After four races in the 2022 French Elite Offshore Racing Championship, Basile Bourgnon (
Edenred
) was in 18th place and above all was leader of the rookie ranking.
Nickname given to competitors participating for the first time in the Figaro Beneteau circuit.
Suffice to say that the 20-year-old young man was going to be closely watched by the competition from the first stage of the queen of the circuit events.
And his nerve to pay on the Solitaire du Figaro.
Once past Pointe Bretagne, when he had been in 22nd position in the standings at 5:00 p.m. on Monday evening, he had the perfect intuition:
"Yesterday it happened that there was a decision to be made to position vis-à-vis the finish on the Scilly DST (no-navigation zone, editor's note) and I felt that the wind was not coming in from the left as expected.
I continued without anticipating this shift.
I was all alone in the night and in this case, it's never reassuring.
Before passing the Bishop Rock lighthouse, I didn't know where I was.
Arriving from the West under spinnaker, before the others, I understood that it had been conclusive.
»
A masterful return
His spinnaker still at the masthead while the leaders, Tom Laperche (
Région Bretagne-CMB Performance
) and Tom Dolan (
Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan
), had just sent theirs, the son of the late Laurent Bourgnon could be jubilant.
He had just passed the mark in third position:
“It's a great satisfaction because taking a risk like that is a bit daring.
I tried it and it worked and I'm pretty happy.
Especially on a first leg of Solitaire.
But as Jeanne Grégoire, our trainer from the Pôle de Port-la-Forêt, says, rookies, they try everything.
»
The road is still long until Port-la-Forêt, the end of the stage.
Basile Bourgnon, in great shape, will have to keep up the pace:
“Now that I'm in the leading group, I'll try to stick to it.
By controlling more than making tactical choices.
I take pleasure and I got into the bath.
I sleep quite well and keep the boat going fast.
A boat that I discovered recently but I don't have to worry about it.
Everything works on board.
Conditions
are expected to strengthen in the evening.
The big and sturdy boy will be able to have fun.