Fig'Armor Solo

A proving ground designed to forge future champions

Thirty foiling boats launched single-handed from Lorient, two to three nights at sea without a safety net, and a handful of young skippers playing for their credibility: that's Fig'Armor Solo summed up in one line. Scheduled for 3–8 August 2026 starting from Lorient La Base, this third edition looks set to be the most competitive since the race's inception.

Organized by the Ligue Bretagne de Voile, the Centre d'Entraînement de Lorient, and the Classe Figaro Bénéteau, Fig'Armor cultivates a unique DNA: a hybrid format that blends sporting excellence with educational purpose. Listed in the Académie Figaro Bénéteau program, it awards no points toward the French Elite Offshore Racing Championship. That doesn't stop it from attracting an increasingly large fleet — quite the opposite, in fact.

From 23 entries to over 30: explosive growth

2024 — Liftoff

On 28 July 2024, 23 crews (16 solo, 7 double-handed) took the start for a 240-nautical-mile loop. Victor Le Pape (Région Bretagne CMB - Espoir) claimed victory in the solo division, confirming talent already spotted in the Breton development pipeline. Behind him, Elodie Bonafous (Queguiner) and Martin Le Pape (Demain) rounded out a high-calibre podium. In the double-handed category, Hugo Dhallenne and Quentin Le Nabour (YCSL - Primatrice) took the honours.

The tone was set from year one: Fig'Armor is not a filler race.

2025 — The explosion

34 Figaro Bénéteau 3s tied up at the Lorient docks. Including 27 solo entries — up from 16 the previous year. The increase is spectacular and speaks volumes about young sailors' appetite for this type of format: a sprint race in real conditions, without the pressure of national ranking points.

Lorient → Lorient: a short but treacherous course

The route

A single long leg, no stopovers. The typical course forms a roughly 240-mile loop around the Morbihan islands and the tip of Brittany, starting and finishing at Lorient La Base. Two to three nights at sea, no more. Enough to create gaps — and sporting dramas.

The hazards of the zone

Racing in early August in southern Brittany means juggling unstable parameters:

• Fickle winds — sometimes light and shifty, sometimes reinforced by coastal thermals. Trim changes every hour.
• Currents and local effects — the proximity of Groix, Belle-Île, and the Glénan islands demands a precise reading of the tides. Bad timing at a headland and you drop ten places.
• Sleep management — over a 48- to 72-hour format, fatigue accumulates fast. In 2024, finishes were decided at night, adding another layer of complexity to the finale.

It's precisely this cocktail that gives Fig'Armor its training value. A concentrated dose of problems to solve alone, on a foiling Figaro 3 that doesn't forgive approximation.

A format designed for learning

The rules

• Single platform: the Figaro Bénéteau 3, the circuit's reference foiling monohull
• Mixed fleet: solo and double-handed boats on the water simultaneously, but separate classifications
• Elapsed time scoring, subject to any jury decisions

The philosophy

The stated objective of the Centre d'Entraînement de Lorient: allow racers to compete under race conditions. Concretely, Fig'Armor serves to:

• Validate technical skills accumulated since the start of the season
• Test equipment reliability before major autumn races or transatlantics
• Offer Academy sailors a level-validation milestone

For solo sailors, it's intensive training before late-season deadlines. For double-handed crews, a dress rehearsal before the year's major race.

The fleet: hungry prospects and established talents lying in wait

The results from the first editions give a sense of the level expected in 2026.

Top 5 Solo 2024

What to expect in 2026

• The return of leading names from the Bretagne CMB and Skipper Macif programs, which use this race to season their recruits
• A massive presence of "rookies" — first or second season on the circuit — for whom Fig'Armor represents a chance to shine outside the pressure of the Elite championship
• Unusual pairings, like Ellie Driver and Cat Hunt on Chilli Pepper in 2024, who take advantage of the double-handed format to rack up experience

With a fleet that exceeded 30 boats in 2025, the 2026 edition should at minimum maintain this number — and possibly surpass it.

The stakes for this third edition

Becoming the young sailors' classic

The momentum is clear: 27 solo entries in 2025 versus 16 in 2024. Fig'Armor is establishing itself as the event where future Solitaire du Figaro winners cut their teeth. Consolidating this status is the number-one goal for the 2026 edition.

Making its mark in the Lorient ecosystem

More than 30 boats means a genuine race village at Lorient La Base. The event generates spin-offs for the entire local ecosystem — boatyards, sailmakers, accommodation — and benefits from growing media coverage via Classe Figaro channels and specialist press.

Managing density safely

Thirty boats on a coastal course where cargo ships and fishing boats operate, with often young skippers fatigued by the intense pace of Figaro 3 racing: safety management remains the organization's absolute priority. A logistical challenge that the Ligue Bretagne de Voile knows well, but one that grows more complex as the fleet expands.

Find the complete Figaro race calendar on spencer.club.