Sailboat Safran-Guy Cotten Rookie Skipper Prevails

After a tough 440-mile last leg, Safran inform that Gwénolé Gahinet crossed the finish line of La Solitaire du Figaro and won the Bénéteau rookie ranking, 52 minutes ahead of the British sailor, Sam Matson.

Gahinet was thirteenth overall, 4 hours 29 minutes behind the winner, Jérémie Beyou (Maître Coq), showing great consistency in his leg finishes (13th, 17th, 12th and 22nd). Proud of his great first performance in La Solitaire, the young Gahinet has only one wish: to do it again.

It was also success for Safran, who decided in late 2013 to set up a Figaro project, under their Young Talent programme, alongside Guy Cotten. Already the winner of the Transat AG2R La Mondiale in April, Gahinet has really taken to his Figaro boat. “I am handling the boat better and I feel comfortable among the fleet,” Gahinet said. “Since the beginning of the year, there has been a lot of work to do and it has all paid off. I can’t wait to do this race again. I still need a bit more practice, but I know I can do great things.”

After the awards ceremony on Saturday in Cherbourg-Octeville, Gahinet said he will have a bit of rest before concentrating on his next race: The Lorient-Horta-Lorient, the third and final round of the French championship of Elite offshore sailing, which will start on September 6, 2014.