Conditions on the Gironde Estuary were perfect for 36 solo racers who started the decisive third and final stage of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec this afternoon off Royan.

Towering cumulus clouds, white caps on the water and brisk 14-17kts breezes sent the fleet on its way for the 710 nautical miles leg which will climb north into the English Channel to pass the Skerries bank off Dartmouth and the Shambles East Cardinal off Weymouth & Portland where they turn back to finish at La Turballe on the Loire Atlantic coast.

Holding an overall leading margin of just over 57 minutes at the top of the leaderboard, Ireland’s Tom Dolan (Smurfit Kappa-Kingpsan) made an accomplished start and at 1600hrs local time this evening was in the heart of the pace making peloton at 0.5 of a mile behind early leaders Loïs Berrehar (Skipper MACIf 2022) and Basile Bourgnon (Edenred).

A windy beat is on the cards for the climb up the northwest Brittany coast tonight during which the skippers will need to accumulate some snatches of rest as the 36 hours in the English Channel looks set to be windy and very demanding.

Although he had no plans to cover his nearest rivals Gaston Morvan (Région Bretagne CMB Performance) and Charlotte Yven (Skipper MACIF 2023) Dolan was in close contact with the two of them this evening.

Loïs Berrehar (Skipper Macif 2022) and Élodie Bonnafous (QUEGUINER - La Vie en Rose) were the first to round the first course mark. Leading at the clearance buoy Berrehar wins the Windchaser by Bollé Trophy.

Behind Morvan and Yven Hugo Dhallenne (YCSL – Primatice – SLB Pharma) and Martin Le Pape (DEMAIN) are also poised to attack Dolan’s lead. They are 1h 6 minutes and 26 seconds and 1h 6 minutes and 49 seconds behind the Irishman.

On the rookie side, 18 year old Tom Goron (NAVALEO), 10th in the general classification, is leading the BENETEAU rookie classification after two stages.

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They said:

Gaston Morvan (Bretagne region – CMB Performance): “I feel good. I slept well. I am a little stressed by the conditions, the stage and the stakes but I am ready to fight. The stakes are the podium, the stage victory, the overall victory. It’s all up for grabs. The last stage and the conditions are XXL, everything is set up to make it a great finish. We can hope for the best. I need to take care of myself and the boat. The conditions suit me. Every time there has been wind this season, it has worked out pretty well for me. And on La Solitaire previously too. In 2022, I came 2nd in the stage with strong winds, so I tell myself that if it's the same kind of stage, I can go well. I think I have progressed so I am capable of doing even better than two years ago.”

Charlotte Yven (Skipper Macif 2023): "I am well rested, ready to give my all on this stage. Challenging for the general classification put a little pressure on me after the finish of the 2nd stage when I realised that I was already on the provisional podium. But I managed to put that aside a little. I'm starting again in a similar frame of mind as for the other stages. I want to have a good stage without focusing on the general classification and to approach it as a race in its own right. I'm going to try to have a good sail, a good stage and some good options. I think that the conditions we're going to have are those in which I've made the most progress since I started in Figaro. At the beginning, I wasn't very comfortable with a big boat and big sails, all alone. I feel much more comfortable after sailing with Loïs (Berrehar) for two years. He's given me a lot in that respect. I feel more serene, in tune with my boat. It scares me less!”

Tom Dolan IRL (Smurfit Kappa – Kingspan): “I feel rested and ready to go. I have a clear idea of ​​the weather and what I want to do but it would be crazy not to try to stay with the pack and go and do something different. I’m in great shape. It’s going to be a good leg with some breeze. I’m not going to say I love the big winds because it’s always stressful in the wind, because if things go wrong they go quickly and you can damage sails or whatever. But I think I’ve got a good few miles behind me so I’m going to go for it. I’m not thinking about the pressure anymore. It’s going to be about the shifts left and right, looking after the boat and looking after myself. Then it’s going to be a bit of a challenge from the western part of Sein to the south coast of the UK so I’m going to sail fast with the right sails all the time, without breaking them.”

Annaëlle Pattusch Switzerland (NEMO): "There will be wind, big winds on this last stage, I am looking forward to it. We are still going to play it safe. I have to manage myself and not try to do like those in front. I have to do my own race, we are not at all at the same level. The pilot, my autohelm, is doing better, I must not go too hard into the waves, but given the conditions forecast, it will be complicated. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it holds up."

Sanni Beucke, GER, (This Race is Female): “It is going to be windy. I feel a bit shaky in my legs (nervous) when heavy weather is forecast. That is normal when it is going to be uncomfortable. I think it is going to be a little bit of an atypical Figaro race because the Figaro is known for precision navigation and this race is going to be more about keeping things safe. I need to unpack my inner seadog, put the old sea dog head on, so to be conscious about manoeuvres, keeping my cockpit really clean and tidy and nothing dragging in the water. I think the plan is to stay safe and take it as it comes. They were talking about 37kts but I think it is more likely to be around 27kts. But crossing the front the current is coming at us so there will be a bit of a nasty wave. I want to do a good result and to do that I think you need to sail the course as safely as possible. It is going to be a speed race more than about strategy and about making good manoeuvres. I think rounding the Skerries bank will be the toughest bit when the peak of the wind. So it is about putting seamanship top of your list.”

Pep Costa ESP (VSF Sports): “It will be a big leg. It will be quite windy, a bit upwind towards the point of Finisterre and then it will be quite hard in the English Channel, hard reaching and then downwind and then with a front passing at the Skerries. It will be quite windy going to the East Shambles then on the way back the wind is going to drop quite slowly. It should be a four day leg, 700 miles the longest ever. I feel good and want to stay focused and not make mistakes and do the best race possible. The key points will be to be good on the upwind to the Point de Bretagne, to find the eight shifts and to get to the Occidental de Sein as fast as possible, to then be able to be ahead of the fleet. The current will be OK passing the Point de Bretagne then in the English Channel the south coast of England wind against current it will be wavy and bouncy and that will be a critical point to round the Shambles to get into the transition to the more N’ly wind to go back to France. It is a tough race and a tough leg but I feel good and the boat is good so I will see. I think we will see 25-30 but now over 30kts, not super windy.