La Solitaire du Figaro – Gwénolé Gahinet is ready and confidant

by Safran Sailing Team on 12 May 2015 La Solitaire du Figaro – Last weekend, Gwénolé Gahinet took ninth place in the Solo Concarneau-Trophée Guy Cotten, crossing the finish line just 22 minutes after the winner, Corentin Horeau. This 340 mile-loop starting from Concarneau was a real test and the last competition before La Solitaire du Figaro, the major event of the season. Satisfied with his race, the young skipper of Safran-Guy Cotten is approaching with confidence the final lead-up to La Solitaire, which starts on May 31 in Bordeaux.

Gahinet in the rhythm
The 34 sailors entered in the Solo Concarneau-Trophée Guy Cotten enjoyed a varied course between the Iroise sea and Ile d'Yeu, alternating technical coastal sailing and long tacks conducive to speed. This dress rehearsal allowed Gwénolé Gahinet to get into the rhythm and test tweaks to his Safran Figaro-Guy Cotten. “It meant I was able to test a big spinnaker that I will probably take on La Solitaire,” he explains. After 45 hours of racing and two nights at sea, Gahinet finished ninth. “I’ve been sailing consistently well since the start of the season. It was a gruelling race, but I was never in the red because of good sleep management. I still have some work to do to compete with the very best. They’re real experts who make very few mistakes and find small details to go a little faster.”

A double presence for Guy Cotten
Gahinet was intent on shining in the Solo Concarneau-Trophée Guy Cotten, a race bearing the name of the sponsor for the third consecutive edition. “It felt like I was on a run home,” he says smiling. Nadine Bertholom, the daughter of Guy Cotten and director of the company bearing her name, also welcomed this double representation. “La Solo Concarneau took the name ‘Trophée Guy Cotten’ a few weeks after the death of Guy Cotten,” Bertholom says. “The name, therefore, has a strong symbolism for us. Having a boat bearing our colours and those of Safran was an extra satisfaction.”

Objective: Top five in La Solitaire

Now time speeds up. This Monday, in Lorient, Safran-Guy Cotten will be out of the water for the shore crew to settle some final details. This weekend, Gahinet will attend a training camp to fine-tune the settings of the sails that will be taken on La Solitaire du Figaro. Next week, the young skipper will do the delivery trip to Pauillac, where he will arrive by Friday, May 22 at noon. The week before the race will be very busy in Bordeaux, but Gahinet is counting on making time to prepare physically but also to rest to be in top form on May 31, when the race will start on the first stage (see below below). Last year, in his first participation on La Solitaire, Gahinet finished 13th and first rookie. This year, he is aiming for the top five. “It’s an ambitious but achievable target,” he says. “Two sailors really stand out, Yann Eliès and Jérémie Beyou. Behind them, there’s a very equal group of around ten competitors, including myself. Everything will depend on details. I have all I need to do it.”

The route of La Solitaire du Figaro 2015
Stage one: Bordeaux (Pauillac)-Sanxexo (Spain). Starting May 31, 461 miles
Stage two: Sanxexo-La Cornouaille (Concarneau). Starting June 7, 522 miles
Stage three: La Cornouaille-Fastnet Rock-Torbay (England). Starting June 14, 602 miles
Stage four: Torbay-Dieppe. Starting June 21, 600 miles

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