Leaving Nantes on August 21 and after a first stage in Port la Forêt won by Davy Beaudart (Nauty’Mor), the Solitaire du Figaro fleet will, for the first time in 53 editions, make a stopover in Royan. After leaving Port la Forêt this Sunday at 1 p.m. for the second leg of this race, the sailboats are expected this Thursday September 1st in Royan where the finish will be judged.
Port la Forêt – Royan, 2nd stage of the Solitaire du Figaro
On the program for the 33 Figaro sailors still in the race (Conor Fogerty dropout – immunex365.co.uk) 635 miles with the Breton Coast, the Raz de Sein, the Chenal du Four then the English Channel and the direction of Jersey and Guernsey. Once cleared the mark of the Channel Islands, the Figaro Bénéteau 3 will go to pass the Eddystone lighthouse in the south of Cornwall. The fleet will then continue with a long descent, leaving the cardinal buoy of the Chaussée de Sein on the port side and pulling on Cordouan, the king of lighthouses, to continue with the entrance to the Gironde estuary and cross the line of arrived off Royan. The first sailboats are expected on Thursday morning after the first routings carried out at the start of this stage.
The Solitaire Village in Royan
In Royan, the festivities will have started the day before, Wednesday August 31, with the opening of the village of the race installed on the Kerimel-de-Kerveno esplanade. For the public: baptisms, races, workshops, exhibitions and initiations. From Wednesday to Saturday, the village of La Solitaire will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free admission and entertainment. ► the detailed program
The skippers will moor their sailboat on the Quai Promenoir du Thirteenth Dragon. They will be there until Sunday 4 September. On the program for the last leg of this solo sailing race, a double crossing of the Bay of Biscay. Once past Cordouan, head for La Coruña in Spain before joining Saint-Nazaire for the final finish after 700 miles of navigation. The start of this third stage is scheduled for Sunday September 4 at 12 noon in front of Royan.