La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Leg 2 Start
by La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 24 May 10:27 PDT
13 May - 7 June 2026
Leg 2 of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec - Day 1 © Vincent Olivaud
The skippers competing in La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec have just started the second leg between Vigo, Spain, and Pornichet on France's Loire-Atlantique coast — a 450-nautical-mile course that already promises to be as strategic as it is demanding from the very first minutes of racing.
Following an intense opening leg, the fleet is leaving the Galician coastline bound for the French Atlantic seaboard in particularly delicate weather conditions. This leg could well reshuffle the leaderboard. Tom Dolan (Kingspan), the provisional overall leader, will need nerves of steel to repeat his previous performance. One thing is certain: many skippers behind him are determined to claw back lost time. This stage is expected to be stressful, lengthy, and one where every tactical option will be pushed to the limit.
The first hours of racing will unfold in very light winds for the 36 sailors competing in this second leg of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec. Shortly after leaving the Vigo ria following a 90-minute coastal course, Adrien Hardy (Sans Nature, pas de Futur !) rounded the Paprec mark in the lead. The sailors must now deal with calm weather conditions, marked by numerous windless patches and difficult transitions along the coastline. In such conditions, even the smallest mistake can prove costly, while patience, clarity, and concentration will be essential qualities. As soon as they exited the Vigo ria, the leading boats managed to escape, while those further behind were already caught in the grip of the calm.
"This leg could quickly turn into a real game of chess on the water. We'll need to stay constantly alert to pressure changes and seize every opportunity to keep the boat moving," explained several skippers before the start.
Navigation north of Vigo will require immediate vigilance, with a tightly packed fleet where every tactical choice could create significant gaps. The progression northwards is expected to be slow and technical, forcing competitors to remain fully engaged despite what may sometimes be a frustrating pace. Sailors will also need to avoid playing too close to the coast — several skippers ran aground between the islands last year.
The action promises to remain intense right to the finish in this second leg of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, where finesse and tactical sailing are likely to prevail over outright speed.
Sailors' comments
Pierrick Letouzé (Normandy Offshore Program): "It's definitely going to be less physical than the first leg. However, the stage looks quite complicated weather-wise because none of the forecast models really agree. It's difficult to pinpoint the weather systems. We'll need to keep our nerves under control on the water and also choose the right moments to sleep because there won't be much sleep in these light conditions. It's a more open leg than the first one. I think the strategies are less obvious. Everything feels so uncertain that sailors will probably keep things simple, with the goal of getting to Pornichet as fast as possible without taking overly bold options."
Léo Bothorel (Décathlon): "This leg is much more pleasant than last year, when we only stayed around thirty hours — this is the right duration for a stopover. It's going to be a very interesting leg to follow on the tracker because right from the start things won't be simple. There's a depression system just off the Spanish coast with thunderstorms. Depending on our start timing and how quickly we can move forward, there are two major options: either stay close to the coast or, if we get north of the low-pressure system, head further offshore. So from the beginning, everything will depend on timing. Then Monday and Tuesday will be all about thunderstorms along the northern Spanish coast. We'll have to see where we are, whether we stayed offshore or not, and probably try to avoid getting trapped by them and losing hours. That's really the risk, so it may be better to stay north of the coast. And after that, the forecast models diverge greatly again, so we'll adapt depending on what we receive offshore."
Titouan Mariley (ACTION ENFANCE - NO LIMIT): "This leg is going to be long in the end. On paper it's the shortest one, but we're still going to spend quite a few days at sea. None of the forecast models agree and there are many stormy areas. It's going to take time to reach Cape Finisterre, and then we'll need to be careful not to make mistakes in the Bay because there are several low-pressure zones with no wind. We'll all be dealing with the same conditions, so there's no point getting angry — we'll need to stay patient. In any case, there's no point dwelling on things because even if you fall behind, you know you can always come back. There's no reason it can't work out. We'll see at the finish."
Marie Gendron (Kereis SNCF Voyageurs): "I prefer light-wind stages to heavy-weather ones, so I'm looking forward to this one more than the first leg. Even though it'll probably be impossible to sleep because the wind will keep shifting. I think we'll come back exhausted. Not so much physically, but mentally, because of the constantly changing wind. But these are conditions I enjoy, so I can't wait to get going."
Erica Lush (Hope): "For this leg, I'm ready and the boat is ready. The weather forecast isn't very clear. We'll need the stars to align with us, and I think there could be huge gaps at the finish. The fleet may end up much more spread out than on leg one. You'll need to be good in the light airs, make the boat move well, have a bit of luck and be opportunistic. I think La Solitaire could be decided here."
Hugo Le Clech (Mieux): "This leg looks highly strategic. We're starting again in pretty good shape, I think. We'll need to stay mentally strong, never give up, and I think fortunes will constantly swing from one sailor to another. You'll have to accept losing sometimes in order to win later."
Laure Galley (Hauterive): "There are many uncertainties for this light-air leg. It's completely different from the previous stage. The idea is to stay with the pack and, above all, sail the shortest possible route. I think that's going to be the philosophy — stay patient and, most importantly, not get frustrated when someone next to you suddenly gets going. It'll really be everyone's turn."
Quentin Mocudet (Saveurs & Délices): "I think it's going to be a proper drifting race. The first night could be a bit sketchy with thunderstorms, and then we'll see what we're dealt. In any case, we'll adapt depending on what we see on the water."
Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif 2025): "This leg is going to be erratic — I think that's the key word. We'll need to stay mentally strong because things will be happening in every direction. It's the kind of stage where you need to keep your eyes open and stay opportunistic. We'll have to make the most of what we have and constantly analyse the racecourse. There'll be transitions everywhere and we'll need to take advantage of them."
Chloé Le Bars (Skipper Macif 2026): "I like stages like this, and starting this leg four hours behind from the previous stage could actually help me play the game better. But we still need to stay careful — it would be a shame to lose even more than four hours! I'm going to stay focused, manage the risks carefully, and pay close attention to what's happening around me in order to make the right decisions."
Tom Dolan (Kingspan): "We have a lot to gain and a lot to lose. We'll especially need to be very careful during the first 24 hours, and then in the Bay we'll see — things are a bit clearer today than they were yesterday."
Thomas de Dinechin (Almond for Pure Ocean): "I'm one of those who lost some time on leg one. I still have 2h30 to make up on the leaders. So this stage suits me well. It's quite unpredictable and I think there could be significant time gaps at the finish. If I can win back those two hours instead of losing them, that would be fantastic. We'll stay opportunistic and hopefully have some fun — it's going to be a huge poker game in the Bay of Biscay."
Paul Cousin (Région Normandie): "I don't really know what we're going to get because there's very little wind. The conditions are unpredictable and will probably differ greatly from the forecasts once we're actually out there. In any case, if things go badly, they go badly — there probably wouldn't have been much else we could have done. I'm going to give it everything and never give up. Then we'll see."
Martin Le Pape (Paprec): "I'd like to be in the position of a wise old master — like Master Yoda — and take things philosophically. I absolutely don't want to race a leg where my emotions go up and down like an elevator. You need to stay lucid. In this kind of race, I don't think you can really blame yourself because there's always a large random factor involved. I think it's going to be a beautiful leg in the end. We don't talk about it enough, but we're also happy out there at sea."
Nicolas Lunven (PRB): "This leg is going to be complicated. We'll need to stay concentrated and lucid for as long as possible — more than the others, at least."
Lola Billy (Région Bretagne - CMB Océane): "This isn't exactly a Brest sailor's kind of leg! (laughs) The conditions look really complicated, and it's a complete change of philosophy compared to the previous stage. The weather systems are quite uncertain. We worked hard with the Pôle Finistère Offshore Racing Centre to identify as many parameters as possible. We also know there'll be more random phases where we'll need to stay opportunistic and make the boat move as efficiently as possible. These aren't necessarily the conditions I enjoy most, but you have to work on that and be versatile in La Solitaire du Figaro. So I explored a lot of different options for this leg."