The Most Beautiful Night in Saint Barthélemy

From the explosion of joy of Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif) to the happiness of Thomas de Dinechin and Aglaé Ribon, less than three hours passed. In between, there was the popular enthusiasm surrounding Cindy Brin and Thomas André (Cap St Barth, 3rd), the emotion of the finishers, and the intense joy of completing an incredible adventure. A look back at a truly special night that will remain etched in the collective memory of Saint Barthélemy—and beyond.

6:30 AM in Gustavia Port.

The orange hues of sunrise have given way to a sky slightly lighter blue than the sea. The port of Saint Barthélemy has returned to its usual calm—except for the ten 9.75-meter monohulls that arrived during the night and the buzz on the dock, in the race HQ, and among the teams. Sailors like Lola Billy and Corentin Horeau (Région Bretagne - CMB Océane), Pauline Courtois and Alexis Thomas (Wings of the Ocean), and Thomas André (Cap St Barth) debrief over their first meal ashore. Their boats, moored and with sails down, give no hint of the 18-day battle just fought, which came to its climax in the heart of the night.

The Big Bang Survivors

A beautiful ending, made exceptional by an extraordinary scenario. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said race director Francis Le Goff. A massive area of calm around the Caribbean triggered a dramatic shake-up: leaders fell back, certainties vanished, and everyone had a chance. The front runners headed north, the trailers south. Every cloud, every gust, every tiny wind shift became critical. Hours passed in limbo; it felt like their fate would come down to a roll of the dice.

“It only takes one boat getting a bit more wind to change everything,” said Yann Chateau at race HQ. The pair who best took advantage of such an opportunity—benefiting from a “perfect angle”—were Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne. “When we saw how tight it was, we chose a middle option—not too far north, not too far south—and tried to stay opportunistic,” explained Hugo on the dock. They were first to finish, crossing the line at 2:18 AM (8:18 AM Paris time). Hugo, usually chatty and supportive at sea, regained his calm and smile on land. Charlotte savored the moment—the first female skipper to win twice, and only the second sailor ever to do so, after fellow Morlaix Bay native Armel Le Cléac’h.

Cindy Brin and Thomas André: The New Stars

While champagne flowed and congratulations were exchanged, the battle offshore raged on. Final gybes, last-minute duels, and one final twist: Romain Bouillard and Irina Gracheva (Décrochons la Lune) arrived 43 minutes later. Their spinnaker had torn, they’d lost hope—but rallied. Irina’s face radiated joy; Romain, drenched in sweat and laughing, said, “My legs are shaking!”

Then the excitement hit a new level: Cap St Barth was approaching. Over 200 boats surrounded Cindy Brin and Thomas André. Gustavia was packed. Portraits of the sailors were handed out—even Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne grabbed some. “This welcome is stratospheric,” smiled Cindy. The first Saint Barth native to sail the Transat Paprec, she briefly stepped back into her sailing instructor role: “I hope I’ve shown that dreams are worth believing in.” As the crowd roared, she and Thomas unfurled a banner before stepping on stage: “On a misunderstanding, it might just work out.”

To the Very Edge of What’s Possible

It did work out—but by just 35 seconds. In the final stretch, Maël Garnier and Catherine Hunt (Selencia - Cerfrance) came roaring in. He had cycled around France as prep; she trained relentlessly. Despite technical issues and exhaustion, they clinched a top 5 finish.

Fatigue was also clear on the faces of Mathilde Géron and Martin Le Pape (DEMAIN, 5th). Their eyes glistened—nearly in tears. They gave everything. Mathilde even hallucinated: she thought the sails were speaking and saw a cat on deck. Martin, despite five Transats and massive experience, admitted this was a tough, wet, brutal edition.

Raw Emotion, Unfiltered Joy

Landfall brings a mix of raw emotion and lightness. Julie Simon (Hellowork, 8th with Davy Beaudart) joked about “a Crocs accident” that gave her sunburned feet. Kévin Bloch (DMG MORI Academy, 7th) declared, “I want a beer!” sharing a knowing glance with Laure Galley. Quentin Vlamynck and Audrey Ogereau (Les Étoiles Filantes, 8th) said they “learned so much.”

Dawn, Disappointment, and Triumph

As the sun rose, emotion lingered. Alexis Thomas and Pauline Courtois (Wings of the Ocean, 9th), who had led for a time, admitted disappointment. “That’s the Figaro,” said Alexis, eyes glistening. Lola Billy (Région Bretagne - CMB Océane, 10th) was on the verge of tears when Corentin Horeau apologized for being hard on her after a Lisbon pit stop. Chloé Le Bars (FAUN, 11th with Adrien Simon) seemed heavy-hearted: “That’s part of the game.” Accepting fate, embracing what you can't control—that’s a victory, too.

Later, Estelle Greck and Victor Le Pape (Région Bretagne - CMB Espoir, 13th), penalized 39 minutes for a broken lead seal, broke down in tears. Their emotion contrasted with the festive spirit on the dock. Thomas de Dinechin (Almond for Pure Ocean, 12th) was already in swimwear, making Aglaé Ribon laugh. Then came a brief pause, the atmosphere warming again as Anaëlle Pattusch and Hugo Cardon (Humains en Action, 14th) arrived. After hugs, they were joyfully tossed into the water by Julie Simon, Aglaé Ribon, Romain Bouillard, and Kévin Bloch. In that moment, they weren’t just sailors, racers, teammates, or athletes. They were simply—happy people.