La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Leg 2 - Day 2
by La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 25 May 16:46 BST
13 May - 7 June 2026
La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Leg 2 Day 2 © Thomas Campion
The trio leading the way today — made up of two seasoned sailors and a young talent who already claimed a stage victory in 2025 during his rookie season — managed to carve out a small breakaway on the second day of the second leg of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec.
While everything remains temporary in such conditions, every small victory helps build the next one and, ultimately, strengthen a position. Extremely complex conditions on the racecourse are keeping sailors on their toes as they constantly adapt in order to perform and maintain speed.
A true fashion show is unfolding offshore from the southern tip of the Spanish coastline. Everything is being used: gennakers, spinnakers, hoists, drops — sails are packed away and brought back out again as the sailors are given no respite. In the very light — almost too light — conditions, finding the right balance is difficult. Still, the scenario had been anticipated. Yet, as always, sailors must deal with the gap between weather models and reality. In this little game, one group managed to sneak away slightly — enough to say "goodbye for now," though "farewell" would be far too presumptuous. Experienced sailor Nicolas Lunven is no stranger to drifting conditions and, taking advantage of a few well-played gusts, managed to create a small gap. At 3 p.m., the skipper of Figaro PRB held a 2.1-nautical-mile lead over his provisional runner-up, another sailor highly familiar with such conditions: Martin Le Pape aboard Paprec. The veterans are very much in the fight and have no intention of giving up their place.
Earlier in the morning, Hugo Cardon and Pier Paolo Dean (Banques Alimentaires) were tied on points for the Windchaser by Bollé Trophy. A reminder: this trophy rewards the sailor who gains the most places in the overall standings between the Paprec buoy marking the end of the coastal course and the intermediate sprint. Thanks to his second-place finish at the sprint, Hugo Cardon aboard Sarth'Atlantique claimed the trophy. He achieved a remarkable comeback, climbing from 30th to 2nd place — a gain of 28 positions.
Inevitably, the fleet is spreading out across this vast Bay of Biscay chessboard, but the conditions expected in the coming hours and days will not make life any easier for the sailors, whether they are leading, in the middle of the pack, or trailing behind. Everyone still has a chance to come back and build their strategy. Mental strength is essential to handle these different phases and cope with the harsh reality of the rankings. The road ahead remains long, and opportunities to gain places are still very real.
Loïs Berrehar (Banque Populaire)
"It was intense out there. A small group of us chose a slightly wider route right from the start. It seemed more complicated closer to shore. We managed to break away a little, and after that it was a case of moving forward, falling back — one moment you, one moment me — like a yo-yo. The thunderstorms were intense, with the wind shifting in every direction, it was impressive. And then you're constantly searching for wind. I think that's the reality for the whole fleet.
I thought we'd have a bit more wind where we are, especially since we actually had a small lead. Unfortunately, we don't really have enough breeze to move the boat properly.
To stay competitive, you have to try to sleep. I managed to sleep at the end of the night and grab a few naps until things collapsed again. You have to stay alert so you don't miss anything, but at the same time preserve some energy. You have to try to sleep, drink properly, eat well, avoid getting too burnt by the sun, trim your sails and autopilot correctly — in short, it's a true Figaro exercise."
Nicolas Lunven (PRB)
"We certainly didn't get bored last night with all the thunderstorms. There were lots of manoeuvres and many course changes. I managed fairly well, catching back up to the leading boats in the storms so I could be with them by daybreak. Then this morning things went pretty well for me, so I managed to take the lead — but it's still a major calm out here.
Obviously, it's far from over. Right now I'm more or less stopped, hoping the wind fills in as quickly as possible.
Normally we should get southwesterly wind — we should already have it by now — so I hope it doesn't take too long."
Pier Paolo Dean (Banques Alimentaires)
"It's the first time I've sailed at the front of the fleet. I'm pretty happy because at the start — I don't know if you saw — I jumped the line, so I had to go back and restart. Then I made a big mistake with my spinnaker, which fell in the water and started trawling, so I had to haul it back up.
My router had shown that if there were thunderstorms near the coast, it might be worth staying a bit farther offshore, so I headed out to sea and followed that strategy — and in the end it worked out well.
I managed to rest a bit and slept well last night, which is why I lost ground for a while, but I think it paid off because this morning I came back and managed to regain distance on the sailors who had passed me during the night.
I come from Olympic sailing, so these are exactly the kind of conditions I love. I prefer this kind of weather to strong breeze conditions.
I'm finally managing to sail at the front again, like when I was younger in dinghy sailing — and that feels great."