FALMOUTH sailor Sam Goodchild will take part in this year’s Solo Concarneau offshore race as he continues his preparations for the 2014 Solitaire du Figaro in June.

Around 25 sailors in Figaro class boats will take part in the race, which starts in the town of Concarneau in Brittany, before heading out into the Bay of La Foret.

At 325 miles long, the course is a little shorter than a single Solitaire leg, but it includes a challenging pass through the treacherous Ponte du Raz in Finistère.

Goodchild will be hoping for a confidence-boosting performance ahead of this year’s Solitaire, which for the first time features a stop off in Plymouth.

This will be Goodhcild’s fourth season competing on the Figaro circuit, and after last year’s superb 11th place finish in the Solitaire - the highest finish by a British sailor since the race became Figaro-only - expectations are high.

“The Solo Concarneau is a another great event to line up against our main competition for the season,” Goodchild said. “Only a month away from the start of the Solitaire du Figaro, it is one of the last chances to get a couple more valuable competitive nights at sea. The idea is to have a good race, to stay with the leading pack and avoid being cut off like in the last race!”