The Figaro one-design circuit is a cornerstone of single-handed ocean racing and a reference in the world of competitive sailing. Find here the latest news of Tip & Shaft on the subject.
On Wednesday Paprec were announced as the main partners of La Solitaire du Figaro as well as becoming the official title partners of the Figaro Beneteau 3s biennial Transat en Double Concarneau-Saint-Barthélemy race which now becomes a ‘mixed doubles’ race. Both races are organised by OC Sport Pen Duick. Tip & Shaft explores these developments.
The retirement last summer of long time supremo Christian Le Pape marked something of a turning point in the history of the Pôle Finistère at Port-la-Forêt, the famous race training centre that he founded in the early 1990s. For Jeanne Grégoire, the new director, and Erwan Tabarly, coach, they are really now having to step up the offering in the face of constantly increasing and improving race centres which are in competition with Pôle Finistère.
The Figaro Beneteau class held its general assembly on December 9. There the 2022 calendar was adopted and the creation of an Academy was validated. This initiative is intended to facilitate access to the circuit for newcomers. This is seen as a necessity for a class which is seeing the number of participants on the circuit dropping.
After two out of the four stages have been sailed, Pierre Quiroga who was second on the first stage and them won the second, has control of the general classification of La Solitaire du Figaro with a solid lead of more than an hour and a half over Tom Laperche and Xavier Macaire. Has the Skipper Macif 2019 skipper already got the race in the bag? Tip & Shaft assembled a few experts in the field to analyse this first half of the race.
In mid-August more than 80 solo sailors and duos – most of them at least in their forties – will set off from Lorient and Marseille embarking on the tenth edition of the Transquadra. The race is contested every three years in two stages to Madeira and onwards. This hugely popular transatlantic race sees a majority of boats racing that were specially designed for open waters, racing with small crew. Tip & Shaft investigates to what extent the event influences the model and marketing choices of builders and designers of cruiser-racers.
Approaching 37 years old, Alexis Loison will this summer compete in his 16th consecutive La Solitaire du Figaro. That will make him the most experienced sailor on the start line. Before setting this week Solo Guy Cotten, the sailor from Cherbourg – who will race The Fastnet in August – talks about his season, his ambitions and his future.
In the context of a real boom for most ocean racing fleets in France and even seemingly despite the health crisis, the demand for high level offshore race training is growing sharply, to the point that many centres are approaching full capacity. Tip & Shaft looks at the structures of France.
Racing in the colours of the State Street Mixed Marathon Sailing Team, American Jesse Fielding and Francesca Clapcich made their debut in the Figaro circuit in the Solo Maître CoQ. Tip & Shaft caught up with Jesse on his return from Les Sables d’Olonne.
The Figaro Bénéteau season gets underway again in a month from now with the Solo Maître CoQ, the first of the seven events on the race calendar. In spite of the economic and health crisis, the class seems to be resisting well. Tip & Shaft looks at their latest projects.
The 51st Solitaire du Figaro starts on Sunday from the Bay of Saint-Brieuc and finishes on September 20 in Saint-Nazaire. As before every big race, Tip & Shaft examines the field in the exalted company of a pool of experts.
After almost a month of lockdown, the different ocean racing divisions are spending a lot of time working with race organizers on the possible reprogramming of their 2020 or even their 2021 calendar, while at the same time trying to reassure their members, affected to varying degrees by this new turbulent economic crisis. Tip & Shaft goes round the houses, speaking to different key classes.
Over the past fortnight, the Covid-19 pandemic has led many race organisers to modify their plans. Among them, OC Sport Pen Duick which postponed (currently the situation) the Transat AG2R La Mondiale and is looking at various options for The Transat CIC, but remains confident about the Solitaire du Figaro. Tip & Shaft talked to the Managing Director, Hervé Favre.
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