaves the game open for the remaining part of the race. The lead swapped repeatedly throughout this first leg, which shows how tight the competition is. “It really was an incredible leg with constant lead changes,” describes an exhausted Duthil. “But when you see what happened to Gérald Véniard (finishes 44minutes and 36 seconds behind) who was with me at the Fairways mark (off the Isle of Wight) it is scary. There were constant lead changes,” continued Fred. Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) who led along the South coast of England has probably suffered the most to trail by nearly an hour at the finish, but both he and Gérald Veniard (Scutum) admit to making some mistakes, which they have paid for on time.
Jeanne Grégoire (Banque Populaire) finishes 9th in a great come back, after a poor start in Caen, and Liz Wardley comes in 11th, within 7 minutes of Jeanne despite repeated dives to clear a net stuck round the prop before the start of the race “which slowed me right down for the first day and a half” explains Liz. “I did go in the water twice to try and get it off, but the current was too strong and I could not keep up with the boat. Finally when conditions where lighter at Start Point, I managed to get it off on my third dive. Then I was back and fighting,” continues Liz.
Among the fleet of newcomers to the race, affectionately know as rookies, there are three with a goo pedigree in crewed sailing who have performed remarkably; Nicolas Lunven (Bostik), Frédéric Rivet (Novotel Caen) and Vincent Biarnes (Côtes d’Armor).
La Solitaire is a race against the clock; the aim is to be consistent and keep the time deficit to a minimum and this first race has not produced huge advantages but has highlighted just how easy the lead can change and just how much can be gained and lost in just one leg.
James Bird (GFI Group) is expected to rejoin the fleet in Crosshaven in time for the 2nd leg start on Monday from Crosshaven to Brest in France.
Just Jimmy Le Baut (Port Olona – Arrimer) remains at sea with an ETA tomorrow morning.
Frederic Duthil (Distinxion) – winner of the first leg from Caen to Crosshaven
“I do not feel any particular pressure to win, but just really enjoyed it and am going to take one leg at a time. After winning the Prologue Race I said to myself that I do not have anything else to do, so I might as well just keep trying to win. I have not got plans to go and do other sailing as it is I love my job and they have been particularly good to me giving me time to race and particularly to train in Port La Foret, which has helped me do end. My budget is small at 40,000 euros, but I can compete.”
Nicolas Troussel (Financo) – 2nd to finish
“I am really happy as I was always in there with a chance and managed to climb back up whenever I lost places. There was a little group of us at the end, which Thierry (Chabagny) joined, that kept leading and then the overall advantage reduced towards the end. This puts all of us in a good position to go into the next leg. Duthil did sail very well; he is really very good. The race was decided at Lands End and it was hard at times to stay with the leaders, you want to take a risk and try something, but you have to weigh up the risk. You can see some who did take that risk when ahead loose not only spaces, but time, so it is a tough call.”
Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) – 3rd to finish
“Things just kept changing and I managed to save my neck quite a few times making the most of any opportunity that came my way. Right up to the finish things kept changing. It just shows when you see we all finish so closely. There was a good opportunity at Eddystone to move out to the left on a shift, which paid off well.”
Nicolas Lunven (Bostik) – 11th and first rookie sailor to finish the first leg
“I had a bad start and got over the line ahead of the gun and then to make matters worse, waited a bit before going back until they actually called the boat number of the VHF. Being behind after all did not work out all that bad because it allowed me to play and choose which way to go. By Barfleur (last mark along the French Coast) I had climbed 25 spots before the Channel crossing. Then when I crossed I kept east with Troussel so came out quite well. I could have finished a few places ahead overall at the finish, but I am really pleased and have learnt a lot from my first Figaro race.”
Jeanne Gregoire (Banque Populaire)
“I thought I would have used up all my luck at the end of the Trophée BPE race! Anything could have happened on this race. I had a bad start and got a recall on the start line, then I did not do a good Channel crossing, along the South Coast of England I kept going and finally woke up to find at one point ahead of some who had been quite a long way in front. The leaders really deserved the top places; they sailed really well. And I must say that I am pleased to find myself in 5th position and not sure if I really earned it, but I will have to have some rest first before I think about it.”
Liz Wardley (Sojasun) – 15th at the end of leg one
“Right before the start of the race I got a net stuck in the prop which slowed me right down for the first day and a half. I did go in the water twice to try and get it off, but the current was too strong and I could not keep up with the boat. Finally when conditions where lighter at Start Point, I managed to get it off on my third dive. Then I was back and fighting and managed to move up quite a bit.”
Nigel King (Nigel King Yachting) – 36th on his first race
“I have learnt a lot from my first race. I struggled for speed and made some very bad tactical decisions, which lost me spaces. I think I was a bit naïve in certain places especially along the South coast of England, which I know well. The first part went well and crossed the Channel on a shy spinnaker reach but then lots a lot at Start Point, which I never really recovered from. At one point I hit something so scrambled out and slipped, so nursing an ankle three times it’s normal size and nipped little finger!
I was not going to let the position reports get to me so I figured I would stay calm and get some rest, maybe I got too much! I enjoyed it and have learnt a lot so pleased overall. This is the longest single handed race I have ever done and only the third one, so I am not going to beat myself up just yet!”
Paul Ó Riain (City Jet) – 41st and only Irish competitor
“This is great, it is my 4th solo race and I am loving it. I just loved being out there, you could not ask for better conditions; sailing passed three countries in just one race. I just want to get back out there! I am a little disappointed with my position on this race as I was up there in 25th and would have liked to have done better; I made the mistake of waiting at the Scilly isles for the shift to come in which never really come in as a big southerly.”
Gildas Mahé (Le Comptoir Immobilier)
“I did manage to get quite a bit of sleep and whilst doing so I even passed Ronan Treussart last night! I have found a good setting for the sails, which worked well for me. At the end you must always have your eye on the time deficit factor and not the ranking.”
Jean-Paul Mouren (M@rseillEntreprise) - 14th on the first race
“Sailing has changed, you do not get the huge gaps and this race is very technical and those with the experience just get the top spots. I had a good race, rested when I needed to and took the more inshore option on rounding Lands End, which meant the current gave me a few knots of extra boat speed. This race is along the coast and sometimes you should just go in and play with the currents and coastal effects as opposed to going out and focusing on the weather to do your race.”
Marc Thiercelin (Siemens)
“This is the worst result on a Figaro for me, very interesting! I do not have good boat speed, but I was pleased to hook on the Laurent Pellecuer and keep up with him. I tried to do something for the last part of the race when going up to cross the Celtic Sea, which did see me in 5th place. I tried to go above the anticyclone but it did not work out as I ended up reaching under genoa whilst the others finished under spinnaker. The level of the competition is not so much better as more even. You did have to have some luck too. The part along the South coast of England went well and I managed to make up ground along each of the bays we passed. The main thing at the end is to not worry about your position but your overall time from the leader at the finish.”
