British solo sailor takes the Solitaire Bompard Le Figaro Rookie title

by Artemis Offshore Academy on 7 Jul 2016 After an intense battle over almost 1,500 nautical miles of tough solo coastal racing, 22-year-old Will Harris today became the third Artemis Offshore Academy skipper in four years to win the coveted Solitaire Bompard Le Figaro Rookie title.

This is a prize that spotlights young and talented solo sailors as the ones to watch for the future.

Completing the final 130-mile stage, from La Rochelle to the Ile de Yeu and back, in an impressive eighth place, the Artemis 77 skipper crossed the finish line in a time of 20 hours, 52 minutes and 17 seconds.

Harris’ closest rival, Pierre Quiroga on Skipper Espoir CEM, pushed the young Englishman all the way and, during the final leg, was never more than a mile behind him for almost 24 hours.

But in the end, Harris’s sheer determination and gusto prevailed. Pushing himself and his boat, he finished Leg four two minutes ahead of Quiroga, securing the Rookie division by 13 minutes and seven seconds – an indicator of just how tight the race was.

In the overall fleet ranking Harris placed 17th, just under an hour behind top British finisher Alan Roberts (Alan Roberts Racing) in 16th. Harris’s total cumulative time for the four stages was 10 days, 21m and 41 seconds.

Following in the footsteps of British teammates Jack Bouttell (2013) and Robin Elsey (2015), Harris celebrated becoming the third British sailor to win the Rookie title.

Supported on the dock by his friends, family and fellow competitors and a magnum of chilled Pol Roger Champagne, the bubbles were a welcome treat after 20 hours of hard racing under the scorching French sun.

“The whole time I was thinking, this is intense, is everyone sat at home watching on the tracker?” he said. “We (Harris and Quiroga) were pushing so hard to the finish line, suddenly we were overtaking Yoann (Richomme, overall winner) – I couldn’t believe it!'

“I realised I’d won it about a mile away from the line, it was amazing,” he continued, elated on the dock. “But the last 30 miles were so long, you thought you’d nearly finished at Ile de Ré, but there was still a way to go in really light and tricky winds as well. It took about four or five hours from there to get to the finish line, and Pierre was behind me pushing really hard the whole time.

“We were pushing each other so hard that we just kept climbing through the general rankings. It was such an amazing race to have done – a great experience. I can’t believe the whole race came down to 100 or so miles, and then in the end just two miles,” Harris concluded. The young racer is now looking forward to some food and a sleep ahead of this evening’s celebrations.

Quiroga was magnanimous in defeat, but said he had enjoyed every minute of his battle with Harris. “We have different sailing skills Will and I. He is very fast and I like to go on the offensive which has allowed me to get in front a few times,” said Quiroga at the finish. “I’m also pretty good off the line, but on this last leg he had an excellent start. I found myself a few boats behind him at the windward mark and from there onward we had a battle.

“Will was fighting with his speed and I was fighting with tactics,” Quiroga continued. “Before this start it was clear in my mind that whoever finished ahead would win the rookie title. He managed to take the early advantage so I had to fight my way back up. At the Ile d’Yeu he completely covered me and was brilliant at it. It was executed to perfection at the right time. I really had a blast racing against him!”

Elsewhere in the British camp, Nick Cherry, the Redshift skipper, was next over the line after Harris in 12th, leaving him 18th overall. Chatham skipper Sam Matson finished Leg four in 18th place, making him 21st overall. Artemis 43 sailor Robin Elsey finished 22nd on the leg and sits 23rd overall, while #Seachange skipper Andrew Baker finished 24th and was 24th overall. Then came the other two British rookies. Mary Rook sailing Artemis 37 was 29th in the final stage and finished 27th overall, while Hugh Brayshaw on Artemis 23 finished 30th and 29th overall.