RANKING 2024
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
RANKING BY LEG
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LEG 1 - CHANNEL SEA + BAY OF BISCAY
Loïs Berrehar won the first leg of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, after covering more than 1,200 kilometers, narrowly edging out Basile Bourgnon. The gap between the two frontrunners was just one minute and one second. This victory marked a high point for Berrehar, who, after six years of participation without shining, finally tasted victory on a stage. However, despite this first victory, the race remains wide open and no skipper can yet be certain of winning the overall classification. Several sailors are still in the running, while others, like Louise Acker, have suffered incidents that have forced them to retire.
The competition, which began in Le Havre under ideal weather conditions with a steady fifteen-knot south-westerly wind, was marked by constant changes in leadership and daring race strategies, notably to get around current zones or forbidden areas. Alexis Loison, an experienced sailor, led for part of the race before losing his position in the final hours. Unstable conditions and strategic decisions, such as whether to go east or west, played a crucial role in the final rankings. The messy seas and shifting winds made navigation complex, requiring constant adjustments on the part of the skippers.
At the same time, the Paprec Challenge, a double-handed competition on the same course, saw the duo of Hugo Le Clech and Arthur Meurisse win with a comfortable lead over their rivals. This initiative aims to attract new talent and train the next generation of skippers by offering them their first experience of ocean racing. The gaps between the crews were more significant than in the Solitaire, demonstrating the importance of experience and strategy in this competition.
Overall, this first leg of the 55th Solitaire du Figaro Paprec was full of twists and turns, with difficult conditions, decisive tactical choices and tight duels right up to the finish line. The rest of the race promises many more challenges and potential ranking changes, as the skippers manage their fatigue and refine their strategies for the following legs.
LEG 2 – IRISH SEA
Throughout its 570-mile journey which first consists of a copious coastal stretch in the Irish and Celtic Seas, this second stage gives rise to impressive turnarounds. Enough to delight map addicts who, on several occasions, will see the fleet make large gaps. In the rankings which follow one another and are not alike, the competitors successively experience glory and despair. And vice versa.
First, at the South Arklow mark in the churning waters of the St Georges Canal. Honor to the rookie Hugo Dhallenne, the leader of a small group who relied on the current rather than the wind to follow the coasts of gentle Ireland when out of air. Good luck to him, since he takes the lead in this Intermediate Sprint; and leads the way in the ascent of the Irish Sea.
The Dhallenne-Loison-Hubert trio rolled up the Chicken Rock mark first, in the middle of the following night. At 54° North, in the southwest of the Isle of Man, the passage of this lighthouse offers, in the early morning, sublime images, the beauty of which also reveals the terrible gaps that have widened since the start. Basile Bourgnon, who rolled it up at dawn, was already more than 3 hours behind the first who greeted it in the dark night.
But this is without taking into account the general tightening which is looming on the horizon of the English coasts in winds which will ease ahead. Enough to give heart to the work to the loners at the rear, who don't give up. At the gates of the Celtic Sea, a new major shift will take place as the long DST passes off the coast of Wales, giving rise to a separation of the fleet between the first - Alexis Loison in the lead - who come up against the current . They will make the grand tour from the outside, while those at the rear, led by Gaston Morvan, will follow it from the inside as close as possible to the British coast. At Pointe Saint-David, repeat: the latecomers from the day before are the new leaders of the day. And that's without taking into account the storms raging during the night as they pass Land's End which will once again sow discord in the top lines of the ranking. Once again, it pays off for those who favor the coast.
100 miles further, after the descent of the Channel, it is at the gates of the Bay of Morlaix that the outcome of this cruel stage plays out. Basile Bourgnon and Corentin Horeau are progressing in the lead at a pace of two, stuck together under spinnaker in increasingly evanescent light airs. And it is in slow motion match racing mode, stoking the suspense until the end, that they close this crazy stage. The youngest wins by three minutes at around 6 p.m.
Behind these duettists, Loïs Berrehar manages to sneak onto the line, before Éole definitively cuts off the fans, leaving their pursuers totally helpless as they approach the finish. One night later, the fleet wakes up stunned. Strong favorites, like Alexis Loison and Guillaume Pirouelle, face gaps equivalent to two or three tides. Unheard of, or almost, at the end of this historic stage.
LEG 3 - IROISE SEA AND GULF OF BISCOGNA
At the start of this “der des ders”, the anticyclonic regime threatens to make the progress of the fleet difficult. Once again, the race director, Yann Chateau, must solve a difficult equation: reduce this 3rd course with the Bay of Biscay as a strong marker. Its new route takes the fleet along the tip of Brittany across the English Channel and the Iroise Sea, before a shortened descent to the Intermediate Sprint mark, a waypoint positioned a few miles off Lacanau, in Gironde .
At the top, all the conditions are met to give rise to a rhythmic start to the race at the start of a stage, which everyone approaches with legitimate intentions: final victory or a place on the podium for the three leaders; the satisfaction of finishing on a good stage for everyone else. Corentin Horeau, first on the line and in the lead at the Paprec buoy, sets the tone. The Trinidad skipper, in ambush less than 9 minutes behind the provisional general leader, is aiming for the grail. On the water, all the conditions are met - well-established contrary flow, flat sea - to give rise to a battle of tacking close to the coast, in accordance with the rules of the art. In the dark night, the fleet, led by Guillaume Pirouelle, reached the Iroise Sea which it crossed between Fromeur and the Molène archipelago. A shot to you, a shot to me, Gaston Morvan, then Élodie Bonafous also take the lead.
From crossing the Chaussée de Sein and its stones in the mist for some, through a detour to the Bay of Audierne on the road to Penmarc'h for some, this third stage never ends. offering its share of beautiful images at the detours of emblematic brands and lighthouses. At nightfall, the time to open the sails and shock the sheets has finally come. Make way for the descent of the Bay of Biscay for a final twist. The bulk of the troops are progressing under spinnaker in mild conditions. The gaps are tiny at the front on a western route. But two loners will try to save themselves on a trajectory that takes them across the body of water, heading all the way to the east, as close as possible to the island of Yeu. These two reckless riders, Benoît Tuduri and Jules Delpech, took control at the dawn of the grand finale to head back towards Piriac.
In the tight ranks of the fleet, the race increases in intensity, especially as the wind, which is very unstable in strength and direction, confuses the cards, particularly on the side of the menage a trois formed by the contenders for the supreme title, who are bickering still within a handful of miles approaching the Loire coast. The verdict falls in the dark of night. The first on the line at Piriac-sur-Mer, who signs a trajectory too perfect to be honest, ends up betraying himself. His obvious exclusion shakes up all the rankings. Starting with that of this 3rd and final stage, the victory of which rightfully belongs to Jules Delpech, who had the talent to trust only his good intuition to catch the winds of success in his sails. He is the big winner of this course across the Bay of Biscay. In cumulative time, it was ultimately Corentin Horeau who won ahead of his two toughest opponents. His unfailing combativeness ends up paying off and allows him to register, at the end of his 7th participation, his name on the list of winners of this major solo race which crowns the greatest talents of the ocean.
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VIRTUAL REGATTA RANKING
LEG 2 - ASTURIAS + GALICIA + BAY OF BISCAY
First to cross the finish line in Royan, Tom Dolan won the second leg of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec and the Vivi Trophy in the process. A shortened second leg of 515 miles between Gijón (Spain) and Royan, on which the Irish skipper showed great mastery. Finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively, 41 minutes 59 seconds and 50 minutes 26 seconds behind the winner, Gaston Morvan (Région Bretagne - CMB Performance) and Charlotte Yven (Skipper Macif 2023) were unable to make up any ground on Tom Dolan.
According to all the competitors, this leg was decided right from the start. They had to be well positioned for the passage of the front, which handed out the cards on the very first night. This made it difficult for the sailors to catch up with the leaders. Despite futile attempts, many of the sailors in the thick of the fleet could do nothing. There were no options, only relaunching and optimizing the trajectory to claw back a few miles, but, unfortunately, the frontrunners were better served, as is often the case. As the hours and miles went by, the elastic tightened inexorably, to the great tragedy of some who saw their chance of victory slipping away. Competitors sailed for long hours in rough seas, in a Bay of Biscay that was difficult to navigate and not very conducive to speed, sometimes preventing them from getting a good night's sleep or a nourishing meal. They had to be on top of their game, all the time, to avoid relegation. Several groups formed, one at the front, with Tom Dolan in the lead, the second, quite dense with the leaders in the provisional general ranking of the first leg, and finally the last, who remained stuck in the calm off Gijon, unable to catch the front in time. But single-handed sailors have the ability to take it in their stride, to sail quickly towards their goal, and the weather conditions on this last day on the water were conducive to some acceleration under spinnaker and gennaker. The last few miles in the Gironde estuary, on a stretch of water free of the long, painful Atlantic swell, were sailed under spinnaker for some great gliding moments. Between joy, despair, weariness and anger, the sailors will at last be able to recover from a leg that will most likely have left its mark on their minds and bodies.
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