Hublot hoists its sails once again with this nautical event, confirming both its legitimacy in the maritime world and its unique sense of design in the spirit of the fusion of unusual materials, blending the traditional watchmaker’s art with the visionary art of the 21st century.



The values shared by Hublot and Le Figaro, as well as the image and activities of both partners, point to promising synergies for future collaboration.

For Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot: “The Afflelou Figaro Solo race is synonymous in France with prestige and dreams, sport and performance. This image of the fusion of apparently contradictory elements, perfectly in step with the revival of Hublot, is a perfect opportunity for us to boost our brand’s presence in the world of yachting. This partnership with Le Figaro, a veritable cultural icon of information, combined with the success of Afflelou, a superb example of the success of a brilliant entrepreneur, provides Hublot with a unique opportunity to express the concept of fusion that is revitalizing Hublot today on the international scene.”


Fusion of sport and prestige
This new partnership forms part of the new dynamic redeployment of the brand, precisely twenty years after exploding onto the prestige watchmaking scene by daring to combine gold and rubber for the first time. Seen as eccentric at the time by almost all observers and competitors, this fusion of noble metal and rubber is today the height of fashion and offered by all watch brands. Hublot led the way in showing that a combination of apparently paradoxical elements could give stunning results.

Sport and prestige, performance and dreams, power and emotion, today as yesterday, are part of the genetic make-up of Hublot.

The partnership with the Afflelou Figaro Sole race once again anchors Hublot firmly in the nautical world which inspired its name and the characteristic lines of its models. The convergence between these two players in the watchmaking and nautical worlds underscores their shared vision of prestige and performance and the yachting way of life.

Hublot’s visibility during the Afflelou Figaro Solo race is boosted by watches with the characteristic Hublot design, as well as a showcase presenting the steel SuperB chronographs that will be awarded to the winner of each Hublot record, and a red gold SuperB chronograph for the overall winner.

The Afflelou Figaro Solo timed by Hublot
For the race stages and cumulative time placings, “Time” is the focus of preoccupations for the general public and the competing boats throughout the race. Hublot watches, the official timekeeper for the event for the first time, awards a “Hublot Record Time” prize for each of the stages. This rewards the skipper that has covered the greatest number of nautical miles in 24 hours.

The Hublot Chronograph of the Afflelou Figaro Solo Race
In partnership with the Afflelou Figaro Solo race, Hublot will award a steel SuperB chronograph to the winner of each Hublot record for each of the four stages, as well as a red gold SuperB chronograph for the overall winner of the race. The SuperB chronographs will be presented respectively by the renowned sailors Dominique Wavre (Vendée Globe 2004-2005) and Bernard Stamm, both testimonials of Hublot.




Super B Chronograph in steel. Prize for each of the four stages
Super B Chronograph 18ct in rose gold. Prize for the overall winner


STEEL «CHRONO SuperB» TECHNICAL DETAILS
Casing of 42.5 mm steel (or 18ct red gold), black, blue or silver face, date at 5 o’clock, tachometric graduations, automatic movement, screwed crown and lockable push-buttons in natural black rubber with the exclusive “UPTS”© system, stopping once and for all the waterproofing problems of chronographs. Waterproof to 100 m.
An ideal chronograph for yachtsmen, the same as the one that accompanied Dominique Wavre through the winds and storms of the Vendée Globe on his non-stop solo tour of the globe.





49 skippers enter for the Afflelou Figaro Solo Race 2005
Once again this year the Afflelou Figaro Solo race is set to be one of the great nautical events, attracting 49 skippers to the starting line at Perros-Guirec. From 1 to 28 August 2005, these yachting celebrities, amateurs and newcomers will set out on the 1,710 mile journey between Perros-Guirec and Port-Bourgenay, passing through Getxo-Bilbao, La Rochelle and Cork (Crosshaven). The field looks wide open for this 36th edition.

Each year the list of entries for the Solo includes many famous names from the yachting world. This time there the skippers have taken part in 7 circumnavigations (Vendée Globe, Jules Verne Trophy, The Race, Whitbread), more than 100 transatlantic crossings (Route du Rhum, Transat Jacques Vabre, Québec-St Malo, Transat AG2R, Trophée BPE, Mini-Transat, etc.), 5 Americas’ Cups, almost 30 Tour de France à la Voile and international races (Fastnet, Sydney – Hobart, Rolex Cup, Match Racing, etc.).

These 49 skippers include Charles Caudrelier, the 2004 defending champion. He faces the big names from the Figaro Bénéteau circuit such as Jérémie Beyou, Yann Eliès, Sébastien Audigane, Eric Drouglazet, Kito de Pavant… For their part, Michel Desjoyeaux and Armel Le Cléac’h change their mounts, leaving behind their trimarans for the duration of the race.
Certain names on the entry list have not appeared for 15 years! This is the case of Pierre Mas, who last took part in 1990, whilst Cyril Rognon returns after an absence of 13 years.

This 36th edition welcomes 9 newcomers who will fight it out for the Bénéteau Rookie prize. They include Yannick Bestaven (winner of the 2001 Mini-Transat), Jean-Christophe Caso (2nd in the Rubicon Regatta 2002), and David Raison (2nd in the 2003 Mini-Transat
There are three female entries – Sam Davies, Jeanne Grégoire and Lyz Wardley – and 4 nationalities – German, English, Australian and Italian – in this year’s Solo.

The Afflelou Figaro Solo race is always full of suspense, twists of fate and surprises. The 2005 event should be no exception!

The main dates

PERROS-GUIREC
Afflelou prologue: Friday 5 August at 18:30
Start of the 1st stage: Sunday 7 August at 11:00

GETXO-BILBAO
Forecast arrival time: Tuesday 9 August
Start of the 2nd stage: Friday 12 August at 12:00

LA ROCHELLE
Forecast arrival time: Sunday 14 August
In the presence of Dominique Wavre (Vendée Globe 2004-2005)
Start of the 3rd stage: Wednesday 17 August at 17:00

CORK (CROSSHAVEN)
Forecast arrival time: Sunday 20 August
In the presence of Bernard Stamm
Start of the 4th stage: Tuesday 23 August at 11:00

PORT-BOURGENAY
Forecast arrival time: Friday 26 August
In the presence of Bernard Stamm
Afflelou closing regatta: Sunday 28 August at 15:00


Source:Hublot

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