The French company announced late last week that the 2027 Solitaire will be the last event raced in 36’ Bénéteau Figaro 3 yachts, with the 2028 event switching to the much larger Ocean 50 trimaran class.
It’s a bombshell move that has been met with incredulity around the French offshore scene.
Not least of the objections is the variance in the size of the campaign budgets between the Figaro 3s and the Ocean 50s. Depending on who you talk to, a competitive Figaro 3 season would set the skipper back something between 150,000 and 210,000 Euro. Meanwhile, an Ocean 50 campaign costs in the range 500,000 to one million Euro.
According to a press release issued by OC Sport Pen Duick, the change comes after a major review of the event conducted in conjunction with the race’s owners Groupe Figaro – the French media conglomerate which publishes the country’s largest newspaper Le Figaro.
Originally called the Course de l'Aurore, the race was founded in 1970. It was bought by Groupe Figaro in 1980 and has been organised by OC Sport Pen Duick since 2011.
