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27.07.2010 Back to news

And the Solitaire 2010 is off!

The 45 Figaro racers set off at 14:00 this Tuesday for the first leg between Le Havre and Gijon. Under a low lying cloud line and facing a north-north-westerly wind of less than 10 knots, the contenders cast off in front of La Hève towards a windward mark located two miles from the line. After passing the second mark: the Radio France mark anchored two miles further on and athwart the wind, the sailors got down to serious racing.

The first part of the course to the Tip of Brittany is looking as though it will try their nerves and test their mettle, since the lack of sleep should be felt quickly. Coastal sailing in the English Channel is never a picnic and, in this game, Kito's experience will come in very handy.

Before casting off towards the end of the morning, the Groupe Bel skipper had only one thing in mind and this was to get going!

“There, I must go, I must go and start the battle at sea. There's going to be some hard play, and it will be complicated as we found out a few days ago, and it's time to draw weapons. Everyone is keyed up and we're trying to laugh with the laughing cow.”