Adrien Simon and Chloé Le Bars (FAUN), 11th in the Transat Paprec!

Outsiders at the start, Adrien and Chloé, still well-placed in the fleet, were able to wait and hold on until they took advantage of the big bang in the finale to shine. They were the ones who attempted the southernmost route, a bold choice that unfortunately went unrewarded.

THEIR RACE IN NUMBERS

Arrival time: Friday, May 9 at 4:32 a.m. (local time), 10:32 a.m. (metropolitan time) Race time: 18 days 21 hours, 30 minutes, 55 seconds

Gap to first: 2 h 14 min

Gap to previous: 21 min 31 sec

Distance covered: 4,250 miles

Average speed (real): 9.4 knots

THEIR RACE DECRYPTED. Competitors and good players

Adrien Simon and Chloé Le Bars are, first and foremost, two smiles. Those of skippers who appreciate ocean racing, competition at sea, and salty battles more than anything. At first, Adrien admitted that he " didn't really know where they stood in relation to the others ." But the automatic reactions are there, especially since the two sailors know each other well: the last time they sailed together in a race, they finished on the podium (3rd in the Plastimo Lorient Mini 2023).

Present in the peloton on the descent south, they passed La Palma less than three hours behind the leaders at the time. Then, in an attempt to catch up with the lead, Adrien and Chloé attempted a more northerly route in the trade winds. The large windless zone at the finish forced them to reposition themselves further south, in the wake of the pursuers. "The fleet is spread out all over the place, we hope to catch up ," Chloé confided a week ago.

Their self-sacrifice paid off: the leaders were slowed by the windless zone, and FAUN took advantage of this by racing close to the direct route. It was even the duo who decided to position themselves furthest south, which allowed them to climb back onto the provisional podium 48 hours before the finish. Unfortunately, the option didn't pay off in the final hours of the race. "There's bound to be disappointment, but we know that's part of the game ," said Chloé Le Bars at the finish.