Alan Roberts finishes Leg 1 of the 50th La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro
by Maria Stanley 7 Jun 2019 11:44 BST
6 June 2019
Alan Roberts finishes Leg 1 of the 50th La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro © Thomas Deregnieaux / Alan Roberts Racing
On leg 1 of the La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro Alan Roberts, from Hampshire, finishes 16th 1hour 49mins 09secs behind the leaders on one of the longest and most challenging legs of recent years which started on Sunday from Nantes, France and finished in Kinsale, Ireland.
With three more legs to go Roberts is in the mix having finished in the top half of the fleet making an admirable recovery after getting his keel caught around a lobster pot for an hour and a half at the start of the race. His decision to go to the right hand side of the exclusion zone near Ushant meant he managed to pull himself up through the fleet. With half the fleet finishing many hours behind, he has a comfortable gap.
After four days and four nights at sea with little sleep, Roberts relied on good pre-race planning and strategy to keep him motivated to fight back through the fleet: "I think having had a plan, I was able to keep going, keep motivated, and keep sailing fast."
Roberts said he was happy with his finishing position but is looking to get inside the top ten for the next leg. "I am happy, I could have been better, could always be better, the main thing is the timing, the position is irrelevant, the fact that I am here in the port and still in contact, I think I am probably only two hours behind the leaders and maybe only 45 minutes behind the top ten, for me that's all to play for, so I'm really happy with that."
With leg 1 finished and little time for recovery before the start of leg 2 on Sunday 8th June at 1300 from Kinsale to Roscoff, France the shore crew jump into action to repair any damage and Roberts will enjoy a good nights rest.
To follow Alan Roberts on his journey in the La Solitaire, visit alanrobertsracing.com