A bord d’Express,
At the end of their second night on the first leg of Solitaire 2023, most of the 32 participants have started their great crossing towards Ireland. Only the Englishman Piers Copham (Voile des Anges) had not yet completed his second cross-Channel this morning at daybreak. For the leading group, the great battle of strategy has therefore begun for the 300 miles that they now have to cover. And this in the direction of Kinsale, via the Fastnet lighthouse.
In the 7 a.m. standings, Basile Bourgnon (Edenred) led by a short lead ahead of Guillaume Pirouelle (Normandy Region). The latter, leader from almost the beginning, had the misfortune of getting caught off Guernsey. The maneuver to get free having cost him his lead. It is therefore a pack ahead of the routing and rather compact which, once past the Mare des Héaux, a mandatory mark to leave to starboard, began its cavalcade towards Land’s End. The westernmost tip of England and a logical route to goal.
Corentin Horeau (Banque Populaire), rather fresh and third, could then project himself into the unknown: “For the passage of the mark, there was not yet too much current. But since the Mare, things have gone wrong. With trajectories and boats in all directions. It didn’t smile too much on me until the Seven Islands, but there I got back to my place. It’s not raining, it’s not too cold. Now, we’re going to have it close to the end. We have to get a rotation of the wind to the right from our English friends before attacking the Celtic Sea. »
Knowing his position in the standings and especially in the peloton, the skipper of La Trinité-sur-Mer wondered about his conduct, having some moods: “I have Basile upwind, in front of me Guillaume, and three quarterbacks, Alexis Loison (REEL Group) and Loïs Berrehar (Skipper Macif 2022). The rest of the troop is downwind. I think I’m not sailing very well but I’m saving the furniture. Since the start, I’ve been doing great shots. But each time coming back in speed. There, I lost a little ground but that goes, that comes. And the road is long. The story is far from over. »
The path to Kinsale, which hosts the Solitaire for the 21st time, is therefore expected to be winding. Tacking against the wind. Especially since once past the Isles of Scilly, the choice of route will decide everything for the daring.