A total of 30 skippers from six countries are heading for Weymouth this weekend for the start of the 3rd edition of Petit Bateau 2006, solo race week which takes the fleet on a zig-zag course down the English Channel with six stopovers in England, France and the Channel Isles.
This annual event open to monohulls from 28-40ft loa is divided into six legs over 300 miles and is one of the key events in the singlehanded sailing calendar.

Of the the 30 entries three are women including Hannah White in an Open 40, and six veterans of Ostar trans-Atlantic races including last Year’s class winner Nico Budel also in an Open 40. A trio of water ballasted JOD35s will compete with a fleet of seven J-boats for line honours in the Open format event.

The first leg of the course starting at 0800 on Sunday morning will take the fleet on a 54-mile sprint across the Channel to Bray Harbour in
Alderney, the wind is forecast to be west 10 to 15 knots and should
provide fast reaching conditions for the canting keel and water ballasted front runners.

List of entries
Jerry Freeman, Fluffy, Figaro One

Martin Berkeley, Alices Mirror, One off

John Brunner, XtriKate, X332

Paul Peggs, Audacious, JOD 35

Stuart MacDonald, Going Grey, JOD 35

Ken Burrough, Orvieto, Lightwave 395

Shaun Murphy, Slingshot, J/105

Stuart Campbell, Gunbeat, First 375

Gilles van Delft, Lightning, Waarschip 1010

Peter.W. Carpenter, Bidwell, Westerly Storm

Paul Brant, NINJOD, JOD35

Mary Falk, QII, Pocock35 One off

Ed Holton, Shades of Blue, J/110

Chris Rustom, Draig o, Dehler 36

Neil Matson, Red Rider, WesterlyFulmar

Kate Dickens, Oliver, Twister 28

Nicki Crutchfield, Guillaine, Apache 29

Anthony Llewelyn-Davies, Big Doris 2, Dehler 39SQ

Mike West, Juneau, J/105

Barry Hurley, Blondie, J/109

Sven Niklaus, ZERO TWO, Figaro II

Rod Knowles, Juliette, J/105

Peter Tanner, Oojah, J/110

Nigel Philpott, Odette of Hamble, Swan 37

Peter Olden, Solan Goose, J/92

Richard Hatton, Chimp, Beret 31 one off

Nico Budel, Hayai2, Open 40

Rob Craigie,Torbellino, Sigma 38

Hannah White, White Spirit, Open 40

Nick Martin, diablo-j, J/105

Race schedule
20 August Weymouth to Alderney – 54 miles
21 August Alderney to Guernsey – 40 miles
22 August Guernsey to Treguier – 40 miles
23 August Treguier to Fowey – 101 miles overnight
25 August Fowey to Mylor – 30 miles
26 August Mylor day race – 25 miles