Competitors in the Figaro Beneteau 3 Tour Voile will tackle an unusually packed schedule on Friday at Plérin, with race organizers intent on maximizing a rare window of opportunity between two lock passages to string together multiple heats across nearly a full day on the water.
The fleet gets underway at 8:45 a.m., passing through the lock at 8:52, before the day’s racing formally begins with an on-water ceremony at 10 a.m. honoring those lost at sea. Race director Yann Chateau’s plan calls for two constructed courses, a brief pause, then a coastal race of roughly 13 nautical miles. That route will take crews east of the rocky plateau at Saint-Quay-Portrieux before turning back toward the Légué and Plérin, deep in the Saint-Brieuc bay. Another break follows, after which two or even three additional constructed courses are planned. If the full program runs as intended, competitors will complete between five and six races in a single day.
The morning is expected to bring light northeasterly winds that gradually strengthen, with a brief transition period midday giving way to a more consistent thermal breeze around 10 knots in the afternoon—ideal conditions for close racing. The extended daylight and stable wind pattern make the schedule feasible, though crews will be tested by the duration and complexity of the Saint-Brieuc bay, waters notorious for hidden rocks, cliff effects, and tricky currents.
The racing coincides with the opening weekend of the Fête Maritime du Légué, a popular maritime celebration, meaning the water will be shared with festival activities focused on local maritime heritage and recreational sailing.
What the crews are thinking
Maël Garnier, sailing for Dunkerque – Kiloutou with local teammate William Ollivier, welcomed the intensive schedule. “We’re well-rested and we know the bay well, but it doesn’t forgive mistakes,” he said, acknowledging the hazards of rocks, cliffs, and shore effects. Garnier noted the team identified speed issues the previous day, particularly during planing phases, but expressed confidence in their potential. “We have what it takes to race up front—we just need to limit errors and hope to win the day.”
Enora Percheron’s APCC Centre de Formation team arrives with two new crew members, Chloé Le Roux and Nine Rault, who did not race the previous day. “Everyone was getting tired, so it’s good to have new blood,” Percheron explained. The early start and late finish—constrained by lock schedules—will demand sustained focus on reading the bay and avoiding navigational hazards. “It’s a big day, but a nice one. We’re all happy to be here.”
Marie-Adélaïde Le Gué of LGC Sailing – Bretagne Plaisance stressed the need for concentration across settings and trim as the fleet moves through multiple courses. Her crew, half-renewed with the arrival of Mathieu Le Cléac’h the previous evening, expects to return around 21:00. “We have freshness to attack a big day like this,” she said, with three well-rested sailors compensating for one teammate fresh from the previous coastal leg.
