A Heart Stopper to the Finish in La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro Stage 1

In nearly 50 years of La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro there will be few finishes closer than that which is predicted for tonight's final 'denouement', a nail biting outcome to Stage 1 of this 49th edition, which this morning was shortened to 475 nautical miles.

After an initial compression in the fleet at Wolf Rock and then more so at the next turn 90 nautical miles later at Portsall - off the northern tip of Brittany. After that, there was at one time, 25 of the remaining fleet of 29 solo racers compacted into a 1.4 nautical miles postage stamp stretch of North Brittany coast line.

For top British racers Alan Roberts and Hugh Brayshaw it has been something of an emotional rollercoaster. Roberts (Seacat Services) was third around Wolf Rock and then took the lead down to Portsall early this morning before rounding in fourth, just two minutes and three seconds behind new leader Charlie Dalin (Skipper Macif 2015).

But as the fickle wind once again disappeared for the leaders and allowed a further catch up for some, Roberts dropped plummeted to 16th. Last year's amateur champion, 25-year-old Brayshaw (KEMAT) of The Offshore Academy was 11th at the race midpoint, Wolf Rock, last night but has worked his way up to fifth with Roberts now seventh at 60 nautical miles from the finish.

Were the British duo to both finish in the top ten it would be the first time on any La Solitaire stage. Best ever British finish was in 2015 when Henry Bomby finished a career best fourth into Concarneau, 15 minutes behind stage winner Sébastien Simon.

This leg, the longest stage of the four which comprise this 49th La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro has already seen Roberts lead out of Le Havre last Sunday, passing first at the Radio France buoy 90 minutes into the course, Anthony Marchand head the fleet at South Pullar to the east of the Isle of Wight early Sunday early evening, Corentin Douguet at Wolf Rock last night.

Next new leader was Charlie Dalin this Wednesday morning at the Grande-Basse de Portsall mark but most recently Marchand has retaken the lead, charging for a dream first ever stage win, sailing into his home bay where he first sailed an Optimist at nine before moving to Lasers.

But only half a nautical mile separates the top five skippers as the fleet sprint to the finish line off Saint Brieuc where the Stage 1 winner should cross the finish line around midnight local time. Even seasoned, hard bitten La Solitaire watchers refuse to predict who will win Episode 1 of Season 49.

Cyrille Duchesne of Meteo Consult, weather forecasters to La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro highlighted the weather for the final miles, "The northwesterly wind has struggled to return but it is building for the finish to 15-20 knots, going north-northwest when arriving at Baie de Saint-Brieuc. In these conditions, this last section of the race promises to be a straight line speed test there will scarcely be any tactics left."

As La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro approaches Saint Brieuc - for the first time in the 49 edition history of the famous French multi stage race, three skippers are on what for them is something of a home run.

Vincent Biarnes, Anthony Marchand and Ronan Treussart are all from the Baie de Saint Brieuc. Fred Duthil should have been in the thick of the amazing battle at the front of the fleet but retired into Cowes on the first night, after breaking a rope shackle at the head of his mainsail.

But the area's most famous and successful sailor, three times La Solitaire winner Yann Eliès, is not competing this year. One of only four three times victors – along with Jean Le Cam, Michel Desjoyeaux and Jérémie Beyou, Eliès grew up sailing on the bay and lived here until 2008, just before his first Vendée Globe. He still sails in the colours of the CMV Saint-Brieuc but is fully focused on his IMOCA Vendée Globe programme now.

"The bay is my garden, I spent 90 per cent of my life there and it is super important in my learning, there is everything there, hyper big tides, rocks, wind, mist and fog." Recalls Eliès who was delighted to learn that the race which took up 20 years of his life – and which was won in 1979 by his father - would, for the first time, visit his home town.

www.lasolitaire-urgo.com/en