They have made a great race and were able to resist to a huge pressure on the final days after having overtaken Fabien Delahaye /Yoann Richomme at 500Nm from the finish line. Delahaye /Richomme did not give up and moved a relentless pursuit, having crossed the line less than an hour away. But the best finish was the one from Alexia Barrier /Laurent Pellecuer: these two that returned to the Figaro class after an absence of some years seems they haven't forgotten anything; at 950Nm from the finish they were 6th at 80Nm from the leader and at 69Nm from the ones that won the race. They finished 3rd at only 7.5Nm from the winners and at only 3Nm from the 2nd.
The winners are from the new generation of solo racers and for the younger, Gahinet (30) that's already the 2nd transat won, being the other the 2011 mini transat (serie), a first for Meilhat.
Also chapeau to Rolland Jordain, 4th that finished all over the 3rd. He won this race 20 years ago!!!
Le sacre pour Gwénolé Gahinet et Paul Meilhat por transat-ag2rlamondiale
That's terrific compensation for Gahinet after he was unable to complete the 2013 Mini Transat, where he and Giancarlo Pedote were the two favorites in the Proto class. I am going to predict that Gahinet will have an IMOCA 60 program before too long, or maybe move into multi-hulls (where all the action is unfolding these days). What an exciting race, proving once again that the French are the modern masters of the art of racing across oceans. Chapeau!
ReplyDeleteThese Transats on the Figaro class are really a "connoisseur" affair. Even if they have not the same aura of a mini-transat or the ones for bigger racers, professional solo racers have them in great consideration and that's why you see there are always some of the best solo racers, racing with the new kids on the block. Winning this one will not make you as popular as having won the mini transat, but among professionals they know that to win this one you have to be a much better sailor, technically speaking. For winning this one you don't have only to have talent but to be already a top sailor because here you are racing among the best, from several categories, that come back to the Figaro mostly to have some good racing. They earn their money as professionals on other classes, more flashing ones that attract better sponsorship.
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