On Monday 15 September 15 at 2.45pm, the 34 solo skippers in La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 2025 will set course southwards towards the port of Vigo, Spain on the second leg.
It’s a leg already shaping up to be demanding, with a depression forcing the race committee to postpone the start by 24 hours.
The opening 15 hours promise 25–35 knots of westerly wind, four-to-five-metre seas and a night passage around the tip of Brittany. A testing menu that will remind the sailors, from the very first miles, of the toughness of this legendary race.
After 486 miles of a modified course, the Spanish coast will come into sight — and the few days of rest in Vigo will certainly be well deserved.
After a first leg full of constant course marks, four Channel crossings, and strong currents, the second stage of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 2025 will unfold in three distinct parts.
First, a passage along the north coast of Finistère towards the Chenal du Four, followed by a night-time crossing of the Iroise Sea before rounding the Pointe du Raz and the Raz de Sein — among the most feared headlands in the world.
“After the coastal section in Morlaix Bay, sheltered from the sea, the skippers will quickly be exposed to the elements, as soon as they pass Île de Batz,” says Amélie Juvien, deputy race director of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec.
“Winds will be around 20 knots, rising steadily, with seas of at least four metres. We have set several compulsory waypoints to prevent sailors from getting too close to the coast. By nightfall, they should reach the entrance to the Chenal du Four. Conditions in the Iroise Sea will be rough, and they should pass Pointe du Raz towards the end of the night.”
After escaping this turmoil, the skippers face a long 355-mile leg towards Cape Finisterre, at the northwestern tip of Spain. “There will be another depression in the Bay of Biscay to watch out for, but it’s not yet well modelled,” Juvien adds.
The final section will run down the rugged west coast of Spain towards Vigo. The steep relief produces many local effects, and with light winds expected at the finish, sailors’ nerves will be tested right up to the line.
“Towards the end of the course, we know a high-pressure system will be established over northern Africa. We don’t yet know if this will generate wind all the way to Vigo or if it will be much lighter. The finish remains uncertain. The idea is to keep pushing until the end,” Juvien says.
This second stage will once again live up to the race’s fearsome reputation. From the very beginning, sailors will be thrown into harsh conditions. They will need to settle quickly into race mode, brace against the weather, and never forget that on La Solitaire, the clock is running until the finish line.
Points are almost reset after each leg, and until the line is crossed, anything can happen. Alexis Loison (Groupe REEL), winner of the first stage, knows this better than anyone. Consistency is key, and winning one or two legs is no guarantee of overall victory — especially with Ireland’s Tom Dolan battling back from injury as he seeks to defend his title.
