By thomashowson2 — La Solitaire du Figaro
Day two of the first leg of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec has been a tough slog for the fleet. The 36 solo sailors have had to battle hard against the wind, cold and squalls on a beat to windward. It’s been anything but straightforward out there.
Loïs Berrehar (Banque Populaire) rounded Wolf Rock lighthouse first at 04:29, with the fleet now pointing south. ©Vincent Olivaud
The fleet arrived at Wolf Rock off the Cornish coast fairly bunched up at the end of the first night. Leading the charge, Loïs Berrehar is being chased hard by Alexis Thomas (Wings of the Ocean), Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif 2025) and Tom Dolan (Kingspan). The Banque Populaire skipper took the intermediate sprint, but the big story of the night was the dismasting of Marin Carnot (Fondation Jérôme Lejeune) just off the lighthouse. It was a dicey moment, but the race support boat Express was quickly on the scene and got the situation under control. Both the trimaran and Figaro are now in tow, heading back towards Brittany. The sailor is okay, though understandably shaken and knackered after dealing with the drama.
©Thomas Campion
With 35 figaristes still in the hunt, the fleet continues south on the wind, which is gradually shifting more in their favour. Between keeping a weather eye on shipping traffic, the accumulated fatigue and the bitter cold, these solo racers are well and truly in the thick of it now. Follow the tracker.
Originally published in French by La Solitaire du Figaro.
