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Suspense worthy of a miniâeurosmercure
The duel between the two leaders lasted throughout this Transat Caféâeuros¯L'Or. After setting out from Le Havre, the Class40 fleet quickly split between the northern and southern options. DouguetâeurosTréhin, heading resolutely north towards the Azores archipelago, seemed to have the upper hand. On the other side, PirouelleâeurosChâteau opted for a more southerly route, based on the trade winds. As they approached the finish, the gaps, though initially imposing, narrowed. With less than 200 miles to go to Martinique, their trajectories crossed again: a last badly-negotiated squall, optimal trimming, and it was the Normandy duo who took the lead, finally crossing the line in the lead. SeafrigoâeurosSogestran crossed the line at 15âeuros¯hâeuros¯57âeuros¯minâeuros¯43âeuros¯s local time (20âeuros¯hâeuros¯57 Paris time), ahead of SNSM Faitesâeuros¯Unâeuros¯Donâeuros¯! by just 7 minutes and 21 seconds in cumulative time.
A southern route that pays off... right to the end
SeafrigoâeurosSogestran's southerly option worked remarkably well. By opting to dive earlier into the trade winds, the duo took advantage of the favorable conditions and gradually pulled ahead of the pack. This strategy enabled them to move ahead at the decisive moment, when their rivals seemed to be struggling to correct more sinuous trajectories.  "âeuros¯ We knew it was going to come down to the minute âeuros¯Â" confided Guillaumeâeuros¯Pirouelle at the finish. Their victory is as much down to the speed of the boat as to the consistency of their performance, after a collision at the start of 2023. This sporting revenge is all the sweeter for confirming their role as one of the favorites in the category.
Just barely... but what a reach!
For Douguet & Tréhin, second place is a taste of bitterness, but also of pride: having held the lead of the fleet for so long, having kept hope alive right up to the last moment. They finish on the podium, and can say that they weren't beaten, but almost. In a race where the final gap was of the order of minutes, every detail, every tactical decision counted. It was a close game, and that's what makes their performance so special.
