First battles off the coast of Oléron

The first night of this final leg of the 2026 Solitaire du Figaro Paprec felt like a suspended moment in time. After a lively start to the evening, the wind gradually lost its strength, forcing the skippers to remain extremely vigilant to maintain their positions in the favorable pressure corridors. In the standings on this first morning of June, Paul Morvan (Foricher – French Touch) leads the fleet ahead of Nicolas Lunven (PRB) and Tom Goron (Xplorassur), who is delighted to be back at the front of the pack.

Under a generous full moon illuminating the water, the Figaro boats glided along the Vendée coast in an almost surreal atmosphere. The sea seemed calm, but nerves were constantly tested: monitoring wind shifts, anticipating lulls, and maintaining boat speed. The gaps opened up in small increments, often thanks to a few extra degrees of wind or simply exploiting a wind window better than their neighbor's.

This scenario is expected to continue throughout the morning in steadily easing winds. Right from the start of this final sprint of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, the sailors are once again confronted with the complexities of weather navigation.

At the start of the day, the solo sailors are now sailing off the Charente islands in still manageable conditions. Positions remain precarious: groups are reforming, stragglers are sometimes catching up, and every new gust of wind can reshuffle the cards. More than ever, patience and reading the waters seem to be the keys to this leg.

In short: a night of moonlight and tactics, of wind fading as the hours passed and of constant adjustments. While some were able to recover after the numerous maneuvers of the coastal course, others have already reunited with their faithful companion of misfortune: fatigue. The leg has only just begun, and it will only get tougher. They will need to remain focused to give their last reserves of strength in this final showdown.

Words of sailors

Tom Goron (Xplorassur)

“We were able to hoist the spinnakers a little before Noirmoutier and had a great leg, quite fast and very enjoyable until a few hours ago, when the wind started to ease. Now it's getting a bit more complicated with the waves and the lack of wind. For me, it's going well. I think I came out in third position, and today we're in the mix with the others. It feels good to finally be competing with them; I think it's the first time in this Solitaire.”

The wind will continue to ease until midday, or even mid-afternoon, and we'll try to make slow progress towards BXA. It's likely to be quite a long way. Then we'll head back upwind and enter a phase where we can start to rest a bit more. I got a good rest last night, but it's going to be difficult to sleep until the wind picks up again. Then we'll have this long upwind leg where we'll need to go fast.

Paul Loiseau (Brittany Region – CMB Espoir)

"Last night was quite tiring, all things considered. It's still hard to say if I was good so far, but the group remains tight and I'm in the right group, so that's pretty cool."

"It's another good start. I mentioned it earlier in a video: in all the starts of this Solitaire, I've managed to get a good position. It's great to be in the mix right away. And it's nice to have this full moon to light the way. No need for a headlamp: you can see the waves while steering, it's really nice."

Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif 2025)

"I got out of the bay pretty well and then things went well overnight. The gap widened a bit, but they're catching up from behind. We were still able to sleep and take a few naps."

I have to admit, I'm already feeling pretty tired. I'll need to stay focused and motivated for what's to come, because this one's going to be tough. We'll try to rest as much as possible to tackle the English Channel in the best possible condition. Unfortunately, my goal for this Solitaire is a bit of a bust, so I'm going to try to have a good leg and enjoy myself on the water.

Alexis Thomas (Wings of the Ocean)

"The further south you go, the calmer the wind gets. It's a bit complicated. I managed to get some sleep and now, actually, I've just woken up. Well, I'm woken up every five to ten minutes by the spinnaker deflating due to lack of wind."

I was in the rhythm right from the start, and it was a pretty good start to the race. I think it's crucial not to panic. There's still a very long way to go. It's important to conserve energy, especially during the first few days, so you can then unleash your full power on the final day when rest will be virtually impossible.

The wind should then shift to the northwest and the fleet will start to stretch out towards the front. When the spinnakers are hoisted at Sein, there could be significant speed differences between those who attack and those who remain more defensive. It promises to be interesting. I hope it goes well for us. In any case, I'm fired up and motivated, despite being 24 minutes behind Tom.