3rd stage of the Solitaire URGO le Figaro
Another crazy leg on that epic Solitaire du Figaro. A few questions with Conrad who finished in 22nd place:
Overall are you happy with this leg?
Yes because it demonstrates that I'm progressing in this style of racing. I had my best start of the season, front row, full speed, every sailors' dream. Afterwards however I suffered as I have systematically in light wind downwind conditions which doesn't suit the sails that I have or my temperament! Coupled with a packet of weed on the keel that I took too long to find, by the end of the first night I was at the back. From there it got worst. I was out of sequence with the tides and caught in no wind.
However I didn't give up and controlled my emtions which allowed me to analyse the rest of the route and make the good decision when arriving at the tip of Normandy.
The final leg towards Roscoff, I was in the pack with the best sailors in the fleet and performed well to hold on to my ranking.
What are your objectives for the last stage?
This Solitaire has already been an incredible adventure that has pushed me out of my comfort zone and grow as a sailor. I think it's been fairly obvious that we have found some weak point in both me and the way we set up the boat ( downwind speed!) but I've already demonstrated my ability to fight my way back. So my goal is to combine all that I have learned in the last few legs to remain in the pack with the sailors I now know I can compete with. Keep your fingers crossed for some more wind now ;-)
