By thomashowson2 — La Solitaire du Figaro
With spectators lined up along the breakwater, 36 solo sailors launched from Pornichet for the final stage of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 2026. At 7pm sharp, they got the gun in ideal conditions. After a coastal run of more than five nautical miles around the Evens, with crowds still packing the jetty to watch, Alexis Thomas (Wings of the Ocean) rounded the buoy first at Pornichet Harbour, claiming the Paprec Trophy. He finished ahead of Nicolas Lunven (PRB) and Tom Goron (Xplorassur) in this opening battle of the bay. ©Vincent Olivaud
With a westerly breeze sitting around 12 knots, the fleet is now heading south towards the BXA buoy, anchored off the Gironde estuary. They’ll then turn their bows towards the tip of Brittany. The sailors should get a relatively benign opening before a front moves through and turns up the heat. This is a leg where anything can happen, and despite wanting to sail their own race, there’s no doubt the skippers will be keeping a close eye on those AIS traces. After two intense and demanding legs, the body’s running on fumes. It’ll take digging deep into the reserves to fully commit to this final showdown and etch their name into the history books of this 57th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec. ©Thomas Campion
Originally published in French by La Solitaire du Figaro.
