17th Transat Café L'or - Bauza and Pillain finish 20th in CLass 40

Aina Bauza Roig and Axelle Pillain celebrate taking 18th place of leg 2 in the Transat Café L'or Le Havre Normandie © Jean-Louis Carli

Winners of the Cap pour Elles with ENGIE talent programme, Mallorca's Aina Bauza and her French counterpart Axelle Pillain finished in a solid 20th place overall on the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandie.

An effervescent duo who clearly have a fantastic chemistry, good humor and great motivation, worked hard and reaped their rewards with a really strong first transatlantic race. To the tune of Sia's "Unstoppable," the perfect soundtrack for this duo, Aina Bauza and Axelle Pillain completed their first TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandie in 21 days, 10 hours, 28 minutes, and 45 seconds. The all-female duo finished all smiles with a great feeling of achievement.

"Great" (in Spanish) said Aina, "emotionally intense" for Axelle: the two young sailors really have stars in their eyes as they recall their transatlantic race as they enjoy their first meal on land. Having set off from Normandy three weeks ago, they can hardly remember the start. "It was like another life," jokes Axelle, "it seems so long ago. When we left Le Havre, there was a storm, it was tough."

"The beginning was hard," adds Aina. "But the boat was sailing well. After La Coruña, I saw the weather forecast and I thought: damn, this is going to be tough." They had to really grit their teeth. "I think I'll remember that night for the rest of my life," says Axelle. "There was lightning everywhere, and the moon lit up the dark clouds."

The next step was picking the route. After some hesitation, considering a "half-south, half-north" course, the duo chose south, looking for the trade winds. "We didn't want our transatlantic crossing to be a constant battle against one front after another, so we chose the south," Axelle continued. "And we also asked ourselves: are we capable of doing it? Is the boat capable? It was a decision that was both rational and human."

Growing Up on the Ocean

Day after day, the pair grew, found their footing, and learned to know each other. "We always supported each other because it was a long race," Axelle confided. Faced with weather files and the numerous routing options that she loves to ponder over, decisions are made together sharing the responsibility. Axelle has learned a valuable lesson: "take your time and trust your choices."

But you also have to know how to play against your competitors in a "very competitive race," according to Aina, "with boats that are incredibly fast. You have to fight every mile to stay ahead." And they waged this battle right up to the bay of Fort-de-France, while Pamela Lee (#Empowher), who sailed under the Cap pour Elles banner two years ago not far off as a 'target'. "We could see their spinnaker on the horizon coming towards us, but we said: it doesn't matter, we'll go anyway," recounts Axelle, all smiles and proud, "that's what makes the race so beautiful."

A bold move that paid off, as they crossed the finish line ahead of #Empowher at 1:21:22 PM, thrilled to be in Martinique and to be "in this unexpectedly good position."

Cap pour Elles: A breeding ground for talent

For its third edition, the Cap pour Elles project with ENGIE confirms that women definitely have their place in offshore racing, if proof were still needed. Pamela Lee, the 2023 winner, who finished just behind the duo, praised their performance: "I'm a bit sad to be behind them, but I'm happy to see that the program is growing every year, and the women had a great race with a good boat."

However, building the project wasn't always smooth sailing. "We shouldn't hide the difficulties of taking on this program it is not handed on a plate," explains Gildas Gauthier, co-managing director of the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR. "There were doubts about their ability to finalize the budget on time, despite the support of Engie and our organization. But this program also gives them visibility that a 'normal' Class40 project doesn't normally have. And that's what allows them to carry and find sponsors."

While Ireland's Pamela Lee launched her Class40 project and proved a rival for the girls on this Coffee Route race, Aina and Axelle currently see themselves continuing as a duo or with a crew. "I want to keep sailing, that's for sure," says Aina. "But for the moment, I prefer sailing with a crew and learning from more experienced people."

Axelle, for her part, dreams of the Route du Rhum but is still wondering: "Do I want to be alone? I always say I miss having people on board. I like to talk, laugh, and share, so this question is fundamental for the future."

But now is not the time to find answers; it's time to savour their ribeye steak and sea bream after an epic race that will hopefully serve as a springboard for the rest of their careers.

www.transatcafelor.org