The Cape of Covetousness

Things are becoming clearer in the Bay of Biscay, but a great deal of uncertainty persists on this third morning of the second leg of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 2025. The southern group broke up during the night, and the tactical choice of Hugo Cardon (Sarth'Atlantique) and Charlotte Yven (Skipper Macif 2023) to position themselves further west of the rest of the southern fleet seems to be bearing fruit. The two skippers are currently in the lead, 161 miles from the finish. The western group is still persisting on its course, and it is a fleet now spread over 110 miles that will converge at the end of the day towards Cape Finisterre. Who will have the favor of Aeolus? The suspense remains, 80 miles from this first objective.

The southern group broke up under cover of darkness, and while the majority decided to sail together, two groups formed. The first featured the two current leaders, Hugo Cardon (Sarth'Atlantique) and Charlotte Yven (Skipper Macif 2023), who, by heading further west, were able to accelerate. The two sailors are neck and neck. In a more central position, Quentin Vlamynck (Les Étoiles Filantes), Alexis Loison (Groupe REEL), Paul Morvan (French Touch – Foricher), and Jules Ducelier (Région Normandie) complete the rankings and benefit from a more favorable wind angle to head down towards Cape Finisterre. In the east, Victor Mathieu (Elitys) is having a great race and also has a good angle to aim for the Spanish tip. He is currently eighth.

"It's good to have a calm day and I think I didn't do too badly. I don't really know where the leading group is, but I'm pretty happy with my day and my night. The night was pretty calm, but with a lot of maneuvers, a lot of gybes to try and get out of the light wind. I'm going to try to rest a little before arriving at Cape Finisterre. I should keep a bit of wind, but it's not that clear. For a first participation, it's in line with my expectations."

Save energy for the future

On paper, the night seemed idyllic. A small crescent moon gently illuminating the water, a beautiful starry night, and a wind that allowed the spinnaker to be hoisted. But the postcard ended there. At the 6 a.m. radio broadcast, Victor Le Pape (Brittany Region – CMB Espoir) was having a hard time understanding the direction of the wind.

"We finally crossed the ridge of high pressure that had been blocking our path for some time. I still did a lot of gybes last night to try to get out of the area. The night was a bit tiring with little wind. It was very erratic. The next step is to head towards Cape Finisterre, I'm aiming a little before that towards La Coruña on a direct route even if the ridge of high pressure risks bothering us again and getting us involved in our affairs. I don't really know what's going to happen. The plan for the day is that I need to get some rest or I'll be too burned out. I need to keep this good group but I think there's a small group that has passed below. The idea is to catch up with them. I told myself on the water that it was a real solo leg with some length on the edges and time to do things. I'm delighted to be on the water."

For his part, Maël Garnier (Selencia-Cerfance) is sailing in the middle of these two groups and has an interesting intermediate position for the rest of the race.

"Luckily we didn't have any bad conditions. I'm starting to feel tired even though I've slept well since the start. I'm slowly making my way back to the front of the fleet. I'm really on the ball. I made myself a nice comfortable little corner in the bunk, I forced myself to drink non-stop to be at my best. The crossing of the ridge of high pressure went well, I was constantly adjusting the settings. It was pretty much in line with the forecasts.

"I don't really want to stick to the coast. I'm going to try to play with Hugo and Laure and a few others. I don't want to stick to the coast and get trapped by the winds."

The furthest east in the fleet, Eliaz Morineau (Demain sans HPV), is enjoying his first participation. He is currently 19th.

“After the tip of Brittany, I set off a bit on my own in the southeast compared to the fleet. I was a bit afraid of getting caught by the ridge of high pressure, but looking at the weather files, I saw that the high pressure was really high and that I could afford to get closer to the southeast. I don't regret my trajectory. I think I've gained a few places since yesterday, but it's not easy. Last night we hoisted the spinnaker and the wind is shifting in all directions; it's not easy.

I put on some music, I'm making videos and photos, I'm having fun, it feels good and it'll quickly move on to the third stage. I'm waiting for the wind to settle to set the spinnaker and the pilot and to go and rest. It's a little frustrating not knowing where my competitors are. I can't wait to have them at the AIS. We're not there yet but this stage is great."

The next few hours will be crucial for all the solo sailors. The goal is to cover as much ground as possible before hitting another high pressure bubble, poorly positioned along the route and which will significantly slow down the fleet. The dice are now cast in the game of positioning.