By Thomas Campion — La Solitaire du Figaro
After more than 24 hours of hard-fought windward work in sustained breeze and under the influence of the approaching front, competitors have been burning through their physical reserves with sleep reduced to bare essentials. Leading the fleet, Irishman Tom Dolan is holding firm after another particularly tactical day on the water. The coming hours and the night ahead will be crucial in determining final placings before tackling the final leg – and it’s a cracker – the English Channel.
Everything’s about to ramp up in this last stage of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec. The finish line is within reach. The real action played out near the Glénan Islands, where the fleet logged countless tacks, sometimes pushing all the way in towards the coast in a genuine chess match. Every skipper was hunting for the best angle and the strongest pressure to claw out precious miles westward. In this relentless tactical battle, the gaps remained relatively tight despite the intensity of manoeuvres.
Hugo Cardon (Sarthe Atlantique) deserves special mention for a well-executed move. The skipper chose a wider offshore option compared to his direct rivals. From early morning, Hugo swung out west and by evening had clawed back a significant portion of his deficit. Arno Biston (Article 1) also produced an impressive comeback, managing to recover lost ground after a calculated shift just past the Glénan. Laure Galley on Hauterive executed a similar strategy, opting early for an outer western route off the Glénan, which has allowed her to regain position and crack into the top 10 tonight.
The day was also marked by a series of retirements. Four competitors abandoned: Erica Lush (Hope), Davy Beaudart (Nautymor), Quentin Mocudet (Saveurs & Délices) and Marie Gendron (Kereis SNCF Voyageurs). Another reminder of the brutality of this leg, which has been testing both sailors and equipment since the start.
With the fleet now preparing to round the Breton peninsula before entering the Channel, the race remains wide open. Bodies are spent, tactical choices remain paramount, and every mile gained could prove decisive in the final reckoning. Tom Dolan (Kingspan) remains firmly planted at the front, but the battle is now on for the big prizes in the closing stages of this Solitaire. The placings won’t come easy – but that’s what Solitaire demands, and every competitor knows it.
Originally published in French by La Solitaire du Figaro.
