The last of the nerves

THE SEVENTEENTH NIGHT. The skippers are less than 400 nautical miles from the finish line; they are expected to cross it this Friday, and yet it is still impossible to have the slightest idea of who will win. The cards are constantly being reshuffled. The complementarity between the duos and their mental resources will be decisive to hold on until the end. In the meantime, let's focus on this incredible stage of the Solitaire du Figaro, in light winds, under the heat, and after more than two weeks of racing!

For good entertainment, you need a setting, engaging protagonists, and a scenario to keep you in suspense. This Transat Paprec brings together all these ingredients: the Atlantic as a playing field, a host of twists and turns, and day after day, suspense that remains just as strong. "With less than three days to go before the finish, everything is up in the air again," smiles Davy Beaudart. "It's exciting to experience and follow!" "While there are less than 400 miles left to cover, we are really witnessing a new start," assures Francis Le Goff, the race director. "I've never seen anything like it since I've been in charge of this race!"

The Management of Mental Strength and Sargassum

In such a situation, in the heart of light winds until the finish, everything can change on small details. "Some will be able to take advantage of local situations with 2 to 3 knots more wind, others may come to a complete standstill," Francis explains. The only certainty is that the outcome of the race is not just a matter of strategy. "With fatigue setting in, mental strength will play a crucial role. You need to be resilient, have a united duo, and not be destabilized by the constantly changing rankings!"

Furthermore, another element is playing on the skippers' nerves: sargassum. These brownish algae, a consequence of intensive agriculture, are proliferating around the Antilles, and the route taken by the sailors is no exception. "We've met our friends the algae, and they're a bit of a pain," smiles Romain Bouillard (Décrochons la lune). Martin Le Pape (Demain) talks about "the battle of the day," Maël Garnier films the large patches in front of Selancia Cerfrance, and Quentin Vlamynck mentions "a sea of sargassum." The skipper of Étoiles Filantes even had a small mishap, as recounted by Audrey Ogereau, his co-skipper: "We broke one of our anti-algae poles. Luckily, we had a spare one!"

Finally, regarding the ETAs (Estimated Times of Arrival), the uncertainty is as complete as that surrounding the outcome of the race. "The first boats could arrive from Friday midnight (in Saint Barthélemy, which is 6 am in France) and at the latest until Friday evening (night in France)," assures Francis Le Goff. To be continued!

LIVE FROM SAINT-BARTH.

The Starting Gun Has Fired!

The Transat Paprec is contested at sea, but it is also experienced on land. After the week of festivities and gatherings in Concarneau before the grand departure, it is now Saint Barthélemy's turn. The Transat Paprec village was inaugurated this Wednesday evening in the mild early night air on the port of Gustavia. "We say it takes a village to raise a child, and it also takes a lot of goodwill to set up a village like this one," rejoices Xavier Lédée, President of the Territorial Council of Saint Barthélemy.

"We are ready to welcome the skippers for this incredible arrival," adds Alexandra Questel, President of the Territorial Tourism Committee of Saint Barthélemy. "We are the link between two territories, on both sides of the Atlantic," adds Stéphane Névé, head of sailing projects at Paprec. "It's a real pleasure to bring the territories together," adds Julie Coutts, Managing Director of OC Sport Pen Duick. The Transat Paprec village will be open every day so that as many visitors as possible can enjoy it.

NEWS FROM THE FLEET

Apart from the sargassum, which has definitely kept the fleet busy in recent hours, Pier-Paolo Dean and Tiphaine Rideau (Banques Alimentaires) tore their large spinnaker. "We have to make do with the small spinnaker; the speed will inevitably be greatly reduced." On a lighter note, Anaëlle Pattusch and Hugo Cardon (Humains en action) captured the sunset. Maggie Adamson and Calanach Finlayson (Solan Ocean Racing) saw a magnificent rainbow form in a squall. We also saw beautiful sunrise pictures on board Les Étoiles Filantes (Quentin Vlamynck and Audrey Ogereau) and beautiful glides on Almond for Pure Ocean (Thomas de Dinechin and Aglaé Ribon).

On board Région Bretagne CMB Océane, while Lola Billy is delighted to be "cruising towards Saint Barth," Corentin Horeau jokes about being "shaved and handsome" for the final stretch. Furthermore, to cope with the heat, Cindy Brin and Thomas André (Cap Saint Barth) are lucky enough to have a small fan. Quentin Vlamynck and Audrey Ogereau have a small manual mist sprayer. Finally, Laure Galley did not forget to celebrate the 30th birthday of her co-skipper, Kevin Bloch, today, before embarking on this great final sprint!

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