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Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro

55 solo Figaro-Bénéteau from Caen this summer

35th édition from July 19th to August 24th

mardi 8 juin 2004 – Information Solitaire du Figaro

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The Solitaire Afflelou le Figaro, from 19th July to 15th of August 2004, positions itself as one of the most important sailing events, welcoming this year 55 entries for the Caen start. An exceptional number, with 13 more skippers than in 2003, which confirms growing interest in this event from sailors. The 35th edition will offer entrants a highly competitive race combining speed and endurance over a 1,476 mile course.


Le Chacal a tout rafflé : l’étape de La Rochelle et la victoire au général en 2003... La Transat AG2R en 2004... Et il sera là pour défendre son titre !
Archive 2003 • Photo : Ch.Guigueno / Pipof.com/voile

The Solitaire introduces each year a race-route full of novelty, attracting more and more men and women. Introducing 3 new ports of call (Caen - St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie and Portsmouth) and returning to Quiberon once again, the list of registered skippers brings together some of the most extensive experience in sailing exploits, and opens its borders with 6 nationalities represented : English, Australian, Belgian, French, Dutch and Swiss.

• The line up

If one where to count the number of sailing achievements on the Solitaire they would come to over 120 transatlantic races (Route du Rhum, Q Quebec-St Malo, Transat AG2R, etc.), no less than 10 circumnavigations (Jules Verne Trophy, Whitbread, The Race, Vendée Globe), over 20 Tour de France à la Voile, international yacht races (Fastnet, Sydney - Hobart, Rolex Cup, Match Racing, etc.)... La Solitaire Afflelou le Figaro offers a line up rich in sailing experience.

In the notice of race, the number of competitors is limited to 55, on the deadline registration date. To date, one skipper is on the waiting list and will be admitted if one of the 55 competitors pulls out or does not qualify.
Among the 55 skippers, Armel Le Cléac’h, winner of the 2003 edition will be defending his title. He will face once again the greats of the Figaro Bénéteau circuit, such as Gildas Morvan, Charles Caudrelier, Jérémie Beyou, Romain Attanasio, Pascal Bidégorry, Ronan Guérin, Jean-Paul Mouren (holding the record number of participations at 17 times), Erwan Tabarly... and Bertrand de Broc.

Some of the names on the entry list had not appeared for over 15 years ! Such is the case of Arnaud Guillouet, his last time being in 1989, as for Halvard Mabire, he returns after a 13 year absence and yet an even greater sailing achievements. Dominic Vittet, 11 years after his victory in 1993, will also be on the start line.

This 35th edition is also notable for the growing number of newcomers ; 16 Newcomers will battle it out to bring back the Newcomer Bénéteau trophy. We find once again Jean-Luc Elias (2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre 1997 and 2003, winner of the Quebec - St Malo 1998), Armel Tripon (winner of the Mini Transat 2003), Olivier Krauss’ new Espoir Crédit Agricole, Rodolphe Jacq, (winner of the Transat ag2r 2002)... The race also welcomes 4 ladies : Lyz Wardley (winner of the Sydney - Hobart 1999) and Marie-Albane Daniel, two new sailors to the event who join Sam Davies and Jeanne Grégoire.

The Solitaire Afflelou le Figaro is a race full of action and surprises, as was demonstrated in Armel le Cléac’h ‘s 2003 victory : only 13 short seconds ahead of second placed Alain Gautier. The 2004 edition need not go against the established grain !

• Race route

The Solitarie Afflelou le Figaro will leave Caen for Portsmouth, her sister town, then will go to the port of St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie before stopping over in Gijon to then cross the finish line in Britanny.

“The route for this 2004 edition will be slightly shorter than in previous years. The main reason for his : a first leg short in distance but quite demanding, more like a match race than a classic Solitaire one. It will be the opposite case for the remaining 3 legs, more in tune with the standard format of previous routes. On the one hand, a succession of coastal routes with a set course for which tactics (positioning according to the competition) will be predominant, and offshore sailing on the other hand, with open seas where the skippers establish their strategy according to the weather. A complete and complex programme.

Even though the total distance is slightly shorter than in 2003, it will be just as technical and difficult. It will produce, as it has done for the past 34 years, a great sailor and a great champion.” Explains La Solitaire Afflelou le Figaro Race Director, Dennis Horeau.

• Important dates

CAEN
– Prologue Afflelou à Ouistreham : vendredi 23 juillet à 14h00
– Départ 1re étape : mardi 27 juillet à 12h00

PORTSMOUTH (GB)
– Arrivée prévue : mercredi 28 juillet
– Départ 2e étape : vendredi 30 juillet à 11h30 (heure française)

SAINT-GILLES-CROIX-DE-VIE
– Arrivée prévue : lundi 2 août
– Départ 3e étape : jeudi 5 août à 14h00

GIJON (Esp.)
– Arrivée prévue : dimanche 8 août
– Départ 4e étape : mercredi 11 août à 15h00

QUIBERON
– Arrivée prévue : vendredi 13 août
– Régate de clôture Afflelou : dimanche 15 août à 14h00

Jérémie Beyou : « The things we are not able to satisfy, to accomplish, to perfect, we stubbornly strive to achieve. It is a mind thing where numbers constantly frighten. And there are numbers that scare. 13, 10, 9 attempts at winning. 13 seconds to the finish. 4 days without sleep. Whatever happens, as long as I never find the answer to La Solitaire, I will never win it. »

Entry list

Name Prénom Année naissance Résidence Dpt/pays Bateau N° voile Participations

– 1 ALFARO Amaiur 1972 Sempère 64 PAYS BASQUE ENTREPRISES.COM 3
– 2 ARTAUD Christophe 1963 Nîmes 30 PETITS PETONS 36 4
– 3 ATTANASIO Romain 1977 La Forêt Fouesnant 29 PORT TREBEURDEN 9 4
– 4 BAKKER Sander (Pays-Bas) 1972 Enkuizen Hollande STERN GROEP 23 1
– 5 BALOGH François 1959 Trouville sur Mer 14 GENERALE D’EMBALLAGE 38 4
– 6 BEAURIN Laurent 1960 Gonneville 76 LATITUDE NORD 59 3
– 7 BERENGER Nicolas 1972 Port Louis 56 1
– 8 BEYOU Jérémie 1976 Loctudy 29 DELTA DORE 4 7
– 9 BIDEGORRY Pascal 1968 Bayonne 64 BANQUE POPULAIRE 40 7
– 10 BIGOT Gaël 1976 Luçon 85 TEAM 117 37 Bizuth
– 11 BOISSIERES Arnaud 1972 Arcachon 33 REGION AQUITAINE 28 2
– 12 BOS Christian 1964 Lorient 56 RAYNAL ET ROQUELAURE 14 3
– 13 BOSSARD Philippe 1960 Plouguerneau 29 49 Bizuth
– 14 de BROC Bertrand 1960 Combrit 29 11
– 15 BULOT Jean-François 1962 Caen 14 CREDIT MUTUEL DE NORMANDIE - VILLE DE CAEN 21 1
– 16 CAUDRELIER Charles 1974 La Forêt Fouesnant 29 BOSTIK FINDLEY 5 4
– 17 CHABAGNY Thierry 1972 Nevez 29 92 3
– 18 DANIEL Marie-Albane 1978 St Philibert 56 ACADOMIA 29 Bizuth
– 19 DAVIES Samantha (GB) 1974 Ile de Wight GB SKANDIA 27 1
– 20 DELORD Alain 1949 Arzon 56 TAT AVIATION SERVICES 52 2
– 21 DESMARETS Pascal (Belgique) 1961 Bruxelles Belgique TETRAKTYS 20 Bizuth
– 22 DROUGLAZET Eric 1967 Nevez 29 6 11
– 23 DUTHIL Frédéric 1973 Binic 22 ALL MER 60 Bizuth
– 24 EINHORN Jacques 1951 Queven 56 CONNIVENCE 96 3
– 25 ELIES Yann 1974 Saint Brieuc 22 GROUPE GENERALI ASSURANCES 7 7
– 26 EMIG Marc 1969 Marseille 13 TOTAL 10 1
– 27 FAVRE Hervé (Suisse) 1969 Genève Suisse WORLD GAMES INC. 99 Bizuth
– 28 GRÉGOIRE Jeanne 1976 Concarneau 29 2
– 29 GUERIN Ronan 1973 Saint Nazaire 44 22 9
– 30 GUILLOUET Arnaud 1961 Vannes 56 3
– 31 JACQ Rodolphe 1972 Brest 29 SKIPPER AG2R PREVOYANCE 66 Bizuth
– 32 KOCH Antoine 1978 Paris 75 79 4
– 33 KRAUSS Oliver 1980 La Forêt Fouesnant 29 ESPOIR CREDIT AGRICOLE 25 Bizuth
– 34 LE CLEAC’H Armel 1977 Saint Pol de Leon 29 1 4
– 35 LE GAL Franck 1973 Quiberon 56 MONACO MARINE SODIFAC ROUBAIX 42 Bizuth
– 36 LEPESQUEUX Marc 1968 Fleury sur Orne 14 MAISON PIERRE 70 3
– 37 LEQUIN Benoit 1973 Larmor Plage 56 NANNIDIESEL 65 Bizuth
– 38 MABIRE Halvard 1956 Les Moitiers d’Allonne 50 39 6
– 39 MAISONNEUVE Brieuc 1974 Cérence 50 64 Bizuth
– 40 MORVAN Gildas 1968 Landela 29 CERCLE VERT 3 8
– 41 MOUREN Jean-Paul 1953 Marseille 13 M@RSEILLE ENTREPRISES 13 17
– 42 NELIAS Jean-Luc 1962 Quimper 29 CHAUSS-EUROP 72 Bizuth
– 43 de PAVANT Kito 1961 Montferrier sur Lez 34 BOOZY & THE KIKOUYOUS 95 4
– 44 PEAN Lionel 1956 Le Cannet 6 24 8
– 45 PELLECUER Laurent 1974 Montpellier 34 CLIPTOL SPORT 8 7
– 46 PETIT Benoit 1972 Brest 29 DEFI SANTE VOILE 15 3
– 47 SEVAUX Stéphane 1955 Ecomoy 72 35 1
– 48 TABARLY Erwan 1974 Fouesnant 29 THALES 2 4
– 49 TOULORGE Alexandre 1978 Cherbourg 50 CREDIT MUTUEL 11 4
– 50 TRIPON Armel 1975 Nantes 44 GEDIMAT 57 Bizuth
– 51 TROUSSEL Nicolas 1974 Plougasnou 29 D’AUCY 43 3
– 52 VACHETTE Vincent 1971 Paris 75 CONTIGO 33 Bizuth
– 53 VENIARD Gérald 1970 La Rochelle 17 SCUTUM 94 Bizuth
– 54 VITTET Dominic 1957 Crac’h 56 ATAO AUDIO SYSTEM 16 6
– 55 WARDLEY LIZ (Australie) 1979 Paris 75 KOOKAÏ 36 Bizuth

• Liste d’attente

– LECHARPENTIER Bertrand 1970 Honfleur 14 Bizuth

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