La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2007

by Sabina Mollart-Rogerson on 21 Feb 2007 70 skippers, of which 21 are rookies, 4 women and 6 foreigners, have submitted entries to take the start of La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2007. The sailors will cover some 1,876 nautical miles between the 21st of July and 24th of August sailing single-handed between France, Ireland and Spain; including a record 762-mile long leg between Brest and La Coruña (SPAIN).

Well-known or lesser known sailors, professionals or amateurs, old hands or rookies… For the past 38 years many have wanted to be at the start of the highlight event of the Figaro Bénéteau circuit, La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro. The 2007 edition follows in La Solitaire tradition as the race has 70 submitted entries to this date…And all are determined to be at the start of this legendary race that starts in Caen on July 31st.

As stipulated in the notice of race, the number of competitors is limited to 55, and skippers must confirm their entries before 31st May 2007.

Sailors from all walks of life

As every year, La Solitaire will gather one of the most important fleet of monotype boats. Amongst the 70 skippers having announced their intention to take part in La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro, we come across the star players of the circuit such as the previous year winners: Nicolas Troussel (2006), Eric Drouglazet (2001), Michel Desjoyeaux (1992-1998), the winners of the Rookie ranking: Christopher Pratt (2006), Pietro D’Ali (2005), Jean-Luc Nélias (2004), Marc Emig (2003), leg winners Gérald Veniard, Gildas Morvan, Marc Thiercelin, Laurent Pellecuer and hopeful winners: Gildas Mahé, Jeanne Grégoire, Bertrand de Broc, Frédéric Duthil, Christophe Lebas, and many others like Raphaël Dinelli, back on the scene after having taken part in 3 Vendée Globe races.

Least of all the rookies: Thierry Duprey du Vorsent (10th of the Route du Rhum – La Banque Postale 2006 on 60 foot multihulls), Servane Escoffier (2nd in the Route du Rhum – La Banque Postale 2006 on monohull class 2), Frédéric Rivet (winner of the Tour de France à la Voile 2002-2004), Jean-Pierre Nicol (winner of the Tour de France à la Voile in 2006), Nicolas Lunven (2nd in the Tour de France à la Voile 2004-2005-2006) and the amateurs wishing to make a dream come true: Patrice Bougard, Jean François Bulot…

There are 6 foreigners planning on being at the start of the 38th edition of La Solitaire: Antonio-Pedro Da Cruz (Cape Verde Islands), Pietro D’Ali (Italy), James Bird (England), Nigel King (England), Paul O’Riain (Ireland), Liz Wardley (Papua-New Guinea).

“With our 70 submitted entries, this edition once again gathers a line-up of exceptional racers, confirming the sporting merit of La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro. Without mentioning the old hands of the circuit, we come across rookies who already have considerable solo experience such as Thierry Duprey du Vorsent and Servane Escoffier. We should also take note of the talented Nicolas Lunven and Frédéric Rivet, eager for revenge having just missed the Espoir Crédit Agricole selection in 2005. On the international front, Nigel King, assured by a solid experience of offshore racing by his participation in the Volvo Ocean Race (2005-2006) will be a rookie to keep an eye on” comments Jacques Caraës, Race Director.

A race to go down in history
“The 38th edition of the race is both innovative and contrasts with previous races. There are two short legs (the 2nd and the 4th) that will be real sprints and two very long ones in the La Solitaire tradition. The second is sure to be very technical, where strategy will be more important than pure speed. The third, which it 762 miles long, is in sorts the Everest of this edition.

The 2007 edition of the race is open and at 1,876 miles long, it promises its own fair share of excitement” explains Jacques Caraës.

The skippers will set off from Caen on 31st July with a single aim: to win La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2007 and to cross the finishing line as leader in Les Sables d’Olonne in the Vendée, they will have to excel in tactics, strategy, weather analysis, but also in close contact racing between France, Ireland and Spain. The 1,876 nautical miles will take the skippers from the English Channel to the Bay of Biscay passing through the Atlantic and the Celtic Sea.


La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2007 PROGRAMME:

Caen and its marina in the town centre welcome the start of La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro for the tenth time.

- Village opens: Saturday 21st July
- Afflelou Prologue: Sunday 29th July
- Start 1st leg: Tuesday 31st July

Crosshaven in Ireland, the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world, is where the competitors will be welcomed. It will be the sixth time the race has a stop-over in Crosshaven.

- Expected arrival of the boats: Friday 3rd August
- Start 2nd leg: Monday 6th August

Brest, start town of the 1st edition of the Course de l’Aurore in 1970. The solo sailors will stop in this Brittany harbour for the 10th time.

- Expected arrival of the boats: Tuesday 8th August
- Start 3rd leg: Saturday 11th August

La Coruña, - having completed the longest leg of the race the single-handed sailors will rest before taking on the final sprint. The solo sailors will stop over for the 11th time in this Galician harbour, where they last crowded the pontoons in 1993.

- Expected arrival of the boats: Thursday 16th August
- Start 4th leg: Sunday 19th August

Les Sables d’Olonne will crown the winner of La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2007. It will be the 5th time the single-handed sailors borrow the famous “Vendée Globe” channel to reach this Vendée harbour.

- Expected arrival of the boats: Wednesday 22nd August
- Afflelou Closing Regatta: Friday 24th August


Preparatory sailing events

Skippers must complete one or several preparatory sailing events to participate in La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2007:
- Start 27th March 2007: The BPE Trophy – Belle-Ile – Marie Galante
- From 1st April to 31st May 2007: The SNSM Record – Saint-Nazaire – Saint-Malo
- From 5th to 8th May 2007: Solo Figaro Portdefrance.com Concarneau
- From 11th to 13th May 2007: Preparatory course in the Mediterranean
- From 17th to 19th May 2007: Solo Figaro Les Sables
- From 25th to 27th May 2007: The Transmanche (Abers Yacht Club)

List of submitted entries to La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2007

70 submitted entries of which 21 rookies are, 4 women, and 6 foreigners


SURNAME Name – Previous Number of entries

1 ATTANASIO Romain – 6
2 AUBERT Jérôme – 1
3 BALOGH François – 6
4 BELLOIR Aymeric – Rookie
5 BERENGER Nicolas – 4
6 BILLET Eric-Sylvain – Rookie
7 BIRD James (GB) – Rookie
8 BOUILLARD Didier – Rookie
9 BOS Christian – 5
10 BOUGARD Patrice – 5
11 de BROC Bertrand – 12
12 BULOT Jean-François – 2
13 CHABAGNY Thierry – 6
14 COURBON Yves – 1
15 DA CRUZ Antonio-Pedro (Cap Vert) – 1
16 D'ALI Pietro (It) – 2
17 DEFERT Eric – 2
18 DESJOYEAUX Michel – 9
19 DINELLI Raphaël – 3
20 DOUGUET Corentin – 1
21 DROUGLAZET Eric – 14
22 DUPREY DU VORSENT Thierry - Rookie
23 DUTHIL Frédéric – 3
24 EMIG Marc – 4
25 ESCOFFIER Servane – Rookie
26 GABART François – Rookie
27 GOUEZIGOUX Laurent – 1
28 GREGOIRE Jeanne – 5
29 ISRAEL Erwan – 1
30 JACQ Rodolphe - 1
31 JOSSIER Nicolas – Rookie
32 KING Nigel (GB) –Rookie
33 LE BAUT Jimmy – 1
34 LE GAL Franck – 3
35 LE MEITOUR Jean-Philippe – Rookie
36 LE MIERE Grégoire – 1
37 LE NABOUR Quentin – Rookie
38 LEBAS Christophe – 7
39 LECARPENTIER Nicolas – Rookie
40 LEPESQUEUX Marc – 5
41 LIVORY Yannig – Rookie
42 LOISON Alexis – 1
43 LUNVEN Nicolas – Rookie
44 MAHE Gildas – 1
45 MONNET Jean-Charles – Rookie
46 MORVAN Gildas – 11
47 MOUREN Jean-Paul – 20
48 NABART Laurent – 4
49 NAGY Robert – 1
50 NELIAS Jean-Luc – 1
51 NICOL Jean-Pierre – Rookie
52 NIGON Erik – Rookie
53 O'RIAIN Paul (IRL) – Rookie
54 PELLECUER Laurent – 10
55 PELLET Jean-François – 2
56 PERON Eric – 1
57 PRATT Christopher – 1