La Solitaire du Figaro opens a new chapter in 2028

La Solitaire du Figaro opens a new chapter in 2028 © Vincent Olivaud

For more than fifty years, La Solitaire du Figaro has been the benchmark of French offshore racing. From the 2028 edition onward, the race will open a new chapter in its history with the Ocean Fifty class.

This evolution, decided jointly by the Groupe Figaro, owner of the race, and OC Sport Pen Duick, its organizer, is part of the strategy in place through 2036 to give La Solitaire du Figaro the means to continue its legacy while preserving the core principles that have defined its identity since its creation: offering sailing and adventure enthusiasts a leading solo offshore race each year, contested in multiple stages and decided on cumulative time, deeply rooted in the regions it visits and renowned for its sporting challenge.

Preparing for the future

Created in 1970 under the name Course de l'Aurore, taken over by the Groupe Figaro in 1980 and organized by OC Sport Pen Duick since 2011, La Solitaire du Figaro has established itself as one of the flagship events in offshore sailing. Its list of winners brings together several generations of the greatest sailors of their time, reflecting the unique place this race holds in the history of sport.

Beyond its sporting significance, it has also become a major public and media event, attracting large crowds to its host ports each year and reaching a wide audience through leading media outlets.

For more than fifty years, the world of offshore racing has undergone profound change. The expectations of the public, partners, media, local authorities, and host regions have evolved, while the economic models underpinning sporting events have also been fundamentally redefined. La Solitaire du Figaro must therefore continue to adapt to meet these new expectations, engage audiences, create value for its host destinations, strengthen its appeal to partners, and expand its media reach. Only by doing so will it continue to fulfill its role as a cornerstone of French offshore racing.

In response to these changes, the Groupe Figaro and OC Sport Pen Duick have spent the past several months undertaking an in-depth review of the future of La Solitaire du Figaro to identify the format best suited to the race's ambitions. Preserving La Solitaire du Figaro also means giving it the means to evolve, ensuring it remains one of the leading benchmarks of French offshore racing for decades to come.

A new platform for the future of La Solitaire

At the end of this review, the Ocean Fifty class emerged as the platform best suited to support the next chapter of the race. With its sporting, media, and event potential, it fully aligns with the ambitions set for La Solitaire:

• Preserve its renowned level of sporting excellence.
• Deliver a renewed experience for host destinations.
• Enhance the event's appeal to the public.
• Create new opportunities for partners and host territories.
• Increase the race's media reach.

While the format will evolve to reflect the specific characteristics of the Ocean Fifty class and deliver greater spectacle, hospitality, and onshore experiences for the public at each stopover, La Solitaire du Figaro will retain the principles that define its identity: a solo, multi-stage offshore race decided on cumulative time, renowned for its sporting challenge and deeply rooted in France's maritime regions.

A gradual transition

The transition to the Ocean Fifty class will begin in 2028, giving all stakeholders sufficient time to prepare for this new chapter. The 2027 edition of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec will continue to be raced in the Figaro Bénéteau 3, as will La Transat Paprec, which will remain a mixed double-handed event, in accordance with the Notice of Race published in early July.

With this evolution, Groupe Figaro and OC Sport Pen Duick reaffirm their commitment to providing La Solitaire du Figaro with the means to continue its development and to strengthen its long-standing position as the benchmark event in French offshore racing. The race will continue to evolve to meet the expectations of today's and tomorrow's audiences, while remaining a competition of excellence that promotes and showcases French offshore sailing.

Quotes:

Marc Feuillée, Chief Executive Officer, Groupe Figaro: "La Solitaire du Figaro is far more than a race. It is a sporting institution that the Groupe Figaro has proudly stewarded for more than forty years. Our responsibility is to preserve what makes it unique while preparing it for the future. Throughout its history, the Groupe Figaro has combined respect for its heritage with innovation and boldness to embrace the major changes of each era. This decision reflects that same commitment: giving La Solitaire du Figaro the means to continue shining and to write the next chapters of its history."

Hervé Favre, President of OC Sport Pen Duick: "We know this change marks a major milestone in the history of La Solitaire du Figaro. As its organizer, our foremost responsibility is to prepare it for the future. It is our role to ensure that, for decades to come, the event continues to be the premier annual event in French offshore racing while remaining true to the sporting principles that have built its reputation for more than fifty years."

Sébastien Rogues, Co-President of the Ocean Fifty Class: "We are fully aware that we are opening a new chapter in the history of offshore racing. The Ocean Fifty class has always been shaped by bold evolution, and that is part of what makes it unique. We will do everything we can to live up to the legacy built by generations of outstanding sailors, some of whom now compete in the Ocean Fifty class or have sailed aboard our boats.

When OC Sport Pen Duick first presented us with this proposal, skippers and owners initially saw it as a revolution, but above all as an exciting opportunity to strengthen our identity as a class of spectacular boats designed primarily for major offshore races, particularly in solo competition. La Solitaire du Figaro will become a flagship annual event of the Ocean Fifty Series championship, adding a highly demanding solo dimension to the circuit. It will also provide skippers with ideal preparation for the Route du Rhum, the pinnacle event for Ocean Fifty campaigns every four years."