All In for the Final Battle

There aren't enough superlatives to describe the tilted world in which the 31 sailors still involved in this 56th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec live . A race on the edge that has been going on since the end of the coastal course in Vigo last Sunday. But deliverance is near. There will inevitably be joy, exhaustion, frustration, and disappointment, but everyone will have been able to say, "I was there." For this 56th anniversary , the Solitaire will not have been kind. A real challenge to take on, but everyone will have pushed themselves to the limit, and as the saying goes, ... Legends are born here.

A legend will inevitably be born tonight in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, but who among Alexis Loison (Groupe REEL), Charlotte Yven (Skipper Macif 2023) or Arno Biston (Article1) will follow through on their dream? First with less than 100 miles to go, the most experienced in the race, Alexis Loison, seems in a good position to do so, but he knows only too well that landing on the Cotentin is not easy and the race could be decided down to the last bend after Barfleur. Alexis, however, has a 43-minute lead over Charlotte, who is currently sailing in fifth position, 1.8 miles behind Alexis.

"We were a little surprised yesterday to see so many boats on the AIS during the night. They certainly passed through the Fromveur with the current shift. At the same time, it gets things moving again, but it makes us realize that all the work we've done since the start has almost been for nothing. This leg is never over. We're still heading upwind towards the tip of the Cotentin with another current shift, and the timing looks pretty good for passing Ras Blanchard. It should be quite favorable for getting there," confides Charlotte Yven.

In fourth place on this stage, Arno Biston on Article 1 is hanging on and admits he prefers to be the hunter than the hunted. "I'm finding the DNA of the Figaro, it plays a big role on this section. I think it was a short night for everyone. I'm quite happy with my position because I usually manage to do things well and then I get caught out, so if I can go like that to the end I won't hold back. Honestly, if I manage to keep my third place in the general classification behind Charlotte I'll be really happy. My goal, like many of us, is a Top 5. At the end of this stage I'm going to be rather conservative, but if I manage to catch Chacha that would be even better. I'm going to try to stay in this group and we'll see at the end. I could very well get taken out at the Blanchard level following a stupidity," comments Arno Biston.

Behind Alexis Loison, Tom Goron (Groupe Dubreuil) seems more motivated than ever to claim his first stage victory. However, he must contend with Jules Ducelier (Région Normandie), who is unwilling to give him a chance. The race is still underway, and nothing is decided with 100 miles to go.

Much further back in the fleet, Hervé Aubry is hanging on and racing. He is currently 28th, 29.3 miles behind the leader of the fleet. "I feel a bit alone because I don't have any AIS contact around me, but everything is going well on board, I feel good. The return to the Channel feels like the finish, and we've done quite a bit of upwind sailing, I'm really looking forward to crossing the finish line. Solo sailing is tough; you have to be in it in terms of performance. It's definitely the solo sailing I was told about," confides Hervé Aubry.

The next major crossing point will indeed be Ras Blanchard. A dreaded spot that can play or foil all the sailors' strategies. While the timing seems right for getting there, the sea state, with a coefficient of 78 tonight, could raise a rough sea. Come on, once you've passed Ras Blanchard, there will only be one left, that of Barfleur, before a magnificent arrival during the night from Thursday to Friday at Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue.