Next stop Tor Bay for the British skippers in the Solitaire du Figaro – Eric Bompard Cachemire

For the second year in succession the Solitaire du Figaro – Eric Bompard Cachemire – the French test-bed for the Vendée Globe solo round the world race – is coming to a British port and in three days the skippers will start to arrive.

Credit : A Pilpre

#LaSolitaire / Figaro Master Metronome Beyou wins 45th Solitaire du Figaro, his third

When he crossed the finish line off Cherbourg-Octeville at 11h20m50s (UTC +2hrs) this morning to win the 45th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro overall for the third time Jérémie Beyou, sailing Maître Coq, wrote himself into the solo race's record books, joining only three skippers to have triumphed overall three times.

Credit : A Courcoux

#laSolitaire / Sam Matson maintains his Rookie division lead and sits 14th overall after Leg 2

At 02:59 BST this morning, British solo skipper Sam Matson (Artemis 21) surfed into Roscoff, France under a moonlit sky to finish the second leg of the Solitaire du Figaro 18th overall and third Rookie. Having raced two of the four legs that make up the full 2014 mile Solitaire course, Sam maintains his overall Rookie lead by 18 minutes and 14 seconds and sits an impressive 14th overall on the Solitaire du Figaro leaderboard after two legs.

© Artemis Offshore Academy

#LaSolitaire / Yann Eliès was leading leg 1 when his mast broke ! (ITW & Vidéo)

Yann Elies (Groupe Queguiner Leucemie Espoir) was leading Leg 1 of La Solitaire du Figaro until 1218BST when his mast broke as he rounded the Wolf Rock lighthouse.

Credit : A Courcoux - More pics here

#LaSolitaire / The first leg starts off Deauville on Sunday ... to finish in Plymouth

There is no gentle introduction to the first leg of La Solitaire du Figaro-Eric Bompard cachemire which starts off Deauville on Sunday, the 38 skippers are straight into the cut and thrust of the match, a 484 miles leg criss crossing the Channel to finish in Plymouth, Devon which hosts the race for the first time ever.

Credit : M Flipo

Solitaire du Figaro / Jack Bouttell takes home his 2nd Rookie leg win, now leading the Rookie division overall

In the early hours of Sunday 16th June, Artemis Offshore Academy Rookies Jack Bouttell (Artemis 77) and Ed Hill (Artemis 37) and Graduates Sam Goodchild (Shelterbox – Disaster Relief), Nick Cherry (Magma Structures) and Henry Bomby (RockFish) concluded the penultimate 436 mile Leg 3 of the 1,938 mile Solitaire du Figaro – from Gijon (Spain) to Roscoff (France) via Ile d’Yeu. At 1103BST Morgan Lagraviere took line honors after 2 days, 12 hours, 3 minutes and 55 seconds at sea, finishing the race some 24 hours ahead of schedule, followed by Nicolas Lunven and Xavier Macaire in third.

Credit : Artemis Offshore Academy/B.Carlin

Solitaire du Figaro / Top results for Brits Jack Bouttell and Sam Goodchild : "I fortunately had a bit of luck"

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

Figaro / Tomorrow Academy skippers start the Solitaire du Figaro. Graduates Henry, Nick and Sam aiming for the ‘best of British title’

The countdown has begun… Tomorrow, Artemis Offshore Academy Rookies Ed Hill and Jack Bouttell will start on their ‘solo sailing Everest’, the Solitaire du Figaro. Setting off on Leg 1 from Bordeaux to Porto (536 miles) on Sunday 2nd of June (1200 BST), Jack, Ed and Artemis Offshore Academy Graduates Sam Goodchild, Henry Bomby and Nick Cherry will be among a fierce field of 41 one-design Figaro Bénéteau boats skippered by some of the world’s most established solo offshore sailors, including race favourites Michel Desjoyeaux, Yann Elies, Armel Le Cleac’h and Nicolas Lunven, all raring to race over 1,938 miles of Atlantic battleground.

Credit : A.Courcoux

Figaro / Ed Hill and Jack Bouttell (Artemis Offshore Academy) selected to compete in the Solitaire du Figaro

A wave of joy and relief washed over Artemis Offshore Academy skippers Ed Hill and Jack Bouttell at the conclusion of the Solo Concarneau last week, before an even bigger wave of reality hit, as both Artemis sailors were told they had been selected to compete in the 2013 Solitaire du Figaro. This prestigious race beginning on June 2nd from Bordeaux, France, is the pinnacle event in the Class Figaro calendar, attracting some of the very best solo sailors in the world. Both Ed and Jack have given their all in the first part of their solo season to date, with the epic 1,938-mile Solitaire du Figaro being everything that they have been working towards.

Credit : Artemis Offshore Academy/B.Carlin

Figaro / Artemis sailors finish the 2012 Solitaire du Figaro

The solo sailors had a tough tactical race in variable conditions and strong tides in the final leg of the 2012 Solitaire du Figaro. Sam Goodchild (Artemis 23) had a good race, one he has been working towards since the start, finishing 11 minutes behind leg three and overall winner Yann Eliés (Groupe Queguiner/Journal des Entreprises). Henry Bomby (Artemis 37) and Nick Cherry (Artemis 77) both had to overcome poor starts, from which they battled on to finish in 23rd/2nd Rookie and 26th/4th Rookie respectively.

Credit : Artemis Offshore Academy

Figaro / Goodchild and Bomby going well in the final leg of the Solitaire du Figaro

After 24 hours at sea Sam Goodchild (Artemis 23) and Rookie Henry Bomby (Artemis 37) are making the most of their last chance to prove themselves in the 2012 Solitaire du Figaro. The third and final leg of the race started at 1200 (BST) yesterday with 12-knots of westerly breeze and a two meter swell in Saint Gilles Croix de Vie. Goodchild had the best of starts and after the inshore course moved up from 8th to 2nd at the Radio France buoy – the final buoy before heading out to sea just behind Nicolas Lunven (Generali).

Credit : G.Chiorri

Figaro / Pressure increases for Leg 3 start of La Solitaire

The third leg of La Solitaire du Figaro - Eric Bompard Cashmere started today at 1300hrs (CEST) in exciting conditions of a 12 knot westerly and 2m swell with sunshine breaking through off the coast of Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, and saw British skipper Sam Goodchild (Artemis 23) getting a flying start behind Leg 2 front-runner Nicolas Lunven (Generali).

Credit : A.Courcoux

Solitaire du Figaro / Leg three, visiting Britain. Start tomorrow (1100 UTC)

Leg three of Solitaire du Figaro - Eric Bompard Cachemire sets sail from St Gilles Croix de Vie on France's Atlantic coast tomorrow, Sunday, at 1300 local (1100 UTC). While the Figaro class' premier event traditionally comprises four legs, this year the race has been reduced to three, so the final stage from the Côte de Lumière to Cherbourg-Octeville represents the last chance for the 37 solo sailors to make an impression on the results table.

Credit : A.Courcoux

Figaro / Nick Cherry (Artemis) :"I am happy with the overall result"

The 442 mile second leg of the Solitaire du Figaro delivered mixed conditions for the 36 single-handed sailors racing from Gijon, Spain to Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, France. Gildas Morvan (Circle Vert) won the leg under a moonlit night sky after 60 hours, 28’ and 28”, his first leg win after competing in the race 16 times. Nick Cherry (Artemis 77) led the rookie fleet for 26 hours producing a nail-biting second-half that ultimately saw Corentin Horeau (Crédit Mutuel Espior) overhauling Cherry in the final stages as did Jullien Villon (Sexio Promotion).

Credit : Artemis Academy

Figaro / Gildas Morvan secured second leg victory in La Solitaire

All 36 solo sailors competing in La Solitaire du Figaro – Eric Bompard Cachemire have arrived in Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, after Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) secured second leg victory at 23.58pm on Tuesday July 3rd.

Credit : A.Courcoux

Solitaire / Cercle Vert takes direct route to lead (ETA around 01:00)

With around 120 miles to go in the Solitaire du Figaro – Eric Bompard Cachemire, Gildas Morvan has maintained his lead over the 36 Figaros as they last night negotiated the infamous Raz de Sein and La Plate, and now stream south-east along the French coast to Saint Gilles Croix de Vie.

Credit : A.Courcoux

Figaro / Surfing Across the Bay of Biscay

The 442 mile second leg of the Solitaire du Figaro started in Gijon, Spain yesterday for the 36 single-handed skippers. It was a tricky start with 12-knots from the northwest. Rookie Henry Bomby (Artemis 37) had the best start in the Artemis team, getting a clear start in the centre of the line, while Sam Goodchild (Artemis 23) was recalled and rookie Nick Cherry (Artemis 77) made contact with stage 1 leg winner Yann Elies (Groupe Queguiner/Journal de Enterprises) moments before the start and they both subsequently missed the start line.

Credit : A.Courcoux

The Solitaire / Sam Goodchild :"The first 12 or 18 hours of race will be difficult"

A short inshore race in front of Gijon, and off they go.... Before heading towards St Gilles Croix de Vie, the 36 solo sailors (Anthony Marchand has now officially withdrawn) will negotiate an inshore triangle of 8 miles which will roughly take an hour and a half before pointing their bows towards the French coast. The start gun was fired at 12.30pm today.

Credit : A.Courcoux

The Solitaire / Time to reflect and recover before the re-start tomorrow

The Solitaire du Figaro “Eric Bompard Cachemire is like an ultra marathon. When you finish one leg, you quickly have to recover as the next stage is on you in a few days. With a stopover of 72 hours in Gijon, the 36 solo-sailors do not have any time to waste. Between reflection, debriefs, resting time, working on the boat and the analysis of the forthcoming leg, time flies by…

Credit : A.courcoux

Figaro / Cherry, Goodchild, Bomby, they talk after the Leg 1

The first leg of the 2012 Solitaire du Figaro proved to be a very tactical leg, demanding extremes of concentration and minimum sleep for the 37 solo skippers. Rookie Henry Bomby had his first sleep deprivation induced hallucinatory experience: “I kept imagining there were people on the boat telling me things, and I thought, okay I need to get a bit more sleep than I am! It starts messing with your head and your decision-making is even worse. Well, you’re probably not the one actually making the decisions, the imaginary person in the corner is!"

Credit : Artemis Offshore Academy