A rough night for the 36 solo racers.
- 7 hours ago
- 1 min read
Waking up was a tough start on this second day of the first leg of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec. Sailing conditions were far from easy for the 36 solo sailors, who had to battle hard upwind against the wind, the cold, and squalls. At 4:29 a.m., Loïs Berrehar (Banque Populaire) rounded the Wolf Rock lighthouse in first place. The fleet is now heading south.
A fairly compact fleet appeared at the end of the first night at the Wolf Rock lighthouse off the coast of Cornwall, England. Leading the pack was Loïs Berrehar, followed by Alexis Thomas (Wings of the Ocean), Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif 2025), and Tom Dolan (Kingspan). The Banque Populaire skipper won the intermediate sprint.
But the most significant event of the night was the dismasting of Marin Carnot (Fondation Jérôme Lejeune), which occurred just a few cables' lengths from the lighthouse. This perilous situation was quickly brought under control by the race's support vessel, Express. The trimaran and the Figaro are currently under tow and heading towards the tip of Brittany. The sailor is doing well but is shaken and tired after the considerable effort required to right his boat.
Currently, the 35 Figaro sailors still in the race are heading south upwind in a wind that will continue to strengthen towards their course. Between the vigilance of maritime traffic, fatigue, and the cold, the solo sailors have well and truly entered a tough phase.
