Into the second day of the final leg of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec and the 33 remaining solo skippers are pressing hard as they climb north along the Brittany coast. But most are trying to stick to a regime that maximises rest in the 15 to 20kts breezes as they seek to bank energy ahead of their appointment with a gnarly-looking front, which they will have to deal with off the Dorset coast.
There has been nothing to choose between the leading five skippers. Alexis Loison (GROUPE REEL) – who was denied victory on Stage 1 after leading until the final hours – has a narrow lead this afternoon but it is a few hundred metres ahead of Basile Bourgnon (Edenred) and Gaston Morvan (Region Bretagne-CMB Performance). Ireland's Tom Dolan (Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan) who leads the event overall is fourth hard on the heels of Morvan his nearest title rival.
Since the start out of Royan on Sunday afternoon three skippers have retired. Vendee Globe finisher Stephane le Diraison (Flexirub), Anthony Quentin (JPS Controle) both late yesterday afternoon and this morning Lomano Takasi (Reaute Chocolat).
Anyone who has raced an out-and-back marathon will appreciate the added mental pain of passing the finish line off La Turballe today which the fleet will not see again until Thursday, after another 550 miles of hard, hard racing.