Start of the second leg of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec: heading for Pornichet in tricky conditions
- May 24
- 7 min read
The skippers of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec have just set off on the second leg between Vigo in Spain and Pornichet in Loire-Atlantique, a 450-mile course that promises to be as strategic as it is demanding, right from the start. After an intense first leg, the fleet leaves the Galician coast to reach the French Atlantic coast in particularly tricky weather conditions. This leg could well reshuffle the standings. Tom Dolan (Kingspan), the provisional leader in the overall standings, will need to demonstrate nerves of steel to repeat his performance. What is certain is that behind him, many skippers are eager to make up their time deficit. It's a safe bet that this leg will be stressful, long, and that every opportunity will be exploited to the fullest.
The first few hours of the race will unfold in very light winds for the 36 sailors competing in this second leg of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec. Right after leaving the Vigo estuary following a 1.5-hour coastal course, Adrien Hardy (Sans Nature, pas de Futur!) rounded the Paprec buoy in the lead. The sailors now have to contend with calm weather, characterized by numerous windless zones and challenging transitions along the coast. In these conditions, the slightest mistake can be costly, while patience, clear thinking, and concentration will be essential qualities. While the leaders managed to stay afloat after leaving the Vigo estuary, those lagging behind have already been caught in the grip of the doldrums.
"This stage could quickly become a real game of chess on the water. We will have to remain constantly attentive to pressure variations and seize every opportunity to keep the boat moving ," several skippers explained before the start.
The passage north of Vigo will demand immediate vigilance, with a tightly packed fleet where every tactical choice could create significant gaps. Progress northward promises to be slow and technical, requiring competitors to remain fully committed despite a sometimes frustrating pace. It will also be crucial to avoid hugging the coastline too much, as several skippers ran aground between the islands last year.
The spectacle promises to be intense until the very end for this second stage of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, where the finesse of navigation will undoubtedly take precedence over pure speed.
Words of sailors:
Pierrick Letouzé (Normandy Offshore Program): “It's going to be less challenging than the first leg, that's for sure. Nevertheless, the leg is going to be quite complicated in terms of weather because there aren't many weather files that agree. We're having trouble pinpointing the weather systems. We'll have to keep our cool on the water, and sleep at the right time because we won't be getting much sleep in light winds. It's a more open leg than the first. I think the strategies are a bit less defined. I have the impression that it's so uncertain that the sailors are going to keep things very simple, and the goal is to get to Pornichet as quickly as possible with fairly limited options.”
Léo Bothorel (Decathlon) : “This leg is definitely more pleasant than last year when we only stayed for about thirty hours; it's the right length for a stopover. It's going to be a very interesting leg to follow on the charts because it's not going to be easy right from the start. In fact, there's a low-pressure system right off the Spanish coast with thunderstorms. Depending on our departure time and whether we can make good progress, we have two main options: either to stay close to the coast, or, if we're north of the low, we'll head a bit further offshore. So, right from the start, we'll start assessing our timing. And then everything else will be about Monday and Tuesday, especially until Monday evening. There will be thunderstorms on the northern Spanish coast, so we'll have to see where we stand, whether we've stayed offshore or not, and therefore, whether we should move away from them to avoid getting stuck or losing a lot of time.” That's the risk, really, so it's better to stay north of the coast, and then, towards the end, the files are very, very different, so we'll see depending on what we receive at sea.”
Titouan Mariley (ACTION ENFANCE - NO LIMIT) : “This leg is going to be long after all. On paper, it's the shortest, but in the end, we're going to spend quite a few days at sea. None of the weather files match up, and there are a lot of stormy areas. It's going to take us a while to reach Cape Finisterre, and then we'll have to be careful not to do anything rash in the gulf because there are several low-pressure areas where there's no wind. We're all going to be in the same boat; we mustn't get frustrated, and we'll have to be patient. Anyway, there's no point in dwelling on it; even if we're behind, we know we can come back. There's no reason why it shouldn't work. We'll see at the finish.”
Marie Gendron (Kereis SNCF Voyageurs) : “I prefer light wind stages to heavy ones, so I'm a bit more eager to get going than I was for the first stage. Even though it's going to be impossible to sleep because the wind will just keep shifting. I think we're going to be exhausted when we get back. Not so much physical fatigue, but mental fatigue from having this constantly shifting wind. But these are conditions that suit me, so I'm looking forward to it.”
Erica Lush (Hope): “For this leg, I'm ready, the boat is ready. The weather isn't very clear. We'll need the stars to align with us; I think there could be big gaps at the finish. The fleet might be much more spread out than in leg one. We'll need to be good in the light winds, make the boat sail well, have a bit of luck, and be opportunistic. I think the Solitaire could be decided here.”
Hugo le Clech (Better): “This stage looks quite strategic. I think we're starting again in pretty good shape. And I think we'll need to be mentally strong, we can't let anything slip, and in my opinion, it's going to be a back-and-forth battle. We'll have to accept losing sometimes in order to win better later.”
Laure Galley (Hauterive): “There are a lot of uncertainties for this light-weather stage. It's going to be different from the previous stage. The idea is to try to stay with the pack and, in any case, cover as little ground as possible. I think that's going to be the philosophy, and to remain patient, especially not to get upset when someone attacks alongside you. It's really going to be everyone taking their turn.”
Quentin Mocudet (Saveurs & Délices): “It's going to be a good leg of light winds, I think. With a first night that might be a bit tricky with thunderstorms, and then we'll see what happens. In any case, we'll adapt according to what we see on the water.”
Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif 2025): “This leg is going to be erratic, I think that's the word for it. We'll have to be mentally strong because it's going to be unpredictable. It's the kind of leg where you have to keep your eyes open and be opportunistic. We'll have to do what we can with what we have and constantly analyze the water. We're going to have transitions in all directions and we'll have to take advantage of them.”
Chloé Le Bars (Skipper Macif 2026): “I like stages like this, and starting the stage four hours behind the previous one will allow me to play my cards right. But I have to be careful; I don't want to end up losing more than four hours. That would be a bit of a shame! I'm going to focus, manage the risks, and take advantage of my surroundings to make the right choices.”
Tom Dolan (Kingspan): “We have a lot to gain and a lot to lose. We will especially need to be very careful during the first 24 hours and then in the Gulf, we'll see, it's a little clearer today than yesterday.”
Thomas de Dinechin (Almond for Pure Ocean) “ I'm one of those who fell a bit behind on stage one. I still have 2 hours and 30 minutes to make up on the leaders. So, this stage suits me well. It's quite unpredictable, with, I think, some time differences at the finish. So, if I can make up those two hours I lost in one direction, that would be great. We're going to be opportunistic, and I hope we'll have some fun. It's going to be a big game of poker in the Bay of Biscay.
Paul Cousin (Normandy Region) : “I don’t really know what to expect because there’s very little wind. The conditions are unpredictable; they’ll change drastically between what we have now and what we’ll actually experience on the water. Anyway, if things go badly, they go badly; there’s not much else we could have done. I’m going to give it my all, give it my all, and we’ll see.”
Martin Le Pape (Paprec): “I'd like to be in the position of a wise old man, like Master Yoda, taking things philosophically. I have absolutely no intention of having a leg where my performance fluctuates wildly. You have to stay clear-headed. Anyway, it's not really a race where you can blame yourself, I think, because whatever happens, there's still a strong element of chance. I think it's going to be a great leg in the end; we don't talk about it enough, but we're also enjoying ourselves at sea.”
Nicolas Lunven (PRB) “This stage is going to be complicated, we will have to stay focused and clear-headed as much as possible, more so than the others in any case”.
Lola Billy (Brittany Region - CMB Océane) : “This isn't a stage for someone from Brest! (laughs) The conditions are looking really complicated; we're completely changing our approach compared to the previous stage. The weather patterns are quite unpredictable. We've worked closely with the Finistère Offshore Racing Center to identify as many parameters as possible. We also know there will be more unpredictable phases where we'll have to be opportunistic and make the boat move forward as best we can. These aren't necessarily conditions I enjoy, but we have to work on them and be versatile in the Solitaire du Figaro. So I've explored quite a few options for this stage.”
