La Solitaire du Figaro-Eric Bompard cachemire - Outlook far from clear

by Marie Le Berrigaud-Perochon on 2 Jul 2014 For overall leader of La Solitaire du Figaro-Eric Bompard cachemire, Jérémie Beyou, the outlook for the fourth and final leg of the 2014 miles race is far from clear. The two-times race winning skipper of Maitre Coq has a margin of just 15 minutes and 13 seconds over second placed Corentin Horeau (Bretagne-Crédit Mutuel Performance), 18 minutes 57 seconds on third placed Charlie Dalin (Normandy Elite Team), 24 minutes and 02 seconds on Gildas Mahe (Interface Concept) and fifth placed Alexis Loisin is 51 minutes and 30 seconds behind.

Even having established a keynote consistency, taking podium places on all three legs so far, Beyou has no margin for error on the final 490 miles stage from Les Sables d'Olonne to the 45th edition's finish line in Cherbourg.

Indeed some of the highest stress of the stage might be ladled on thick during and after Sunday's 1700hrs local time start. With so many highly motivated mid fleet skippers seeking to finish on a high note, restoring pride and credibility, adding a forecast of proper breezy conditions adds up to a high octane start. The opening upwind miles could be some of the most frenetic since Deauville.

The start should see a flow of W to NW'ly wind at around 20kts but the passage of a front leaves behind it yet more light and unsettled winds, from the upwind tacking up the Vendée coast to another shutdown off the Belle Isle. Off Penmarc'h (high tide at 19:27, coefficient 76) the new S'ly is expected to become established.

And then the arrival of an Atlantic low will stabilise the breeze around the tip of Brittany and prevail for most of the rest of the course. After the first 150 miles during which the fleet will spread – indeed it may very much shape the positions on the leg – the fleet converges again on the western Sein basin on Monday evening for a fetching leg to Ushant which becomes a beat to the Portsall buoy not for from the wreck of the Amoco Cadiz. And from there it is a moderately straightforward two-three sail reach across the channel in a moderate E'ly breeze.

After turning the Manacles buoy by the Lizard SW of Falmouth it is 135 miles to the Needles buoy, west of the Isle of Wight. This should be mainly upwind and reaching in light E'ly breezes before turning back across the Channel for the last 60 miles leg to Cherbourg early on Thursday morning.

Throw into that heady mix two top skippers motivated only by the same goal, to salve the disappointment of earlier mechanical failures and win this leg into Cherbourg, Yann Eliès (Groupe Queguiner-Leucemie Espoir) and Fabien Delahaye (Skipper Macif 2012) and Beyou cannot hope to control the whole pack.

Of the British pack Sam Matson (Artemis 21) lies in an encouraging 14th overall and is looking to turn round a deficit of 32 minutes on French rival Gwenolet Gahinet (Safran Guy Cotten) in order to win the overall Beneteau Bizuth (Rookies) award.

Gilles Chiori, Race Director: '490 miles to go. It's a course which is a little bit different to what we usually do as it passes offshore of the Chaussée de Sein and Ouessant before being brought back in to the buoy at Portsall. The first crossing of the Channel to the Manacles buoy to the east of the Lizard and then a long leg to the Needles and across the Channel again to the finish at Cherbourg. The weather is quite interesting with a start in 20kts with a beat, lighter at Belle Ile and then it becomes very unsettled under the influence of a high pressure ridge, then SE'ly switching E at 12kts. Soft and light off Portland Bill and the finish in Cherbourg Thursday morning in sunshine.'

Jérémie Beyou (Maître Coq): 'The start of this last leg might see up to 25kts of breeze. And so we will have to play it safe on the opening bit to preserve the boats. And then it is upwind in the currents in muscular winds. Then the wind eases and goes SE. This transition has to be managed and might be the key moments of the race. This stage will be tactical but controlled on each small section of about 70 to 80 miles, except for the open first leg after the start to the top of Britanny. I think it will rough, tough and big gaps may develop.

Yann Eliès (Groupe Quéguiner- Leucémie) 'It will be bullshit. It has taken me three times looking at it to make sense of it. This fourth leg will be complicated and long. We should arrive after four days and four nights at sea, so the same as the last leg. And anyway if you get in to Cherbourg too early we will not know what to do as much as we do at sea, wondering if you have one beer, two or Event website