Basile Bourgnon, first in the second leg of the Solitaire du Figaro
The second leg of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec between Kinsale (Ireland) and Morlaix Bay (Finistère) was incredible. On the program were reversals of fortune, changes in the hierarchy and, above all, a finish on an oily sea. It was enough to leave a lasting impression on the heads of the 32 figarists involved in the leg. In the end, Basile Bourgnon on Edenred crossed the finish line first on Thursday September 7 at 17:59:44. It took him 4 days 4 hours 19 minutes and 44 seconds to complete the theoretical 570-mile second leg of the 54th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro. Corentin Horeau (Banque Populaire) and Loïs Berrehar (Skipper MACIF 2022) complete the podium (before jury).
However, in the previous day's rankings, the youngest of the fleet was 13th at 21:15, 4.7 miles from the leader. He was the author of a fine comeback, which he mastered in light airs, with a match-racing finish.
The stage was marked by significant gaps of several hours, which should leave their mark, with a gap of over 3 hours between first and fifth overall, and relegating several favourites such as Guillaume Pirouelle to almost 15 hours behind the leader.
Romain Attanasio chooses Loïs Berrehar for the Transat Jacques Vabre
Romain Attanasio has decided to team up with Loïs Berrehar for the start of the IMOCA season. The 29-year-old sailor, winner of the Transat Paprec and favorite for the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec with the Skipper Macif program, will accompany the skipper on Fortinet-Best Western for the Défi Azimut and the Jacques Vabre.
A complete Ocean Fifty class
With a numerus clausus limiting the number of Ocean Fifty boats to 10, and the launch of the new Realites and Primonial during the summer, the Ocean Fifty class is now complete. Two wild cards are available to skippers or owners who competed in the last Route du Rhum, provided they commit to building a boat before December 31, 2024. Should a project take a different shape, the skipper would have to buy an existing Ocean Fifty to take it out of the class, and thus launch the construction of a new boat.
Yawls in the spotlight during Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez
The Trophée Rolex des Voiles de Saint-Tropez will be held during the classic yacht regatta from September 29 to October 8, 2023. For its 18th edition, the Trophée Rolex, which each year rewards the best classic yacht in the category in question, will be honoring the Yawl class during the week of October 2 to 8. These are two-masted yachts built between 1890 and 1963, and ranging in length from 14 to 24 meters.
Record women's participation in Mini Transat 2023
The start of the 24th edition of the Mini Transat will take place on September 25, 2023. This 24th edition will welcome, for the second time, 90 sailors with varied and eclectic profiles, instead of the 84 originally planned. The legendary event continues to attract many sailors, with 17 countries represented, compared with 11 and 14 in previous editions. Another piece of good news is that more women than ever will be represented: five in 2015, ten in 2017, eight in 2019 and 2021, this time 14 will be lining up at the start. For the first time, they will also have the chance to win in the Proto class, with four projects designed to win: Laure Galley (1048 - DMG MORI Sailing Academy 2), Caroline Boule (1067 âeuros Nicomatic), Marie Gendron (1050 - Léa Nature) and Thaïs Le Cam (1068 - Frérots TPM). To date, only three women have made it into the Top 3: Isabelle Autissier in 1987, then Justine Mettraux and Clarisse Crémer in Série boats in 2013 and 2017.
Only one woman in the Global Solo Challenge and the youngest in the event
Cole Brauer, from Boothbay, Maine, USA, has just announced her participation in the Global Solo Challenge. She is currently the only woman in the event, and the youngest at 29. She will be taking on the challenge of a non-stop, single-handed circumnavigation of the globe aboard her boat, a Class40, christened "First Light".
