Thomas de Dinechin and Aglaé Ribon (Almond for Pure Ocean), 12th in the Transat Paprec!
- Antoine Grenapin
- May 10
- 2 min read
Thomas is embarking on a second full season in Figaro, while Aglaé, who cut her teeth in the Mini class, is new to the one-make series. Yet, the duo has nothing to be ashamed of: they held their own until the end and were even able to battle it out for the top 10 at the end of the race. All this with a healthy dose of good humor.
THEIR RACE IN NUMBERS
Arrival time: Friday, May 9 at 05:11 (local time), 11:11 (metropolitan time)
Race time: 18 days 22 hours, 09 minutes, 12 seconds
Gap to first: 02 h 52 min
Gap to previous: 38 min 17 sec
Distance covered: 4268 miles Average speed (real): 9.4 knots
THEIR RACE DECRYPTED. Almond for Pure Ocean, pure pleasure!
They have a knack for putting a smile on your face. Throughout the race, Thomas and Aglaé carried a great deal of good humor with them. The duo filmed their daily life step by step: Thomas's risotto, Aglaé's English breakfast, the weather strategy carried out under the watchful eye of the "little bison" (a stuffed animal), and, last Wednesday, Aglaé's tutorial for removing the pesky sargassum from the keel. They also immortalized the sunrises and sunsets, the joy of the trade winds, and the virulence of the squalls.
Thomas started in the class two years ago after experience in Mini, the class in which Aglaé also gained experience. The pair played their cards to the fullest. Distanced from the leaders in La Palma for a handful of hours, they opted for a more southerly route than the rest of the fleet in the trade winds before gradually catching up behind the leaders. Thus, they positioned themselves more to the north before crossing the large zone of light winds that blocked the skippers' path at the end of the race. Thanks to this exceptional weather situation, Thomas and Aglaé flirted with the "top 10" until the end. They ultimately finished in 12th place (following the penalty applied to Région Bretagne CMB - Espoir), a great performance for these two rookies in the Transat Paprec.
