La Solitaire du Figaro Stage 1: Switzerland's brave Palmieri builds lead into final night
by La Solitaire du Figaro 24 Aug 2022 09:09 PDT
24 August 2022
Nils Palmieri (Teamwork) - La Solitaire du Figaro © Alexis Courcoux
With 150 nautical miles still to complete of the Stage 1 course shortened to 559 miles Swiss skipper Nils Palmieri (Teamwork) has established a break at the head of the 34 strong La Solitaire du Figaro lead after he made a big gain by sailing to the east of the Seven Stones traffic separation zone at Land's End, very early this morning.
Whether by virtue of extra wind pressure or favourable tidal current, the 35 year old Swiss racer who is on his third La Solitaire du Figaro, made a sizeable advance when he led a posse of five skippers to the east of the no-go zone whilst the main peloton stuck together out west and drifted at the Scillies in next to no breeze.
In the light downwind conditions this Wednesday afternoon Palmieri - winner of last year's Two Handed Concarneau Saint Barths race with Julien Villion - was more than four miles clear of the second and third placed skippers, French rookies Romen Richard (Passion Santé-Trans forme) and Laurent Bourges (Unis Pour L'Ukraine 56-Devenis Partenaire).
But while Palmieri appeared to have banked his initial dividend the forecasts still show a high pressure ridge of light airs in front of the fleet which may yet prove a barrier to progress tonight, whilst the meteo experts still expect a new breeze to come in from the west.
Long time leader Tom Laperche (Région Bretagne-CMB Performance) has dropped to tenth alongside ninth placed Alan Roberts (Seacat Services) of Britain and 13th placed Tom Dolan (Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan) who are all in a very tightly packed group about ten miles further offshore from Palmieri.
Laperche reported this morning: "I imagine that there are people behind who have gone to Land's End. And how it looks here, where we are, well it could be almost favorable but I don't really know. Here we are with no wind at the Scilly Isles and of course I got here and ran into the calm first. I lost my lead. I had 3 miles yesterday afternoon. I expected that there would some kind of regrouping which was not going to be easy to manage. Fortunately the current is helping us for the moment in a good way. We'll see how it goes today after we get a little wind. I am waiting impatiently for the the broadcast of the weather report of the day but it seems like it is all restarting."
An engaging final night at sea is promised and - as many skipper predicted before they left Saint Nazaire last Sunday - there seems every chance this marathon leg will be decided in the last miles into Port La Forêt where they are expected Thursday morning. As veteran Figaro skipper Alexis Loison warned the Figaro class website today, "But in a northerly wind at the end of the night a windless bubble could very well be present at the coastal level and the race might restart once again."
Race Village Is Inaugurated
The Race Village of Port-la-Forêt was inaugurated this Wednesday at 11.30 am in the presence of the institutional and private partners of the race, including Hervé Favre, president of OC Sport Pen Duick; Anne Gallo, vice-president of the Brittany Regional Council; Daniel Goyat, Mayor of La Forêt-Fouesnant; Alain Le Grand, president of SAEM SODEFI, elected to the Departmental Council of Finistère, and Erwan Nedelec, Director of the Brittany Territory and representative of PAPREC.
The area is open until Sunday, the day of the start of the second stage of the race and there are many stands and activities for visitors and race fans alike.
They said:
Hervé Favre, President OC Sport Pen Duick: " Here we can rightly share our claim, 'Here legends are born', with Port-la-Forêt, where many legends have been born since this was created 50 years ago. Since 2002 La Solitaire du Figaro has always been won by a member of the Pôle Finistère Course au Large. This is exceptional. This is the second time the race has come here. The first time was in 1992 for the 20th anniversary of the port. Port-la-Forêt is a real breeding ground for talent, which has helped many sailors grow. Some have now become legends of ocean racing and we can only rejoice and applaud these excellent sailors".
Anne Gallo, Vice-President of the Brittany Region, in charge of tourism, waterways and boating: "The Brittany Region is very attached to La Solitaire du Figaro, of which we have been stopover partners for many years, and on which we have three skippers engaged with the CMB: Tom Laperche, Gaston Morvan and Chloé Le Bars. These three sailors carry our values: commitment, solidarity, courage, tenacity. And transitions, because sailing is an important economic sector in which the Region, very active in terms of innovation, research and development, is fully mobilized. "
Daniel Goyat, Mayor of La Forêt-Fouesnant: "We are very happy to welcome this stage of La Solitaire du Figaro to La Forêt-Fouesnant, after a first arrival here in 1992. The stage was won by Jean Le Cam and the race by Michel Desjoyeaux, two Foresters! Port-La-Forêt has given many sailors a taste for adventure and competition, thanks in particular to the presence of the Finistère offshore racing centre.
Tracking availalle here.
For more information visit lasolitaire.com/en.