Solitaire skipper braves the storm to pay one final visit to Sutton Harbour
Braving the ripping winds and boat crippling waves of the south coast this week, British solo offshore Figaro sailor Sam Matson (22, Ottery St Mary) arrived in his University town of Plymouth in Sutton Harbour during the early hours of Tuesday morning (14 Jan) for one final visit ahead of ‘La Solitaire du Figaro, Eric Bompard Cachemire 2014’ in June.
As practice for the prestigious French race known as the unofficial word championships of solo offshore sailing, Sam and the Artemis Offshore Academy fleet planned to sail half of the first leg of the course from the Needles Fairway to Sutton Harbour, Plymouth and to sail the full second leg of the prestigious solo race from Sutton Harbour, Plymouth to Roscoff as part of their training. Setting out from Cowes, home of the Artemis Offshore Academy, the fleet of four identical Figaro Bénéteau II’s, which are specifically designed to race in ‘La Solitaire du Figaro, Eric Bompard Cachemire 2014’ were met by a vicious 45 knots and choppy seas submerging their 33ft boats for most of the trip, conditions that ended the journey to Plymouth for all but Sam.
Battling ferocious squalls, crashing waves and a lengthy bout of sea sickness lasting from the Needles to Sutton Harbour, a determined Sam completed the sail he described as ‘the worst of his life’, to make one final pilgrimage to the city on the sea from where he recently graduated with first class honors in BSc ship science and navigation in 2013.
Proving himself in training over the past four months, Sam was selected to progress to the next level of Academy training in Lorient, France ahead of the racing season. Sam will train in his Figaro in Lorient for the next three months and compete in three smaller 300 mile solo Figaro races, the Solo Maitre Coq, the Solo Concarneau and the Solo Basse Normandie in a warm up for the epic race starting June 8th in Deauville, France.
Sam is one of a possible three British Solitaire Rookies (first timers) hoping to compete in 2014. With La Solitaire du Figaro, Eric Bompard Cachemire 2014’ being the first UK stopover in 11 years this year, 2014 is set to be a huge year for the Artemis Offshore Academy and British solo offshore sailing. For Sam the race is made extra special by the fact that the port chosen to host the first race stopover in 2014 is Plymouth, home for Sam for the past three years.
