what they had to say......
©Alexis Courcoux
Nils Palmieri SUI (TeamWork) 4th “It was a very good stage, with few potholes at the finish. I'm a little disappointed not to be on the podium. I attacked a little too much all the time. I think on the last bit I did too much. But I showed that I am capable of doing things, even if I had a little more trouble with being in contact. I am happy to start this Solitaire with a 4th place same as I finished last year. The course was really good. We went to the south of Ireland before arriving here, it was really great. Certainly one of the most beautiful stages I have done in Figaro.”
Susann ‘Sanni’ Beucke / © Alexis Courcoux
Susann ‘Sanni’ Beucke, GER, (This Race is Female) 27th: “Of course the first aim is satisfied, that is to finish, and that is in the book. Job done. Talking about the big decision – what to do at the TSS Scillies – and, well, I did the wrong thing. I committed fully and it was the wrong thing. So I am quite disappointed right now. But it is not the end of the world, but at the moment you arrive you are like ‘merde’. I have been improving a lot on my boat speed. I think my sleep management is better this time and I got a lot of good sleep at the right time. I stayed focussed and really on it. And next time I will not end up alone and stay around boats. But I am faster definitely and I have a long list of questions to go through with my coach Bertand Pacé, like especially about the tides, but in essence everything I really set out to do is achieved.”
David Paul . © Alexis Courcoux
David Paul, GBR, (sailingpoint.co/Just a Drop) 28th: “I had fun. It was a bit of a rollercoaster for sure, the emotions were up and down. I had a good start but got seaweed in the Bay de Sein and had to back up a few times. And I had a few electrical problems, like my man overboard alarm kept on going off for about 48 hours which stopped the autopilot from working which was no fun and I did a lot of hand steering. I am happy I tried to do my own thing. I went towards the Dorset coast to try and get to the new windshift before anyone else. I don’t think it really worked but I did not lose, it was very open. But I had a good race with Sanni and Ben (Beasley). I had a proper boat race. Physically I feel pretty good I tried to eat less sugary snacks and more nuts and things. I feel like a squirrel. And it gets the monkey off the back after last year (Paul hit a rock on the second stage and had to retire). It was fun coming into Kinsale for the first time, arriving under kite with 20kts of breeze.
Ben Beasley .© Alexis Courcoux
Ben Beasley, NZL, (Ocean Attitude) 29th: “I am really happy how the race went. I was happy with how the leg went and my positioning early on in the stage, my speed was OK, but the lowpoint was all my electronics failing and trying to get the pilot to work and failing. I was not last and that is a bonus and I was in amongst boats which is good. I guess I need to try and manage my sleep just a little better as towards the end I was really struggling a bit, but that comes with experience.” On his penalty for sailing into a traffic separation exclusion zone, “It was a late amendment which I just did not see. I guess it is learning curve and so I hope the penalty is not too severe.”
© Alexis Courcoux
Piers Copham (Voiles des Anges) 31st : " I had a completely rubbish start. I had an electronics problem with the remote control for the pilot which had a mind of its own. So I had to start way out, ten minutes late, but apart from that the 600 miles in between were great. I had a rubbish start and a rubbish finish. If you only have done nine days sailing this year then what can I expect in this field. But if you give me an IMOCA I'd take off around the world tomorrow. But the leg was absolutley great. If you don't train then you can't expect to be up with the fleet. Everything otherwise was good, no disasters, I got round the course fine. It was a bit fruity coming in. After the finish I came blazing in under spinnaker and I had to get it down quickly and struggled a little. But overall I am 30 years too late, maybe even 40. But coming in here to Kinsale here it was just beautiful, really beautiful. "