On the evening of Wednesday 5th June, Artemis Offshore Academy Rookies Jack Bouttell (Artemis 77) and Ed Hill (Artemis 37) and Graduates Sam Goodchild (Shelterbox-Disaster Relief), Henry Bomby (RockFish) and Nick Cherry (Magma Structures), completed Leg 1 of the 1,938 mile Solitaire du Figaro. Racing from Bordeaux (France) to Porto (Portugal), the five British contenders tackled the 536 mile Leg with gumption, each sailing their own intelligent race in conditions varying from 40 knots around Cape Finisterre, to a total shut down after rounding the Cape, trapping many a frustrated skipper with just 40 miles of the Leg remaining.
Credit : Artemis Offshore Academy/B.Carlin
Shelterbox skipper Sam was the first British entry across the finish line, earning himself 8th position and meeting his goal to finish inside the top 10. Yann Elies won the leg overall after 3 days, 3 hours, 3 minutes and 26 seconds at sea, crossing the line at 15:03 BST. It was another close finish to a Solitaire Leg, with the top three skippers finishing inside an hour of each other.
“It’s been a good start to the Solitaire du Figaro,” said a delighted Sam, after just smashing his best Solitaire leg results by six places (14th/Leg 3/2012). “I spent the first half of the race getting back into the game after a bad start and then rounding Cape Finisterre was crazy with short, steep waves, 35-40 knots of wind and Figaro debris flying all over the place. The Portuguese coast then provided a whole new gambling game on the weather front that I’m sure no one will ever fully understand, resulting in an unexpected leader board that will leave some of the favourites pretty unhappy. But I fortunately had a bit of luck from somewhere that helped me to 8th and that I can be happy with.”
Next Brit over the line was Magma Structures’ skipper Nick. After an impressive start in Pauillac (Bordeaux) Nick continued to sail a mature and intelligent race, keeping in the mix amongst the top teens for the duration, before icing his Leg 1 cake in Porto with a respectable 11th on the leaderboard. Still reeling after the race, Nick reported: “I’m very happy to have arrived. The second night around Cape Finisterre was absolutely amazing. I’ve never had so much fun on the boat in my life, with Magma Structures going for it at 20 knots in the dark! It was all a bit of a gamble after that with the light airs after the Cape, but I did win the lottery in the end. I am very happy with my result.”
While Sam and Nick talked whale collisions and dolphins on the dock, the Academy’s youngest sailor – Jack, was sailing his way into the history books to become the first Academy skipper and British competitor to take home a Rookie division Leg win in the Solitaire du Figaro. Finishing 23rd overall, Jack beat second place Rookie and only female entrant Claire Pruvot to the top spot by 11 minutes and four seconds: “Very happy with my result," enthused an ecstatic Jack, still damp from a showering of Pol Roger champagne, “but the highlight of my race was the gale at Cape Ortegal, where we had 30-35 knots and I reached a new top speed for the Figaro – it was pretty full on. It was in fact so full on I also tore my big spinnaker from head to foot after planning to do a safe drop, so I had to spend some time making a repair.”
The roaring winds of Cape Ortegal played havoc with the fleet, ripping, bursting, wrapping and jamming spinnakers left right and centre, before completely shutting down on the home straight to Porto. Sailing into the final night of the Leg, Academy Rookie Ed was up to 3rd and hot on the sterns of front runners Fréd Duthil and Yann Elies, but in true Solitaire du Figaro style, Ed fell foul of a patch of light airs with just 40 miles to the line, seeing him slide down the leaderboard from top three to 30th: “I had managed to keep up with the Class Figaro big boys for the majority of the race, which was my goal from the off,” explained Ed, still relishing in the Solitaire experience despite his sudden drop down the rankings, “but then in the middle of the night I sailed into a hole with no wind. Two hours and 15 minutes later I got out, but my position was well down the pan. It was a shame, but more importantly I sailed a good race and I feel really positive going into the next Leg. I’m blown away by the support of everyone back home and just want to say thanks!”
Ed was not the only skipper to suffer, two time Vendee Globe winner Michel Desjoyeaux was leading the race on Monday, but finished in 21st place, and previous Solitaire du Figaro winners Armel Le Cleac’h and Jéremie Beyou also suffered finishing in 18th and 19th position respectively.
Academy Graduate Henry also suffered at the hands of the light winds, dropping from a top 20 position he had held for the majority of the race to 28th, where he eventually finished just behind Ed in 27th: “This was a really a very tough race,” said a disappointed Henry. “When we got to the front at Cape Finisterre, I had an impressive 22 knots on the clock, which is my record! But then after rounding the Cape I chose a conservative route that did not pay off.”
Solitaire du Figaro Leg 1 results
1. Yann Elies/GROUPS QUEGUINER – LEUKEMIA HOPE/3d 3h 3’ 26"
2. Frédéric Duthil/SEPULMIC/3d 3h 47’ 30"
3. Jean-Pierre Nicol/BERNARD CONTROLS/3d 3h 59’ 44"
8. Sam Goodchild/SHELTERBOX – DISASTER RELIEF/3d 4h 49’ 29"
11. Nick Cherry/MAGMA STRUCTURES/3d 5h 00’ 34"
23. Jack Bouttell/ARTEMIS 77/3D 5H 27’ 49"/1st Rookie
27. Ed Hill/ARTEMIS 37/3d 6h 9’ 17"/Rookie
28. Henry Bomby/ROCKFISH/3d 6h 9’ 17"
33. David Kenefick/FULL IRISH/3d 7h 30’ 55"/Rookie
From : Artemis Offshore Academy
