Lola Billy and Corentin Horeau (Région Bretagne – CMB Océane) 10th in the Transat Paprec!

They staged an incredible comeback. After a rudder failure and a stopover in Lisbon, the Breton duo set sail again and gave it their all until they were back in the peloton and then some. Lola's energy, Corentin's experience, their good humor, and their determination created an explosive cocktail, rewarded by this place in the top 10.

THEIR RACE IN NUMBERS

Finish time: Friday, May 9 at 4:11 a.m. (local time), 10:11 a.m. (metropolitan time) Race time: 18 days 21 hours, 9 minutes, 24 seconds

Gap to first: 1 h 52

Gap to previous: 6 min 56 sec

Distance covered: 4,300 miles

Average speed (actual): 9.5 miles

THEIR RACE DECRYPTED. The fantastic comeback

These two certainly never stay down for long. Certainly, every problem is a blow to these fierce competitors. But it never lasts very long. Lola Billy and Corentin Horeau are not only incredible sailors, they are also skippers who never give up, even when the odds are against them.

Along the coast of Portugal, damage to the port rudder forced them to stop in Lisbon. A day of pit stops and they were off again, " foot on the accelerator ," according to Corentin Horeau. While the front of the fleet had already pulled away far, they knew the weather could still be in their favor. But to give themselves a chance of coming back, they had to give it their all. "The fact that we repaired it quickly gave us the opportunity to get back into the race, so we were super excited," assures Lola. "Coco," winner of the 2023 Solitaire du Figaro, knows these kinds of efforts well, giving it their all without counting the hours and reducing watches to next to nothing.

The learning curve is a little harder for Lola and she says so: " It was tough for me, I had a bit of a slump... As Corentin says, we did a transatlantic race at the pace of a leg of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec! " But it's working even if the spinnakers have to be repaired several times and the rudder has to be tinkered with again. 19th on their return to the race, 15th in the heart of the trade winds before entering the 'top 10' at the start of the week. The light zone is a godsend: they decide to get closer to the direct route and head south.

The most beautiful comeback of this Transat Paprec thus ends in 10th place. “I was hard on Lola to get her to give her best,” even in the face of difficulty, apologizes Corentin on the pontoons. Lola has tears in her eyes but also shows a great deal of pride. They will finally be able to breathe after this incredible battle on the Atlantic.