What to give them great ideas.
And, perhaps, to follow in the footsteps of two great former figarists.
In August 1992, at the finish line planted off Port-la-Forêt, a certain Jean Le Cam won the 4th and last stage of the 23rd edition and Michel Desjoyeaux celebrated the first of his three triumphs on the Solitaire du Figaro.
Thirty years later, the oldest of the French solo races will take a break in the port of Finistère, a major player in ocean racing.
For a striking return confirming the unique dimension of the Solitaire.
The 2022 La Solitaire route
On August 25, “
Port Laf
», As all the sailors call it, will judge the arrival of the first stage of this 53rd edition which will start from Nantes on Sunday August 21, will greet the tip of Brittany (Chausée de Sein) then that of England ( Scilly) and Wales (Stockholm Island) before a long return trip and landing in the Valley of the Fools. A 644-mile journey, with two Channel crossings, and far from easy. Like the next two stages respectively 645 and 700 miles long. The number 2 will stop at Royan, a great first since the creation of the event in 1970, after two new battles in the English Channel and a passage near the English lighthouse of Eddystone then the Channel Islands.And number 3 will send the competitors to scrapped in the Bay of Biscay and greet (offshore) Corunna before landing in Loire-Atlantique, land of great departure and final arrival of the Solitaire until 2026. In the absence of be able to finish in Piriac-sur-mer, initially announced at the end of the 2021 edition, the figarists will be able to launch their scouting on this demanding course, reduced to three stages and without foreign stopovers (Covid requires) but far from 'to be devalued.therefore reduced to three stages and without foreign stopovers (Covid requires) but far from being devalued.therefore reduced to three stages and without foreign stopovers (Covid requires) but far from being devalued.
The Solitaire is a demanding, hard race, and the difficulty involves long stages
Alex Picot
“
We wanted to stay in tune with the DNA of the race and offer three long stages rather than four averages including a sprint, while remaining in a race pattern of 27-28 days, explains Alex Picot, the race manager. at the organizer OC Sport.
This will give stages with at least four days and four nights at sea. This is what the sailors are asking us to do.
The Solitaire is a demanding, hard race, and the difficulty involves long stages
”.
A start on Sunday, a 600-700 mile naval battle with ubiquitous traps, an arrival on Thursday: the scheme is drawn. It remains for the 30-35 sailors expected to write the scenario (while the organizers are still looking for a major partner). Already announced on the starting line off Nantes (which will welcome the village from August 16 and the boats arriving in parade) are the tenors of the Solitaire and the Figarist circuit such as Tom Laperche (3rd of the last edition ), Pierre Leboucher, Achille Nebout and foreigners Alan Roberts and Tom Dolan.Without forgetting, as every year, a certain number of rookies with long teeth ready to devour the certainties of (more or less) elders and to test themselves on this Solitaire du Figaro which has both trained and marked the best French sailors. Jean Le Cam and Michel Desjoyeaux the first.