Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) crossed the finish line of the second leg of La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro at 05:19:05 this morning to win the 344-mile race between Crosshaven and Brest sailing at an average 8.41 knots; crossing just 50 seconds ahead of Frederic Duthil (Distinxion), who holds on to the overall time ranked leadership at the close of this leg.  Gildas Mahé (Le Comptoir Immobilier) comes in third, 2 minutes and 30 seconds behind the winner, which gives Duthil a 13 minute overall advantage over Desjoyeaux on the time rankings.

“This is a good one, a good one!”  Exclaims a smiling Desjoyeaux with hand clenched upon crossing the finish line this morning.  This is Michel’s 6th leg win on a Solitaire (in Ireland twice and in Gijon 3 times), a race that he has been title-holder of twice before: in 1992 and again in 1998.  This win will hold a special place for Michel as it marks the first win in France for the ultimate sailor that has won all the major solo races including the Vendée Globe, the Route du Rhum and the Transat.

Just 50 seconds later, in a battle right up to the finish line in the Rade de Brest, Frederic Duthil (Distionxion) crossed the line to take second place.  “I put everything I had into it and am just completely drained,” he declared upon arrival “I knew there was something that could be done right up to the finish so just put everything I had into it”.  As a result, Duthil continues to lie ahead in the overall time rankings after the second leg with a 13 minute advantage over Michel Desjoyeaux.

Gildas Mahé (Le Comptoir Immobilier) completes the podium with a third place on the leg finishing just 2 minutes and 30 seconds behind the winner of the day in his hometown of Brest.  The first seven boats had less than half a mile between them over the final miles to the exiting finish.

The first ten boats finished within 30 minutes of each other; among these, Christophe Lebas (Lola La Piscine Assemblée) in 4th place the after a great performance lies just 4 minutes behind Foncia.  Nicolas Bérenger (Koné Ascenseurs), come in 5th and 6 minutes behind followed by another local sailor from Brest, Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert), Thierry Chabagny (Brossard), 7th and 9 minutes Gérald Véniard (Scutum), Eric Drouglazet (Luisina) and Thomas Rouxel (Défi Mousquetaires), make up the final two in the top ten at Brest.  The first rookie to finish is Vincent Biarnes (Côtes d’Armor) in 16th place.

On the international front, Liz Wardley (Sojasun) from Papa New Guinea comes in less than 40 minutes behind the leader to in 17th with Pietro D’Alí (Kappa) from Italy behind in 21st.  The British sailors, both James Bird (GFI Group) and Nigel King (Nigel King Yachting) finished just over 2 minutes apart after 344 miles sailng within sight of each other for parts.  Paul Ỏ Riain (City Jet) from Dublin finishes in 46th place.

First words from Michel Desjoyeaux, winner of the 2nd leg

“That is a good one, a really good one”, exclaims Michel Desjoyeaux, with his fisted hands, upon crossing the finish line in first place.

“It is really good to stop now because this one I had to really push myself for.  It has been a fight right from the start through to the finish. There was a little passage just after the Fastnet, where there was no wind, when I chose the more Easterly path.  I found myself with Fred Dutil stuck for some 10 minutes, which is when all those further west, caught up.  During the next day I really put my foot down on the pedal and just went for it right to the end.  I can confirm that Foncia is a rocket in 20 knots downwind.  I knew the leg would be short with little upwind sailing, so I had taken only what was strictly necessary on board with me: cut down on food, clothes and spares.  I had the minimum so I could be faster downwind.  At the Racon mark off Ushant I could have done better as I had a mile over the others.  But then I literally fell over asleep…I did some stupid things, changed the headsails, and did not put up the spinnaker at the right time.  The others came back under spinnaker and two passed ahead whilst hoisted mine.  I got passed one and then the next one.  In the bottleneck, you can never really know what will happen.  There are patches with no wind and quite a bit of current.  Now at the end of this leg you have all these things to contend with.”

Frederic Duthil (Distinxion) – 2nd on to finish and leader overall in the time rankings – talks to us as he finishes in Brest, just 50 seconds behind the leader!

The last few hours have been quite incredible with 6 or 7 right up within a mile o each other?

“I managed to move up in to 6th 7th position this morning at the Racon mark (off Ushant) which kept me going.  I worked and pushed myself right to the finish; I was the first one to put the spinnaker up and just kept going for it.  The boats are all the same and the level more even which when you have wind like this right up to the finish, shows you just how tight the competition is, that is why we love La Solitaire so much. 

There was just 50 seconds between you and Michel at the finish…

Mich’ did a great race and must have got quite a shock towards the finish when he shone his torch out to see who was there and I show up less than 5 metres behind him!  I have an issue with my nav lights on the top of the mast, so it was hard to keep check.  He is someone who sails brilliantly, pays attention to detail and completely at ease with his sailing; he always knows where to go and has done the race in his mind before he actually sails it.

I knew there was something that could be done right up to the finish so just put everything I had into it.  I am pleased with my boat speed, which has improved.  This year all the training sessions at Port La Foret together with work on tuning my boat has just worked well.  This combined with the fact that I know my boat well and how best to get the most out of each part of it, has made the whole thing come together.  I know every inch of my sails as they are the ones I sailed with last year.  So it has been a long time coming, a childhood dream finally becoming a reality, particularly sweet when you think I did not do well on the Mini (when I dismasted) and then the finish in La Rochelle (where he missed a mark which cost him the lead) at the finish. 

I am truly shattered, did not slept at all and for now just so happy to have finished the race.”

Pietro D’Ali (Kappa) – 21st to finish just 1 hour behind Michel Desjoyeaux

“There was no wind and I had an ugly start then it was tough as I had to catch up on everyone.  The run down form the Fastnet went better and I climbed a few places.  At the Racon mark I was really tired.  I managed to sleep a bit on the first night, but not much.  This is what happens with little training and I need to just work on my manoeuvres more.  Driving the boat was good, it was more the handling that suffered.  Just coming up the canal I hit something with the keel, so overall not all that good!”

James Bird – GFI Group – 39th on the second leg

“I did not enjoy the last mark!” Exclaimed the young British sailor, upon arrival in Brest this morning one and a half hours behind the winner.  “Coming in at the Fastnet in 27th place and then seeing your position fall back to 39th is not nice.  I managed to be ahead of Scutum on the run up to the Fastnet, so was pleased with the boat and then just behind Lola when rounding.  I followed Lola out West but decided to gybe back; looking back I could have followed him for longer.  I broke the kite halyard at the Racon and then with the position repot got into a bit of grump, so had a cup of tea and went to bed for an hour!  By the time I put my head through the hatch I could see Nigelkingyachting.com straight ahead and just went for him. 

The boat speed was good as I could keep up with the fast boats but I just could not seem to choose the right direction as well as they could!  I did manage to sleep a bit, but every time you do you just see someone gets ahead. 

I managed to wrap the spinnaker round the forestay coming round the Fastnet which cost me time as it took two hours to untangle.”

Nigel King (Nigel King Yachting) – 40th at finish in Brest

“I have never worked to hard to go so slow in my whole life!  There have had some technical issues on this leg.  Last night I had no electrics all the way from the Racon mark to the finish.  The start was a bun fight and although I had made up my mind to take the right side, there were just lots of boats.  I managed to climb up the fleet and made some massive gains going into shore along the south coast of Ireland.  Then suddenly at the Rock, boats that were behind just came round and passed me.  Driving became tough yesterday as it was pulling and even the autopilot could not hold for long if I went below to do something.  I just would seem to have the slowest boat of the fleet!”

Paul Ỏ Riain (City Jet) – 46th to finish in Brest at 08h57 this morning

“I hit two windless holes and managed to be pushed off the South Coast of Ireland which just put right to the back of the fleet.  I did manage to catch up on a couple of them on the run south. 

The better guys know how to sail their boats better downwind, so there is no surprise. 

I was knackered even before the start, which I knew the day before.  I did not raise my genoa on the 1st night to avoid the spinnaker wrapping round the forestay, which ended up happening after a couple of hours.  I did a bit of driving just to try and pick the guys off but otherwise the auto helm worked well. 

It has all been a good experience and if I had it not been a race; I would have really enjoyed the sailing!  Next time I hear that the wind does not come in from the West in Ireland, I will beg to differ, it did come in this time!  Le Mans is over and the Paris-Dakar is next…Now I need to just get some rest and use these days to prepare for the next race with out distractions.”

Vincent Biarnes (Côtes d’Armor), 16th and 1st rookie

“You can sum up the leg as having been really good fun but very tiring!  Again it was not as easy as predicted before the start, much more complicated; particularly navigating up to the Fastnet.  Even the long spinnaker run was not easy; you had to be constantly on watch to follow the oscillations to the wind in quite a swell.  I am wrung out, shattered!”

Jacques Caraës (Directeur de course)

“It was a fast race…two legs that have been truly great up to now.  The third leg could once again play a new set of cards in the overall rankikngs.  This course will be more open which gives greater options which some are not going to miss out on…”

Jeanne Grégoire (Banque Populaire)

“I have rarely been this tired and am struggling to stay upright.  I am so shattered that I am worried I am not going to be able to sleep.  My result is ok and hope it is my worst for this year.  I did enjoy the spinnaker sailing at the end where I could catch up on 12 boats at the finish.  Otherwise I had to haul in and go backwards to try and get something stuck in my keel off.  It was like gunk, which looked like E.T’s hand hanging on, with the body trailing behind.  I do not know what it was!”