Solitaire du figaro
The race for sailors who never sleep
Launched in 1970, the solo Course de l’Aurore quickly established itself as a leading event bringing together exceptional sailors. Peerless long-distance racers who knew how to do everything and especially how to not sleep
He has a beard like a sailor, is eccentric like an artist and his record on the water includes three sinkings. His 11 opponents think he is foolhardy. Joan de Kat shows them that they are seriously mistaken. This son of a renowned Belgian painter wins the first solo Course de l’Aurore race in 1970 (and wins the second of the two stages one year later).
Imagining that this solo race will be the reserve of nice, refined amateurs would be a serious mistake. It becomes the Solitaire du Figaro in 1980 and stands out as a formidable event, a unique challenge worldwide, and an almost compulsory rite of passage for anyone who wants to win the Vendée Globe or Route du Rhum.
The idea of creating a new offshore race starts to take shape in 1969 in the minds of two journalists from the daily newspaper L’Aurore. These two keen sailors are sad to see that the main classic events, like the British Fastnet Race, the American Bermuda Race and the Australian Sydney-Hobart, are still incomprehensible for the general public: with their complex Anglo-Saxon handicap system, a competitor who finishes three days after the first to reach port can still be declared the winner. So, the two journalists plan to invent a French-style offshore race that is simple, accessible, selective and media-friendly.
French? Their event will set off from and return to a port in Brittany after one or two stopovers, in Spain, England or Ireland.
Simple? It will be a “real-time” solo event, with the first to cross the finish line winning the race, involving monohulls around 9m long (in line with the measurement system from the Half Ton Cup, an event that was popular at the time). As with the Tour de France for cycling, the overall classification will be based on the total combined time.
Accessible? The race is open to series production boats, these Arpège and other Super Challenger units that are designed for both cruising and regatta racing. No experience is required to register.
Selective? The first events take place over two then three stages of around 300 nautical miles each, with two or three successive sleepless nights at a time. The way sleep deprivation is managed will therefore be vital. In the first race, a brand-new Arpège crashes off the Spanish coast: its skipper, Jean-Yves Terlain, fell asleep, exhausted.
Media-friendly? The competitors are required to have a transceiver on board so that they can communicate each day with the race management team, giving their position and sharing their good and bad moments. The daily newspaper L’Aurore agrees to sponsor – and organize – the event each summer.
And its winning formula proves popular from the very beginning. The best racers from the 1970s – Malinovsky, Vidal, Riguidel, Gahinet, Le Baud and Cornou – compete against one another in the Aurore. An opportunity for them to make a name for themselves, win awards, and build a career. These incredible crazy skippers who never sleep are very popular with the general public.