Is it almost time for the big moves?

THE TENTH NIGHT

After 24 hours in particularly lively conditions, it's the brains that are being put to the test. To cross a large windless zone expected at the end of the week, everyone is working hard to choose the best option. The competitors have started gybing but haven’t made any firm decisions yet, given how complex the end of the week is shaping up to be. However, this positional battle is expected to intensify throughout the day. As of Wednesday morning, Wings of the Ocean (Alexis Thomas and Pauline Courtois), Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif), and Cap St Barth (Cindy Brin and Thomas André) are leading the rankings.

It wasn’t just the night from Monday to Tuesday that was intense—the whole of yesterday was as well. “We’re in bulldozer mode—it’s not done being a war out here,” laughed Charlotte Yven (Macif). “It’s like wingsuit vibes! We’re all dressed up and cold like in winter,” added Lola Billy (Région Bretagne CMB Océane), who said she had “never sailed downwind in so much wind.” “The sea is rough,” noted Thomas de Dinechin (Almond for Pure Ocean) in the afternoon, while numerous videos showed boats being tossed by the waves.

Problems multiplied: damaged spinnakers for Jules Ducelier and Sophie Faguet (Région Normandie), who had to abandon the race; aerial issues that forced Catherine Hunt (Selencia Cerfrance) to climb the mast. “We’re tired—we haven’t slept since yesterday,” explained her co-skipper, Maël Garnier. “It was complicated and dangerous, but hopefully now it’s resolved.”

"The most important decision of the race”

At the same time, everyone had to make a crucial and difficult strategic decision. “The situation is complex in the second half of the crossing,” explained Laure Galley (DMG MORI Academy). “We’re racking our brains to understand it and find the best route. At some point, we’ll have to commit one way or the other.” Romain Bouillard (Décrochons la lune) broke it down: “We’re trying to figure out whether we should go north, south, or through the middle… It’s really something because this is the most important decision of the race.”

On Wednesday morning, Wings of the Ocean (Alexis Thomas and Pauline Courtois) and Cap St Barth (Cindy Brin and Thomas André) were heading north, while Demain (Martin Le Pape and Mathilde Géron) and Les Étoiles Filantes (Quentin Vlamynck and Audrey Ogereau) were sailing south. And Skipper Macif (Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne), which had long been up north, gybed toward the south… What can we make of that?

“That the situation is complicated because the weather remains uncertain over the coming days,” stressed Yann Chateau. “It’s not easy to know if the time for bold moves has begun or if we’re still in the observation phase.”

That said, the first gybes toward the south started as early as last night. This was the case for Solan Ocean Racing (Maggie Adamson and Calanach Finlayson), Adrien Simon and Chloé Le Bars (FAUN), Victor Le Pape and Estelle Greck (Région Bretagne CMB Espoir), and also Romain Bouillard and Irina Gracheva (Décrochons la lune). But these aren’t necessarily final choices, as many later re-adjusted their positions. “Most are trying to buy time, to delay their decision as long as possible since nothing is clear yet,” added Yann Chateau.

This re-adjustment phase is mainly due to slightly stronger wind in the south. Competitors are expected to continue progressing with 15 to 18 knots of wind this Wednesday. And Yann Chateau warns: “The big maneuvers should come later on—during the course of the day!”

FLEET NEWS

The particularly lively conditions of recent hours are a reminder that the sailors in the Transat Paprec are true competitors. Because one must endure despite the violent elements, fatigue, and repeated exertion. Even after the most intense gusts, it’s far from over: sometimes you have to bail water out of the boat like Hugo Cardon (Humains en action), or sleep in your foul-weather gear because the mattress is soaked, like Pier-Paolo Dean (BANQUES ALIMENTAIRES). “I’ll show you our little beds worthy of the Ritz,” joked the rookie. Audrey Ogereau tried to bring a chocolate dessert to Quentin Vlamynck (Les Étoiles Filantes), which turned out to be quite perilous with the boat’s motion. But they both kept smiling—just like all the competitors making their way through the heart of the Atlantic.