Led by a thundering Tom Laperche (
Bretagne CMB Performance
) and after a rapid Channel crossing, the fleet of 34 entrants in the Solitaire du Figaro reached the English coast late Tuesday morning.
Under the sun, the sailors saluted the lighthouse at Bishop Rock, west of the Isles of Scilly.
The leader was ahead of the Irishman Tom Dolan (
Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan
) and the astonishing rookie Basile Bourgnon (
Edenred
), author of a paying option in the West of the route of this first stage Nantes-Port-la-Forêt.
Corentin Horeau (
Mutuelle Bleue
) followed them shortly.
He was in 4th position in the 6 p.m. standings.
For his 6th participation, the Trinitain, a graduate of the merchant navy, has a little revenge to take compared to last year: "
Fifth before the last stage, with the level that there was, it was not too wrong.
But I had completely missed the final, by my fault.
I had finished eighth, which was still honorable
.
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Solitaire du Figaro: still led by Laperche, the fleet begins its climb along the English coast
Present on the Solitaire from 2012 to 2016, the sailor had left for other horizons, to see no doubt if the sea was bluer elsewhere: "
I had stopped the Figaro circuit a few years ago because I wanted to see other stuff.
Always thinking of coming back to it because I only finished second in the Solitaire in 2014 and above all because there is always a high level where we are progressing all the time.
We are lucky in our sport to have a great diversity of supports.
Like the big trimarans I've seen since I was a kid.
I sailed on
Spindrift
and
Sodebo trimarans.
I did D 35 in Switzerland for three seasons, Diam 24 with
Lorina
.
I also did a short Mini race and double Figaro
.”
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Solitaire du Figaro: Basile Bourgnon recounts his daring winning poker move
The skipper shredded his first raincoat in La Trinité-sur-Mer in the company of Julien Villion, his inseparable friend from Morbihan.
Like any wolf living with their feet in the water, they started with the Optimist, a walnut shell with which we learn the cardinal virtue of sailors.
"
Subsequently, we found ourselves in Open 7.50 during winter training and also on the Tour de France sailing.
On Mumm 30 and M34.
We traveled well together, picking up boardings on many media.
At La Trin', we had the big boats in front of us.
By hanging out on the pontoons, we managed to board the boats to follow the events.
This has fueled our desire for offshore competition.
And then, as and when, the skippers called us and the start of our careers happened naturally
,” says the 33-year-old sailor.
Experience as an asset
The difficulties have barely started on this Solitaire 2022. He therefore knows that he will have to take it easy: “
Our boat is rather hard, everything is very low and the back is always stressed.
In general, you take time to recover.
That's why I think the rising youth manages to make the difference.
I have an asset that they don't have, it's experience.
I know how to manage endurance to keep lucidity until the end.
The stages are often won at the end.
It's a kind of large-scale chess game where you have to be physical and at the same time smart.
And I often say it, you have to be afraid of everyone because our sport sometimes has an element of irrationality.
where you can't control everything.
»
Corentin Horeau has often kept good memories of the Solitaire.
The best will perhaps be this year in Saint-Nazaire, the end of this 53rd edition.
