Henry Bomby - Rockfish
Henry Bomby Sailing
Local sailor, Henry Bomby, is racing on the Figaro Circuit amongst Europe's top single handed yacht racers in France. As the series of races gets underway leading to next month's Solitaire, Henry is keeping his followers updated with his latest blogs. Read his latest blog here
Click here to check his progress
Plymouth’s Sutton Harbour will host the 45th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro when it arrives in the city in June 2014. It’s considered to be the world championships for single-handed yachtsmen and women, one of the main training grounds for the famous Vendee Globe race. It’s the first time the month-long, four-leg race has ever been to Plymouth. Around 45 sailors, all on identical 33ft boats will arrive in Sutton Harbour at the end of Leg 1 on Wednesday, 11th June.
The Solitaire du Figaro is a solo multi-stage sailing race created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and Jean-Michel Barrault. 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. The race is split into 4 stages varying from year to year, from the length of the French coast and making up a total of around 1,500 to 2,000 nautical miles on average. Over the years the race has lasted between 10 and 13 days at sea.
The course and stopover ports change every year. In 2014 the race will start in Deauville in Normandy before crossing the Channel to Plymouth. From Plymouth the fleet will race to Roscoff, then make their way down the West coast of France to Les Sables d’Olonne in the Vendee region before finishing in Cherbourg.
Thousands of people are expected to line Plymouth’s waterfront when the Solitaire fleet leaves on Saturday 14th June.
The sailors will begin Leg 2 with a race inside the breakwater, an incredible spectacle with 45 boats racing between Jennycliff, Mount Edgecumbe and the Hoe.