The longest hours

Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif) have taken a slight advantage over the other competitors. However, with the gaps still extremely narrow and everything still to play for—despite the lack of wind, the presence of sargassum seaweed, and growing fatigue—the outcome remains uncertain. The winners are expected to cross the finish line around 4 a.m. local time (10 a.m. French time), and the top 10 should all finish within a 3-hour window.

At Last, We’ll Know

Tonight, the outcome of the Transat Paprec will finally be decided. According to the latest ETAs (Estimated Time of Arrival), the first boat is expected to reach the finish line around 4 a.m. in Saint Barthélemy (10 a.m. French time). Moreover, the time gaps remain extremely tight: less than 30 minutes may separate the top 5, and less than 3 hours the top 10.

A Slight Lead for Skipper Macif

One boat seems to have gained a slight edge in the last few hours: Skipper Macif. Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne "benefit from an exceptional angle that has allowed them to open up a bit of a gap over the rest of the fleet," explains Race Director Francis Le Goff. "They don’t have the same wind angle as the others, which gives them nearly an hour's lead based on routing models," adds Yann Chateau. “It’s hard to say exactly when the first will arrive,” Francis continues. “It could be in less than two hours or more, depending on conditions.”

Patience and Frustration in the Fleet

Meanwhile, throughout the fleet, everyone is doing their best to stay patient. The lack of wind is getting on everyone’s nerves. “There’s no wind and no words,” writes Adrien Simon (FAUN). “It’s completely calm, but we still believe,” says Thomas André (Cap St Barth). Then there’s the sargassum—again and again. “It feels like we’re sailing across a football field,” sighs Corentin Horeau (Région Bretagne - CBM – Océane).

Tiphaine Rideau (Banques Alimentaires) shows the keel completely covered in sargassum, while Quentin Vlamynck filmed Audrey Ogereau (Les Étoiles Filantes) removing it. “A real job of the future,” he jokes. The calm of the afternoon was also broken by an unexpected visit: a plane flew over part of the fleet. Passengers filmed the competitors, who in turn filmed the plane. Among them were Cindy Brin, as well as Catherine Hunt (Selencia - Cerfrance) and Davy Beaudart (Hellowork). Davy summed it up: “That really means we’re close!”