2ND STEP
GIJÓN - ROYAN

605 miles between Gijón and Royan and a second crossing of the Bay of Biscay as a main course.

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After a few days of well-deserved rest, the Figarists will return to sea and leave the north-Hispanic coast to head for Royan, host city for the 2nd time after a successful first stopover in 2022, which left very good memories for the skippers as well as the general public who came in large numbers with nearly 45,000 visitors to the Race Village. “The second stage will take them across the Bay of Biscay a second time, this time from west to east. In order to offer varied stages, there will be a special mark to be picked up after Cape Finisterre if the weather permits, which will give rise to a very coastal start to the route with site effects to manage.

The second part of the course, which does not include any waypoints, will be open before a fairly free arrival in Royan. In terms of conditions, it’s quite hard to plan ahead. There are in fact several possible scenarios in terms of weather on this stage, with potentially choices to be made in relation to a ridge axis or the thermal effects on the Iberian Peninsula.

You should not get trapped in a windless zone, especially at night, due to the relief of the coasts at this level, and stay firmly attached to the pack. The arrival at Royan will potentially be quite tricky, with a relatively strong tidal coefficient. »