The 34 Figaros already in the Atlantic

You left the sailors in the cauldron of Batz Island? Early in the morning, the fleet of 34 Figaros is now in the Atlantic, south of Sein Island. After 12 hours of racing, Alexis Thomas on Wings of the Ocean leads the way ahead of Hugo Cardon on Sarth'Atlantique and Arno Biston on Article.1. But before that, the sailors had to endure a restless night of maneuvers, nausea, and concentration. Fortunately for them, these conditions were only fleeting, and even if the sea remains rough, progress south is much more manageable.

After a rough and stormy start in very heavy seas with 4- to 5-meter peaks, the wind was able to ease, allowing the sailors to reef and adjust their sails. In these conditions, an initial hierarchy was quickly established and Alexis Thomas's offshore option was able to bear fruit at the start of the passage of the oven. Since then, the skipper has led the fleet and opened the way to the south.

In the early morning, a fleet stretching over 8 miles begins the slow procession towards the southwest. As the hours pass, the trajectories become clearer and everyone is already aiming for a tipping point that will allow them to cross this ridge of high pressure. Now it's time for offshore navigation, a dose of rest and a few hot meals to be as clear-headed as possible in these choices.

7:00 ranking

1 - Alexis Thomas (Wings of the Ocean)

2 - Arno Biston (Article.1)

3 - Edouard Golbery (Seastemik)

They said:

Alexis Thomas (Wings of the Ocean)

"As we left the Bay of Morlaix, the seas were getting bigger and bigger. I followed my wind pretty well with a strategic plan which was to go offshore and look for a shift to the right, which should be accompanied by a little less current.

I knitted a little to the right and didn't do too badly.

"It seems like there's already been quite a gap on this first leg. However, that's not where the race is going to be decided. The race will clearly be decided in the passage of the ridge of high pressure and I think the road to Vigo will still be very long. I think we all had a bit of stomach bloating because it was quite choppy. It's over, we've now picked up 15 knots of wind and the sea is quite clement. It's becoming pleasant to sail."

Hugo Cardon (Sarth'Atlantique)

"The wind wasn't exactly as I'd expected, so I adapted and had the idea of tacking long distances to avoid maneuvers. The speed paid off quite well. The wind should be fairly stable, and more manageable for the rest of the season. We'll be able to rest."

Arno Biston (Article 1)

"Unlike my usual habits, I had a good start with the Prix Paprec and as Tom Goron would say, that's always something. Otherwise, the comeback went rather well, capitalizing on my positioning. We're going to completely change mode since we're going from ultra-coastal sailing, a bit at home, so to speak, to offshore sailing. It's going to open up the game, we're going to focus a little less on the small boats, we're going to base ourselves more on a broad weather analysis. I'm also going to try to do a little more of the route and look a little less at my boyfriend's route, who could influence me."