Ensuring the safety of the solitary
The weather is capricious and has decided to play tricks on the solo sailors of the Lorient Horta Solo. Even if the weather reports are a little more encouraging, the committee does not want any of the participants to take risks. Indeed, following their current cruising speed, the sailors would have arrived at the worst moment of the low-pressure area, located in the north-east of the Azores. By asking them to slow down, they will be able to avoid the worst of the weather and by going north around the center of the low, they will only experience 30 to 35 knots of north to northwest winds.
The sailors of the Lorient Horta Solo will have to put their sense of competition aside and stick together to help each other reach Horta. The race management is counting on their "seaworthiness" and their prudence to head for the Azores. A race that may lose competitiveness, but gains in solidarity.
This morning, we could see that all the sailors were grouped together in the same sailing area in order to protect themselves and to assist one of them in case of difficulty. On Wednesday evening, they will have to remain positioned to the north of the low-pressure area in order to let the worst of the bad weather pass, even if reaching Horta will not be easy the next day.
The Lorient Horta Solo, a brand new race
The Lorient Horta Solo, organized by Lorient Grand Large, is a new race in the Figaro Bénéteau Class calendar. It runs from August 29 to September 28. The start was given on September 6 from the port of Lorient BSM towards the pearl of the Azores, the island of Faial and Horta. Return scheduled between September 26 and 28 during the Atlantic Telegram.
This final will close the French Elite Single-handed Ocean Racing Championship in Figaro Bénéteau 2 and will take place every two years, alternating with the Generali Solo Méditerranée. Three editions have already been completed: 2014, 2016 and 2018.
