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Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro
Sam Davies : "A podium position for a leg is achievable"
"To win the Solitaire, you need some luck and perhaps to take some risks"
vendredi 29 juillet 2005 –
The Solitaire du Figaro Solitaire du Figaro #LaSolitaire will have an estimated 46 entries on the start line for the first leg that starts on the 7th August. Sam is one of only four non-French entries in this year’s event and is one of only three women competing. The event, now in its 36th year, offers the skippers a highly competitive and tactical race combining speed and endurance over a 1,710 mile course with the skippers spending some 12 days at sea between France, Spain and Ireland. Each leg will produce a winner but it is the cumulative time over the four legs that will decide the overall positions.
La Solitaire du Figaro Solitaire du Figaro #LaSolitaire is widely thought of as being the unofficial world championship of single-handed offshore racing. Competition is fierce and winning the Figaro is an accolade that in the past has allowed skippers to get sponsorship to move into the bigger 60ft classes. Yet those same skippers return in later years to once again test themselves in this event.
For Sam, this event represents everything she has trained for in the last three years and her inclusion at the elite training school at Port la Forêt in France has gone a long way in helping her compete at the top of the Figaro leaderboard. This event is held in such esteem because the skippers are truly ‘solo’, surviving on their wits and stamina alone. There is absolutely no outside assistance, no satellite communication Communication #Communication and no mobile phone. This event is what it says on the label - Solitaire...
After finishing 19th in 2003 (plus 2nd Rookie overall) and 19th in the 2004, what is your main goal for the 2005 Solitaire ?
To finish inside the top ten. To be consistent and patient with my results. I now feel that a podium position for a leg is achievable, but I do not want to jeopardise my overall result by taking any risks. To win the Solitaire, on top of being an excellent sailor, you need some luck and perhaps to take some risks. I am not ready to win the Solitaire yet, but I believe I can reach the top ten.
Do you have any apprehensions ?
Yes, I know it is one of the toughest races, especially in terms of the strain we put on our bodies (physically and mentally) as we push to the limits of sleep deprivation. I know how hard it is because I have done it before. That is good and bad because at least you can be prepared, but at the same time you know what you are about to put yourself through. On the other hand, I can’t wait ! This is the best race I have ever sailed, and the most competitive. I love competition, I love sailing (especially the Figaro), and I love pushing myself to the limits and discovering that I am capable of more than I could ever imagine. It’s a buzz I cannot explain, and only fellow skippers who have done the race can understand. It is an addiction !
The Solitaire course is different each year, give us your overall impression of this year’s course ?
It will be the longest course I have sailed in this event. That is a good thing for me because I prefer the endurance of a long leg rather than the sprint of a short leg ! It may come as a bit of a shock in comparison to last year (where we had two unusually short legs) so we mustn’t get caught out.
Which do you think will be your toughest leg and why ?
Mentally, I prepare myself for the whole race to be just as hard. From my experience in 2003 (2004 was a slight exception because two legs were so short) the legs get harder and harder because you are more and more tired. In 2003, the last leg was the hardest for me because I was too tired, so this year I am going to really work on my recovery in the stopovers to try to stay fresh. The last leg is the longest, so it is really important to not get complacent because you are near the finish.
Voir en ligne : For further information www.samdavies.com
LA SOLITAIRE AFFLELOU LE FIGARO 2005
Leg 1 : Sunday 7th August - Perros-Guirec to Getxo-Bilbao, Spain (390 miles). ETA 9 August.
Leg 2 : Friday12th August - Getxo-Bilbao, Spain to La Rochelle (368 miles). ETA 14 August.
Leg 3 : Wednesday 17th August - La Rochelle to Cork (Crosshaven), Ireland (456 miles). ETA 20 August.
Leg 4 : Tuesday 23rd August - Cork, Ireland to Port Bourgenay Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, France (496 miles). ETA 26 August.
Official race website : http://www.lasolitaire.com
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