Figaro and Class 40: similarities and differences between two ocean sailing classes

Alberto has just started getting acquainted with the Class 40. After three years of competitions in the Figaro class, he carried out his first training sessions at the La Trinité-sur-Mer centre, where athletes competing in Class 40 gather to train together. Here, racers can be coached by this well-known organisation that deals with planning regattas at sea, in long or short sessions, and with on-land training. The centre was created to respond to a strong demand for places that train athletes for the course au large, which right now is enjoying great popularity. The proposed program offers different sessions; the centre acts as a bridge and a bond between the racers and the trainers to create something structured, where both can find themselves sailing together in the middle of the sea. In ocean sailing logistics is very demanding; preparing the boat takes time, and the centre was created to help the skippers organise themselves together, to share skills and to allow the less experienced to learn something from those who have sailed in this class for many years. For Alberto, it was an intense 24 hours, with clear objectives.

What were your feelings on the Class 40 after the first night on the ocean?

It was just a 24-hour, coastal navigation, with calm weather conditions. The goal of the training was to work on manoeuvres. We gathered in front of the port of Lorient and we all sailed out together, on a route predetermined by our coaches. I did a lot of manoeuvres, and felt good sensations. The boat is easy to keep going; the important thing is to choose the right sails. The weights on the Class 40 are significant, and every manoeuvre must be planned in advance. Class 40s are very pleasant to sail, and very fast.

In particular, what are the differences between the Class 40 and the Figaro?

They are two very different boats, designed for different purposes. The Figaro is a boat that was created for 3, 4-day coastal regattas. It’s much less sheltered, you are more exposed to the sea, you are very low on the water. It’s much smaller and manageable; the sails are smaller. On a physical level, it is a demanding boat for the type of regatta it has been designed for. In coastal paths, the crew have to do many more manoeuvres, compared to routes in the middle of the ocean. The Class 40 is a much more sheltered boat; you sail in a deep cockpit and the boat is normally used for Transat, or long ocean routes. Manoeuvres are a little slower, longer to prepare and carry out. The sail area is larger, so the manoeuvres are more demanding from the load and physical effort perspective, but you perform much less of them than on the Figaro. They are two completely different boats. The Figaro is more demanding, you have to stay very focused and follow the adjustments well. The Class 40, once you have set the sails, also sails very well with the auto-pilot. It is best suited for making long ocean tacks. In short, the Figaro is more agile, more manoeuvrable, the Class 40 on the other hand is a boat that goes much faster and is designed to travel long distances.

How are you adapting yourself to the new class, after three years of Figaro racing?

The Figaro is a great school. It gives you the basics to then be able to apply this knowledge to all classes. It was very important to me, because it allowed me to fill in the gaps and work on different issues. The Figaro is a high-level fleet, you work on the details, it’s a sports class very close to the Olympic ones. It teaches you a preparation and training process on psychological and mental aspects, since you have to manage direct contact with competitors. It’s a good school for those who do not come from an Olympic pathway; it can be useful to fill some gaps in pure competition. Training on the Figaro comes in handy in any other ocean sailing class. No particular adjustment steps are necessary to navigate in the Class 40, for the reasons I have explained.

Those who excel in Class 40 do not necessarily also do in the Figaro: can you explain why?

There are sporting and technical requirements that are specific to the Figaro class and don’t necessarily apply in a pure ocean sailing class. Specific tasks, typical of coastal regattas, are carried out that are very different from those in the middle of the ocean. In the Figaro class we prepare on local meteorology, with a completely different approach compared to what we do in Class 40. The decision-making aspect, as well as the strategic and tactical preparation, are completely different. You have to be much quicker to make decisions, while in Class 40 you navigate taking into account the general framework of macro meteorology, which is a little easier to manage. It happens that those who win the Vendée Globe may not be comfortable in the Figaro class, but those who are comfortable in the Figaro class are likely to adapt quickly to racing in Class 40.

Choosing the Figaro was a bit like putting yourself in a class hostile to your characteristics. You are the only Italian who has chosen this class: what will you bring with you on the Class 40 from your experience of the Figaro?  

The method, for sure. The method of preparation for a regatta, such as La Solitaire du Figaro, will be very useful to me. To prepare for a regatta like that, you have to work on every detail, you have to train a lot and you have to know how to manage priorities and time well. The level of competition in the Figaro is very high, and the methodology in the preparation adapts to this need. The Figaro was important because I had to ask myself the right questions in order to improve. I was entering a high-level competition ground, which forced me to take care of certain aspects that I hadn’t worked on enough in the past. The choice was sensible; I asked myself: “Where can I go to learn more for what I want to do next?” In the Figaro, you sail a lot and go out to sea every day, while maintaining low budgets. The Figaro is a simple boat to manage. It allows you to make many mistakes in order to improve, which is why I chose it to prepare myself, in perspective, for the Class 40.