God Save the Transat Paprec

Among the 19 duos who set off from Concarneau, 8 are international teams, including 5 from the UK. There's the Scottish duo Maggie Adamson and Calanach Finlayson (Solan Ocean Racing), Catherine Hunt sailing with Maël Garnier (Selencia-Cerfrance), and the British pair Ellie Driver and Oliver Hill (Women's Engineering Society). As the final sprint begins, they reflect on their unique journeys and experiences.

In this Transat Paprec — whose outcome is still uncertain — some images will be remembered. One such moment comes from aboard Maggie Adamson and Calanach Finlayson’s Solan Ocean Racing Figaro. The camera dives under the foil, glides up to the deck, runs along the mast, and zooms toward the bow — it’s hard to believe it was all done with a selfie stick, as we’re swept away by this breath of Atlantic air. A few days earlier, the same deck, but a new soundtrack: Maggie brings out her violin, playing on deck, gazing at the horizon — another beautiful, suspended moment.

“Figaro is absolutely brilliant”

Just like Maggie and Calanach, there are eight non-French skippers competing in this edition. Young Brits Ellie Driver and Oliver Hill are sailing together aboard Women’s Engineering Society. Another Scot, Catherine Hunt, teams up with Maël Garnier (Selencia Cerfrance). Also worth noting are Russian Irina Gracheva (Décrochons la lune), Swiss sailor Annaëlle Pattusch (Humain en action), and Italian Vittoria Ripa Di Meana (Article1, who unfortunately had to retire).

Like the rest of the fleet, they’ve been giving it their all since the start two weeks ago. “Figaro is absolutely brilliant,” say Maggie and Calanach. “The race is fast, intense — but we both love long races.” Ellie and Oliver add, “We managed to work through the problems we faced, made better decisions, and are having a great time together.”

Overcoming the Language Barrier

Is it difficult to adapt to a French race, where French dominates all communication? “The race committee and organizers have been very welcoming and made things easier for us,” says Maggie. “Yes, it’s a French class, but it’s very open to international sailors.” For Figaro regular Tom Dolan, “It’s important to overcome the language barrier. The first advice I give to young international sailors who want to build offshore racing experience is: learn French.” He cites examples like Samantha Davies, Sam Goodchild, and Alan Roberts — all of whom moved to France and learned the language.

The British skippers help one another out. Ellie Driver, Oliver Hill, Maggie Adamson, and Calanach Finlayson are part of a WhatsApp group that’s existed for two years “for non-French Figaro sailors.” It’s not easy breaking into the sport. One major challenge: convincing international sponsors to back their campaigns. “There’s both a financial and a cultural issue,” explains Tom Dolan. “Offshore racing is barely recognized outside France.”

Ellie and Oliver were among the last teams to register for the Transat Paprec, after struggling to secure the necessary budget. “It was really tough just to be at the start line,” they admit. “Everything about the prep was new to us, and it made the process really difficult.” Maggie and Calanach share the same story: “Getting to the start line is the hardest part. The sponsorship system in France is far more structured than in the UK. We struggled a lot to get this project going and had no time for proper training.”

Communication Onboard: A Key to Success

On Selencia Cerfrance, Catherine Hunt sails with Maël Garnier — a Franco-British team, but most of the communication happens in English. “It’s my way of meeting Cath halfway,” said Maël before the start. “And it helps me improve.” Catherine appreciates it: “I’m really grateful to Maël for speaking English, even if I sometimes feel guilty for not speaking French — especially when it comes to technical or strategic discussions that require specific vocabulary.”

But none of it is left to chance. “We were well aware of the challenge the language barrier presented, and we worked on it a lot before the start,” says Catherine. She adds that “double-handed sailing rewards those with strong communication skills.” One thing is clear: teamwork is going strong aboard Solan Ocean Racing, Women's Engineering Society, and Selencia Cerfrance as they enter the final stretch.