The Solitaire du Figaro, previously called the Course de l'Aurore, is a

solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity * Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character * Napoleon Solo, fr ...

multi-stage sailing race created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and . The unique character of the race, the presence of great solo sailors and its being open to amateurs, has made it one of the most cherished races in French sailing.

History

From 1970 to 1979 the race was organised by the newspaper ''

L'Aurore ; ) was a literary, liberal, and socialist newspaper published in Paris, France, from 1897 to 1914. Its most famous headline was Émile Zola's ''J'accuse...!'' leading into his article on the Dreyfus Affair. The newspaper was published by Geo ...

''. In 1980 the daily newspaper ''

Le Figaro () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It was named after Figaro, a character in several plays by polymath Pierre Beaumarchais, Beaumarchais (1732–1799): ''Le Barbier de Séville'', ''The Guilty Mother, La Mère coupable'', ...

'' bought out ''L'Aurore'' and became the principal sponsor of the event. From 2003, the eyewear company was an associate sponsor. The official name of the race became ''La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro''. Since 2008, the motor manufacturer

Suzuki is a Japanese multinational mobility manufacturer headquartered in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka. It manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a va ...

replaced them, and the race became named ''La Solitaire du Figaro Suzuki''. Since 2011 the title sponsor of the race has been Éric Bompard Cachemire, a French fashion house specialising in cashmere garments. The characteristics of the race are: * It starts around the end of July from a French port. * The race is split into 4 stages of varying length from year to year, from the length of the French coast and making up a total of around on average. Over the years the race has lasted between 10 and 13 days at sea. * Each competitor is alone in the boat, participation is mixed. * Since 1990, all boats are of one design.

Boats

In early races, boats were all from the same series. Since 1980, the race used prototype half-tonners. In 1991, the Solitaire du Figaro made the milestone of becoming a

One-Design One-design racing is a racing method which may be adopted in sports using complex equipment, whereby all vehicles have identical or very similar designs or models, avoiding the need for a Handicapping, handicap system. Motorsport One-make racing ...

race. The race organisers chose the '' Bénéteau Figaro'' (later called the ''Figaro Bénéteau I'') designed by Group Finot and Jean Berret. In 2003, a new design called Beneteau Figaro 2 was introduced and it was replaced in 2018, by the hydrofoiling Beneteau Figaro 3.

Past winners

Results

''All places are in France unless otherwise stated.''

2003

: 1st stage:

Les Sables-d'Olonne Les Sables-d'Olonne (; French meaning: "The Sands of Olonne"; Poitevin: ''Lés Sablles d'Oloune'') is a seaside resort and port on the Atlantic coast of western France. A subprefecture of the department of Vendée, Pays de la Loi ...

–

Getxo Getxo () (Spanish: ''Guecho'') is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, in Spain. It is part of Greater Bilbao, and has 75,430 inhabitants (2023). Getxo ...

Bilbao Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...

(

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

) : 2nd stage: Getxo/Bilbao –

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle'') is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department. Wi ...

: 3rd stage: La Rochelle –

Dingle Dingle ( or ''Daingean Uí Chúis'', meaning "fort of Ó Cúis") is a town in County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula (known in Irish as ''Corca Dhuibhne''), it sits on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coa ...

(Ireland) : 4th stage: Dingle –

Saint-Nazaire Saint-Nazaire (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire-Atlantique Departments of France, department in western France, in traditional Brittany. The town has a major harbour on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Oc ...

– 1979 nmi * Overall results: :# Armel Le Cléac'h (Créaline) in 327h 08min 19s :# Alain Gautier (Foncia) +13s :# Michel Desjoyeaux (Géant) +1h 26min 17s 42 skippers started, 42 finished.

2004

: 1st stage:

Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...

–

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

(England) : 2nd stage: Portsmouth –

Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie () is a Communes of France, commune in the Vendée Departments of France, department, Regions of France, region of Pays de la Loire, western France. It is situated on the Côte de Lumière. The community originated in 1 ...

: 3rd stage: Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie –

Gijón Gijón () or () is a city and municipality in north-western Spain. It is the largest city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality by population in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Asturias. It is located on the coa ...

(Spain) : 4th stage: Gijon – Quiberon – 1373 nmi 51 competitors. * Overall results: :# Charles Caudrelier (Bostik Findley) in 220h 53min 54s :# Yann Éliès (Groupe Generali Assurances) +52min 35s :# Jérémie Beyou (Delta Dore) +1h 24min 35s 52 skippers started, 52 finished.

2005

:1st stage: Perros-Guirec –

(Spain) – 390 nmi : 2nd stage: Getxo-Bilbao –

– 368 nmi : 3rd stage: La Rochelle – Cork (Ireland) – 456 nmi : 4th stage: Cork – Talmont-Saint-Hilaire – 496 nmi * Overall results: :# Jérémie Beyou (Delta Dore) in 248h 49min 20s :# Michel Desjoyeaux (Géant) +1h 20min 54s :# Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel) +1h 58min 41s :# Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) +2h 17min 9s :# (Groupe Generali Assurances) +2h 24min 22s :# (Cliptol Sport) +2h 29min 45s :# (Brossard) +2h 35min 53s :# Pietro d'Ali (Nanni Diesel) +3h 5min 12s, first newcomer :# (Thales) +3h 13min 3s :# Charles Caudrelier (Bostik) +3h 18min 57s 46 skippers started, 42 finished.

2006

:1st stage: Cherbourg-Octeville – Santander (Spain) – 590 nmi :2nd stage: Santander –

– 314 nmi :3rd stage: Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie –

(Ireland) – 549 nmi :4th stage: Dingle –

Concarneau Concarneau (, meaning "Bay of Cornouaille") is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in Northwestern France. Concarneau is bordered to the west by the Baie ...

– 449 nmi Started 6 August 2006, with 44 competitors. * Overall results: :# Nicolas Troussel (Financo) in 297h 01min 56s :# (Littoral) +1h 56min 55s :# (Scutum) +3h 55min 28s :# Armel Le Cléac'h (Brit Air) +5h 20min 20s :# Yann Éliès (Groupe Generali assurances) +6h 33min 07s :# Charles Caudrelier (Bostik) +6h 57min 50s :# (Iceberg Finance) +6h 58min 36s :# Oliver Krauss (AXA Plaisance) +7h 21min 53s :# Eric Drouglazet (Pixmania.com) +7h 49min 08s :# Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel) +7h 58min 03s

2007

Started 29 July 2007, with 50 competitors. : 1st stage:

– Crosshaven (Ireland) – 425 nmi : 2nd stage: Crosshaven- Brest – 344 nmi : 3rd stage: Brest –

A Coruña A Coruña (; ; also informally called just Coruña; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality in Galicia, Spain. It is Galicia's second largest city, behind Vigo. The city is the provincial capital of the province ...

(Spain) – (shortened to 542 nmi) : 4th stage: A Coruña –

– 355 nmi After ten competitions, Michel Desjoyeaux was the third French sailor to win his third Figaro race, this one being marked by strong winds (as much as in the last two stages which crossed the Gulf of Gascogne. * Overall results: :# Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) in 247h 20min 47sec :# (Distinxion) +26 min 38s :# (Leclerc/Bouygues Telecom) +1h 03min 50s :# Nicolas Troussel (Financo) +1h 41min 26s :# (Le Comptoir Immobilier) +2h 14min 23s :# Eric Drouglazet (Luisina) +2h 39min 05s :# Gérald Veniard (Scutum) +3h 16min 53s :# Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) +3h 19min 48s :# Thomas Rouxel (Défi Mousquetaires) +3h 29min 34s :# (Rapid’Flore Caen-La-Mer) +4h 01min 11s Nicolas Lunven in ''Bostik'' finished first newcomer in 14th place.

2008

Started 25 July 2008, with 50 competitors. : 1st stage:

–

Vigo Vigo (, ; ) is a city and Municipalities in Spain, municipality in the province of province of Pontevedra, Pontevedra, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest ...

(Spain) – shortened to 320 nmi : 2nd stage: Vigo – Cherbourg-Octeville – 575 nmi : 3rd stage: Cherbourg-Octeville – l' Aber Wrac'h – (shortened to 471 nmi) * Overall results: :# Nicolas Troussel (Financo) in 226h 32min 51sec :# Gildas Morvan (Cercle Vert) +2h 22min 15sec :# (Distinxion) +3h 34min 38s :# (Athema) +3h 53min 57sec :# (Banque Populaire) +4h 54min 50sec :# (DCNS 97) 4h 55min 37s :# (KONE Ascenceurs) +5h 03min 54s :# (Le Comptoir Immobilier) +5h 52min 27s :# (Docteur Valnet aromathérapie) +5h 52min 46s :# (SUZUKI Automobiles) +6h 23min 08s François Gabart in ''Espoir Région Bretagne'' finished first newcomer in 16th place. Nicolas Troussel won a race marked by a windless first stage in which he "" ("killed the race", leading to the

neologism In linguistics, a neologism (; also known as a coinage) is any newly formed word, term, or phrase that has achieved popular or institutional recognition and is becoming accepted into mainstream language. Most definitively, a word can be considered ...

"Do a Troussel", in ) by arriving six hours ahead. It was his second victory in the race.

2009

Started 30 July 2009 for the 40th race, with 52 competitors. : 1st stage:

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...

–

(Spain) – 345 nmi : 2nd stage:

–

365 nmi : 3rd stage:

(Ireland) – 485 nmi : 4th stage:

Dieppe Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...

– 511 nmi * Overall results: :# Nicolas Lunven (CGPI) in 285h 56min 55s :# Yann Éliès (Generali) +20min 29s :# (Bbox Bouygues Télécom) +26min 14s

2017

Starting on 4 June 2017 from Pauillac, France the 48th edition of the race commenced with 43 competitors: 36 French, 3 British, 1 Swiss, 1 Turkish, 1 Czech and 1 American – a split of 37 men and 6 women skippers took on the challenge. * 1st stage: Pauillac – Gijon (Spain) – 525 nmi * 2nd stage: Gijon –

– 520 nmi * 3rd stage:

–

– 120 nmi * 4th stage:

–

– 505 nmi * Overall results: # Nicolas Lunven (Generali) in 247h 8min 52s # (Agir Recouvrement) +34min 32s # Charlie Dalin (Skipper Macif 2015) +22min 29s * Rookie prize – Julien Pulve (Team Vendee Formation) in 249h 44min 45s * Amateur prize �
Hugh BrayshawThe Offshore Academy
in 253h 57min 28s

References

External links

Official website
{{Offshore sailing races Sailing competitions in France Sailing competitions in Spain Sailing competitions in Ireland Single-handed crew sailing competitions