Go SolO
A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR OLD HANDS
As part of the 'Try a Boat' experience, the Artemis
Offshore Academy will be running daily one hour GO SOLO
sessions between the 12th -21st of September, aimed at giving
experienced keelboat sailors the chance to give solo sailing a
go.
Usually hidden away in the marinas of northern France, two of
the Artemis Offshore Academy’s five striking blue Figaro Bénéteau
II’s will be on display at this year’s Show, giving visitors
the opportunity to have a go on the helm, inspect the high-tech
instruments or just have a poke around the modest cabin below – 10
points if you can find the loo!
At 33ft, the Figaro Bénéteau II is French
short-handed racer built for speed, designed by Marc Lombard for
the purpose of competing in the 2000-mile solo Solitaire du Figaro
– the pinnacle race in the class Figaro calendar. As
well as a guided Figaro tour, the Artemis Offshore Academy will
offer a ‘GO SOLO’ experience to those with a few more sailing miles
under their belt - a first for the PSP Southampton Boat show. Under
the watchful eyes of the Academy’s professional team and skippers,
a more experienced visitor to the show will have the opportunity to
try their hand at ‘solo’ sailing as part of the Show signature
attraction Try A Boat.
Those with the right skills can expect about an hour of sailing
with an Academy skipper. Academy skippers typically undergo
72 hours of grueling physical and mental testing before they’re let
loose at the helm of the Figaros, visitors to the PSP Southampton
Boat Show are privy to an exclusive coached solo experience this
September. “The Academy specialises in providing the Solo
sailing training to an elite group of sailors,” explained Artemis
Offshore Academy Sailing Team Manager Charles Darbyshire. “By
bringing this GO SOLO experience to the show, we hope to raise the
profile of solo sailing in Great Britain, and provide those sailors
who have a wealth of fully crewed experience with a fresh
challenge. Perhaps we'll even find the next Alex Thomson at the
show.”
Established in 2010, the Artemis Offshore
Academy is the UK’s only centre of excellence for solo and
short-handed offshore racing, giving British sailors the chance to
train exclusively in the discipline. Physically and mentally
demanding, highly competitive and all encompassing, single and
shorthanded racing requires a unique skill set and the Artemis
Offshore Academy provides a structured training programme for
British sailors competing on one of the most demanding and dynamic
racing circuits in the world. Having this year recorded some of the
best British results in the history of the prestigious Solitaire du
Figaro, the Academy is moving ever closer to the overall goal – to
see a British sailor win the Vendée Globe.
Budding solo skippers will be welcomed by one of the Artemis
Offshore Academy's experienced sailors or coaches and coached
through a short drill of manoeuvres, including hoisting the
mainsail & headsail, tacking, setting spinnaker, gybing,
dropping spinnaker and finally dropping the mainsail alone. The
session will be a non-stop high intensity session designed to give
Academy guests the true solo experience (weather dependant), with a
hope to wetting their appetite for short-handed sailing.
All the nessessary wet weather and safety equipment will be
provided by the Artemis Offshore Academy and guests need simply
turn up 15 minutes before their allotted time at the Academy berth
on the 'Try a Boat' stand in the PSP Southampton Boat Show
marina.
Click HERE
to sign up for your solo sailing session
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