SAILING Column:In another sign of growth in offshore racing, Dublin's Paul O'Riain has embarked on a campaign in the highly competitive arena of French single-handed sailing, and Ireland will now have local interest when the classic Figaro Race arrives into Crosshaven, Co Cork, in late July.
Sailing solo in the Beneteau 34-foot one-design, the Irishman could be competing against 54 other boats - but must first qualify. Already the pre-event list exceeds 70 contenders.
Now in its 38th year and with an estimated following of more than 20 million, La Solitaire du Figaro is a significant event in France as the 1,878-mile course takes the fleet from Caen to its regular stop-over in Ireland, then to Spain before finishing at Les Sables d'Olonne after three weeks of racing.
From his own funds, O'Riain has secured the charter for 12 months of his entry Williwaw from Rodolphe Jacqu, with a further option to purchase. His initial cost is understood to be close to €30,000 from an estimated campaign budget of more than three times that amount.
A title sponsor has yet to be confirmed, but O'Riain quotes veteran short-handed sailor Damian Foxall, who advised him not to wait around for all the elements of his campaign to drop into place at once.
The campaign begins in earnest next week in France with a training camp involving seven single-handers, before three months of preparation, including a pre-event qualifier before organisers will accept him as an able competitor.
Jacqu is also providing coaching and general support as part of his package.
The Irish hopeful will be well known to many in the 1720 Sportsboat class, and particularly as the organiser of the annual Dublin Docklands Liffey Challenge. A former windsurfing fanatic, O'Riain has sailed two Round Ireland races, a transatlantic and recently crewed on the super-maxi Alfa Romeo that added to his 18,000 logged sea miles.
Of the issue concerning single-handed sailors and their watch-keeping obligations under the International Rules for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea, he will shortly begin scientific sleep studies to determine his optimal sleep pattern.
Experienced single-handed sailors rely on a form of power-snoozing, grabbing rest periods of 15-20 minutes constantly and tending to their deck and racing duties between periods. In reality, Figaro sailors compete in legs that are several days long at best and many will endure sleep deprivation to gain advantages where possible.
As for the regular reminders from the Department of Transport to seafarers and short-handed distance sailors in particular as to their obligation, O'Riain's solution is simple: don't fall asleep in Irish waters.
Meanwhile, Capt Mick Liddy of the Air Corps is also on the sponsorship trail for his campaign in the Open-60 fleet that will see him take on the giants of short and single-handed ocean racing.
Foxall is well into his preparations for the Barcelona World Race that begins in November. Along with French co-skipper, Jean-Pierre Dick, the pair left New Zealand recently just after the launch of their state-of-the-art Open 60 Paprec Virbac.
