Our correspondent on board Express
The first of three Channel crossings in this first leg of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec ended around 5:15 a.m. on Monday morning for the leader of the fleet, Guillaume Pirouelle (Normandy Region). The master of clocks from the Isles of St. Marcouf had just rolled up the Nab Tower lighthouse, in the eastern part of the Isle of Wight. With a comfortable lead over a very homogeneous group on their heels.
A pack led by Basile Bourgnon (Edenred) who, like all of them, had to fight against the current to sail along the south coast of the island to reach the next mark, that of the Needles Fairway, the gate of their second Channel crossing which they should reach a little before lunchtime. A Basile Bourgnon feeling in good shape: “It’s fresh, it’s curdling a bit. We started this Solitaire with a series of tacks along the landing beaches. Last night, I had to take a dozen or so naps of between 10 and 15 minutes, so I think that’s very correct for the start of the Figaro race. At daybreak, there is a small thermal which should block our way. We have to get out of there quickly. For the moment, I am in the first, and that pleases me.
For Alexis Loison (REEL Group), clocked in at 7 a.m. in fourth position, the mayonnaise had a different taste: “I had a good start in Ouistreham and unfortunately just after the Paprec buoy I did not see Hugo Dhallenne (YC de Saint-Lunaire) which turned right in front of me. I had no possibility of avoiding it. One of my foils was damaged in its two aft pulpits. I will have to deal with it for the stage. Now we have to deal with the future and not the past. The positive side is that I feel in the race. It is sure that I will be handicapped on the fast edges. After Saint-Marcouf, I recovered well. With good speed under gennak I passed third at one point. I’m happy with my night where I was able to take a few naps. A large part of the fleet is under the Isle of Wight, against the current which is quite strong. I hope there will be enough wind.”
Tom Dolan (Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan) was also in a good place. An Irishman who hopes to look good at the arrival of this stage on the lands of his motherland: “Last night, there were some differences in the trajectories. I think I’m doing not too badly compared to the bulk of the package. Towards Barfleur, it didn’t work too well for me, but there was a bit of wind and sea, and it was quite nice. I took two short naps in the night. What are we going to have in the hours to come? That’s the big question. There, we are going straight towards the front, and we hope that we will have enough wind to deviate from the English coast. The western entry mark of the Solent, the arm of the sea between the English coast and the Isle of Wight rolled up, the fleet will begin its second Channel crossing, heading for Brittany and the northern cardinal buoy, the Jument de Heaux, from l Island of Brehat. All this under spinnaker.