Tom Goron in Command

A change of scenery is brewing on the first leg of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec. After leaving the 34 Figaro sailors northwest of Pointe de la Hève, they are now approaching the cargo rail, on the Needles route, in conditions that are only set to deteriorate. The sailors have hit the hard stuff, and during this morning's radio broadcast, the words are becoming more difficult. At the 7 a.m. standings, Tom Goron (Groupe Dubreuil) is setting the pace ahead of Jules Delpech (P'TIT DUC) and Alexis Loison (Groupe REEL).

Very low ceiling, heavy rain and abundant wind under the squalls, this is the morning's program, but for the moment, the conditions under spinnaker allow for a longer stride. Imperial in this exercise, Tom Goron, 22nd in the ranking at 7 p.m. yesterday evening, managed, thanks to a very good trajectory and great ease under spinnaker, to catch up with the entire fleet he has been leading since last night at 9 p.m.

A very good performance for the young man who, let's remember, is only 19 years old. But the miles accumulated since last Sunday are starting to take their toll on the sailors and the equipment. "We caught two nice squalls, it's quite challenging. We've been keeping our heads down in these conditions. I'm heading towards the Needles. I'm going to try to keep my first position against Jules but I've lost a bit of ground. In the squalls, my countersheet came loose. It was a bit of a struggle but I managed to put everything back in place. I also cleaned out the seaweed in the keel. There's not much life left on board. I went back into the boat to try to dry my things on the engine which is still hot. I'm emptying the boat a bit with sponges, we're taking on quite a few liters of water. The living space is quite limited in these conditions," commented Tom.

"I'm approaching my limits."

The same goes for Paul Morvan (French Touch – Foricher). Currently in fourth, Paul seems to be digging deep into himself to keep moving forward. He's keeping up the pace, but at what cost. "My spinnaker tack opened, I had to lower it and hoist it back. I lost a bit of distance on Tom and Jules. Since then, with the squalls and the swell, I've been struggling. I can't really understand what's going on anymore. I'm trying to do what I can, but it's a bit tough. I forced myself to take a nap, even though the boat is difficult to move forward with the swell. I'm changing because I'm approaching my limits. I'm going to try to find some good vibes because I think I'm in the right group. It's going to start again from there," Paul analyzed.

With the sea rising on deck with every surf and torrential rain under the squalls, sailors are subjected to the elements at the helm. A situation that spares no one.

"We just passed through a front, it was a bit of a challenge. I'm soaked, I'm hungry, I'm cold, I want to go to bed. I've always been in contact with someone and I had trouble letting go of the helm. It's difficult to go to sleep in these conditions, you'd probably hear that. Our options with my friends at the front were relatively good and we find ourselves a little detached from the fleet. We're going to get out of the freighter lane, which are quite numerous in the area. I'm then going to try to get some rest. I managed to set the pilot up well and I'm going to take the opportunity to get some sleep," commented Jules Delpech (P'TIT DUC), second, a mile behind Tom Goron.

Rest, the key to success

Still lurking but strong in his navigation and in his choices, Hugo Dhalenne (Skipper Macif 2025), currently in sixth place, seems ready to fight the final battle. "This navigation is quite invigorating. We had between 20 and 30 knots of wind in the squalls. It was great. I was a little sleep deprived, I managed to have a good nap. I'm very happy to be sailing but very tired. It's good to cross the Channel but it's not very relaxing. I've just had a 1.5 hour nap, full throttle now until the finish. We'll then set off again upwind after the Needles, we'll have to gain in the west, tack and head south. But there's still a DST on the way, we'll have to choose sides. There's still a fight to be had, that's why the Figaro is cool," confided Hugo Dhallenne.

In third position, Alexis Loison (Groupe REEL), on the fleet's most easterly route, is used to these Channel crossings and knows these conditions perfectly.

The Norman's experience could well make the difference in managing the effort to attack, from the Needles, the last big chunk of this first stage of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, the last crossing of the Channel and the arrival in Roscoff in the Bay of Morlaix.

7:00 ranking

1 - Tom Goron (Groupe Dubreuil) 165.9 miles from the finish

2 - Jules Delpech (P'TIT DUC),) 1 mile from the leader

3 - Alexis Loison (Groupe REEL) at 2.4 miles

4 - Paul Morvan (French Touch – Foricher) at 2.8 miles

5 - Alexis Thomas (Wings of the Ocean) at 3 miles

6 - Hugo Dhalenne (Skipper Macif 2025) 3.5 miles behind