Following a short prologue race yesterday off La Grande Motte in the South France, competitors will be on the line today for the start of the Generali Solo. British yachtswomen Sam Davies will be among those competing in two weeks of intense racing along the Mediterranean coast.

The event consists of five non-stop offshore legs [the longest being 240 miles] and seven days of inshore windward/leeward racing, finally finishing in Porquerolles on Saturday 25 June. The event kicks off today with the first inshore race followed by the first offshore race starting on Saturday 11 June. The forecast for today’s racing is for light winds from the north, potentially turning into a seabreeze from the south, varying from 0-15 knots.

Along with Jeanne Gregoire, Davies is just one of the two female competitors in the 23-strong fleet. Davies, on board her Figaro Bénéteau Skandia, is up against some of the best Figaro sailors in the circuit and certainly some of the pre-start favourites for the 2005 Solitaire podium including Eric Drouglazet (2003 Solitaire du Figaro champion and winner of the Trophée BPE 2005 – Sam finished fifth); Yann Elies (second Solitaire du Figaro 2004 and winner of last year’s Generali Solo); Gildas Morvan (third in the Trophée BPE 2005 and second Generali Solo 2004); and Jéremie Beyou (third Solitaire du Figaro 2004 and third in the Generali Solo 2004).

This is Davies’s final competitive training event before this year’s Solitaire and realises the importance of building her confidence with some impressive performances on the water, commenting: “I’m really looking forward to getting out there. Skandia was put in the water for the first time on Monday since the finish of the Tropheé BPE, so although we haven’t had a lot of time together since the last race, we have had sufficient time for the preparation for this race and I feel ready to go.

“I have been studying the weather and tactics for the last few weeks – the Mediterranean is a notoriously tricky area to sail and at last year’s Generali we had to contend with everything. The longest leg is only 240nm so the event will be very tactical and my weather tactics and maximising boatspeed will have to be spot on.

“The Trophée BPE race gave my confidence a real boost as for the majority of the race, I was up there with the leaders so I know my skills have improved ten-fold since my first season in the Figaro in 2003. I will be giving this race 100 per cent but part of my mind is already on the next event – the Solitaire du Figaro – this is the Wimbledon of the Figaro season and everyone wants to win.”

Race schedule

Friday, 10 June: Inshore race 1, La Grande Motte

Saturday, 11 June: Offshore leg 1, La Grande Motte – Port Leucate (130nm)

Sunday, 12 June: Boats arrive, Port Leucate

Monday, 13 June: Inshore race 2, Port Leucate

Tuesday, 14 June: Offshore leg 2, Port Leucate – Gruissan (40nm)

Wednesday, 15 June: Inshore race 3, Gruissan

Thursday, 16 June: Offshore leg 3, Gruissan – Hyères (200nm)

Friday, 17 June: Boats arrive, Hyères

Saturday, 18 June: Inshore race 4, Hyères

Sunday, 19 June: Offshore leg 4, Hyères – La Giraglia – Beaulieu sur Mer (240nm)

Monday, 20 June: At sea

Tuesday, 21 June: Boats arrive, Beaulieu sur Mer

Wednesday, 22 June: Offshore leg 5, Beaulieu sur Mer – Porquerolles (70nm)

Thursday, 23 June: Inshore race 5, Porquerolles

Friday, 24 June: Inshore race 6, Porquerolles

Saturday, 25 June: Inshore race 7, Porquerolles

Entry list (23 competitors)

ELIES Yann / GROUPE GENERALI ASSURANCES, boat number 1

BEYOU Jéremie / DELTA DORE, boat number 2

TABARLY Erwan / THALES, boat number 4

MORVAN Gildas / CERCLE VERT , boat number 5

DROUGLAZET Eric / MALONGO, boat number 6

DE PAVANT Kito / Groupe BEL, boat number 7

PETIT Benoît / DEFI SANTE VOILE , boat number 9

DAVIES Samantha / SKANDIA , boat number 10

RIECHERS Jöerg/ GERMANYTOO , boat number 11

MOUREN Jean-Paul / MARSEILLE ENTREPRISES , boat number 13

BOS Christian / RAYNAL & ROQUELAURE , boat number 14

KRAUSS Oliver / ESPOIR CREDIT AGRICOLE , boat number 25

EMIG Marc / TOTAL , boat number 30

PELLECUER Laurent / CLIPTOL SPORT, boat number 31

GREGOIRE Jeanne / BANQUE POPULAIRE , boat number 40

PRATT Christopher / PASSEPORT FFVOILE : j´apprends à respecter l’environnement marin, boat number 42

SVILARICH Etienne/ SOGETI-TRANSICIEL, boat number 48

TRIPON Armel / GEDIMAT, boat number 57

DUTHIL Frédéric / BROSSARD, boat number 60

DEFERT Eric / SIBELIUS, boat number 64

D´ALI Pietro/ NANNI DIESEL , boat number 65

NIGON Erik/ AXA ATOUT COEUR POUR AIDES , boat number 77

VENIARD Gérald/ SCUTUM , boat number 94

Press release