BPGO Trophy: frustrating

Adrien Simon tells us about the BPGO Trophy:
“After leaving Concarneau, we got off to a good start, but the first night was more difficult.
more difficult. The front of the fleet took off and it was impossible to come back.
Two distinct groups formed, and it really was a regatta within a regatta!
On the descent to the south, we slowly managed to catch up with the frontrunners.
we were well placed in the second group and we were playing the game well!

We got into the swing of things, and that meant we could attack the southern part of the race with our rivals around us, which was stimulating. I’m not in the habit of giving up on the competition, and we were giving everything on board to win places on this demanding boat on this very demanding Figaro circuit.

It makes me want to come back even stronger and not give up, to get over this frustration. Frustration. It’s up to me to be resilient and pugnacious!But on the morning of Wednesday May 22, we were sailing along the coast with the least current in front of us, and we ran aground on a sandbank. Ran aground on a sandbank. We carried out a series of maneuvers in the Charente channel against the current against the current to keep up with our seasoned competitors.
We knew this was a tricky zone, but the boat started to go down. Fortunately, the area was sandy and the keel didn’t seem to be damaged, but it was frustrating to see the race come to an end.
It’s a bit like going off the road on a circuit with too tight a bend. We wanted to attack to stand out and perform, and we’re obviously very disappointed that our manoeuvre didn’t work out as we’d planned. Work out as we’d planned. It confirms that this boat is very sharp and that we have to and training sessions to get our bearings. I was just discovering this just 4 months ago and I’m learning new things every day. I’m going to continue in this direction and aim for a good Newbie ranking!As the tide went out, the boat started to sink. We tried to free ourselves as best we could and heeled the boat over as much as we could, but we were in danger of drifting into a more dangerous area. but we risked drifting and ending up in a more dangerous zone. We then started the engine to try and get out of the water, which meant our official retirement from the race. The SNSM tried to help us limit the time wasted and the material risks involved, but to no avail. As there was no ingress of water, we were able to take to the sea again at high tide towards Lorient to get the boat out of the water to assess the situation. the boat out of the water to assess the damage. There was no human or structural damage.
is now to do everything we can to check the boat and get her back in shape for the next
for the next race in Le Havre next week.

It’s a sporting disappointment, because we were starting to get the hang of both the boat and our pairing with Ulysse, who was new to the Figaro. in our pairing with Ulysse, who was discovering the Figaro, it was all very positive. This damage means I’m out of the running for the French Championship, which is a real frustration. But I’m even more determined to go forward. There were several former winners of the Solitaire, and they were at a very high level. It’s a real opportunity to be part of this circuit, and I still have a lot to learn. These are my first steps in the Figaro, so I’m getting used to the boat and this new way of sailing. I’m getting used to this new way of sailing, more intense than in the Mini and even more on the attack. My competitive I’ll now have to learn from this event and know better where to put the between racing and attacking.

It makes me want to come back even stronger and not give up, to get over this frustration. It’s up to me to be resilient and pugnacious!

The boat has been inspected in Lorient, and we’re going to repair the little knocks and bumps from the race so that I’m ready for the next race. rReady for the next race: Le Havre AllMer Cup!