The second stage of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec ended last night with victory for Hugo Cardon, 23 years old. The young French skipper, a debutant in this legendary solo race, crossed the finishing line at Cabo Home at 21:14 CEST after sailing for 4 days, 2 hours and 14 minutes to cover the 486 miles between the Bay of Morlaix in Brittany and the city of Vigo. At the helm of Sarth’Atlantique, the sailor from Le Mans achieved a result that few predicted and confirmed himself as one of the most promising newcomers in offshore racing.
Cardon was one of the 13 debutants in this edition and had not been considered among the favourites when the fleet set off last Monday. His consistency and his ability to be in the right place at the key moments proved decisive. From the start in Brittany he held a steady course, resisting the pressure of the more experienced Figaro skippers and holding off Charlotte Yven, who pushed him closely throughout. “I am aware that I have a speed deficit compared to the others, but I think I manage to find a good positioning,” he admitted in his final radio message before the finish. Exhausted, he also confessed to a blackout during the previous night, saying, “I don’t even know what I was doing, although I did not have hallucinations as I did in the first stage. This race is incredible and to be there at the front is something unreal.”
Second place went to Alexis Loison on Groupe REEL, winner of the first stage. Loison crossed the line in Vigo at 19:27:57 CEST, only 13 minutes and 28 seconds behind Cardon. He completed the stage in 4 days, 2 hours, 27 minutes and 57 seconds, having in practice sailed 563.28 nautical miles at an average of 4.87 knots. With this result Loison strengthened his lead in the overall standings after two stages and will start the final leg as the clear favourite.
Third place was taken by Charlotte Yven on Skipper Macif 2023. She became the first woman to finish in Vigo, completing the course in 4 days, 2 hours, 51 minutes and 8 seconds, having covered 561.72 nautical miles at an average of 4.86 knots. She reached the line at 21:51:08 CEST, 36 minutes and 39 seconds after Loison, confirming the high level of a stage marked by very light winds on the approach to the Galician coast. For Yven, this podium was an important step forward and a demonstration of her ability to compete with the leading names of the fleet.
The stage also provided moments of respite amid the demands of solo racing. Sailors reported encounters with groups of dolphins, feeding scenes with tuna and seabirds, and even the sudden appearance of whales. These images contrasted with the fatigue and concentration required to manage more than four days at sea without a break.
With the arrivals completed late last night, Vigo has woken up as the centre of ocean racing for the weekend. The race village at Portocultura, supported by the Vigo Port Authority and the Diputación de Pontevedra, is offering a programme that combines sport, culture and gastronomy. The official prize-giving ceremony for this second stage is scheduled for today, Saturday, at 12:00 CEST with the 34 solo skippers and their teams present.
The rest will be short-lived. Tomorrow, Sunday, at 17:00 CEST the fleet will set off on the third and final stage, the longest and most demanding of this 56th edition. The course of 612 nautical miles, or 1,133 kilometres, will take the sailors from Vigo to Saint-Vaast-La-Hougue in Normandy. It will include the passage around Cape Finisterre, the challenging seas of the Bay of Biscay and the complex currents of the English Channel before the grand finish. It promises a decisive conclusion to the 2025 edition of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, with Alexis Loison defending his lead and rivals such as Hugo Cardon and Charlotte Yven ready to fight until the final miles.
