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The Solo Guy Cotten is the barometer for the start of the season. The 2026 edition, held from March 6 to March 12, 2026 in Concarneau, brought together over forty solo Figaro sailors, and saw Paul Morvan win the overall classification.
Paul Morvan wins thanks to a steady week
At the end of the three legs, Paul Morvan wins the overall classification of the Solo Guy Cotten 2026. The skipper of Foricher les Moulins is ahead of Arnaud Biston and Hugo Dhallenne.
Victory was not built on a single run, but on consistency. In a very homogeneous fleet, every mistake is quickly paid for. Paul Morvan managed to stay consistently in the leading group, which enabled him to win the final ranking.
The Abers-born sailor is competing in his third season on the Figaro circuit:
"This is my first solo victory in the French Championship. Above and beyond the result, I feel I've made a lot of progress. This winter, my work with the Pôle Finistère Course au Large has really paid off, and I feel I've turned a corner compared with last year.
We had all kinds of conditions during this race, with lots of wind. Half the course was upwind, and the most fun was under spinnaker in the early hours. We did some long slips in 25 to 30 knots of wind: it was very challenging, but really great. I tried to manage the fatigue with a series of short naps to stay clear-headed at key moments. What's hard in these conditions isn't just the lack of sleep, it's staying 100% focused for hours on end.
It was a great match over three days, especially with Lois. If I had to remember anything for the future, it's that the spinnaker is now a point of sail where I'm really comfortable. We'll be working on upwind sailing before the Solitaire. "
A hotly contested 240-mile race
The final leg, the big race, was the decisive moment of the week. In the end, the course was shortened to 240 miles due to the forecast deterioration in the weather.
The Figaros left Concarneau on a course that took them past the Raz de Sein before returning to Concarneau Bay. The solo sailors encountered a wide range of conditions, from upwind sailing in heavy seas to downwind sailing as the wind strengthened.
In this context, Loïs Berrehar crossed the line in the lead after about two days of sailing. Paul Morvan finished less than a minute behind him, enough to secure first place in the overall standings.
"I'm very happy with this victory compared with the first two days, which weren't very brilliant. The last time I was here for the Grande Course, I won... and here again, it ended the same way. It's obviously good news, and it's promising for the Solitaire. The race was superb: there was a lot of sea, a lot of wind, and a lot to play for strategically. It was really demanding. I'm lucky enough not to be too sick, but in those conditions it was hard on everyone. It's a great start to this first solo race aboard the Figaro Banque Populaire."
Newbies already in the rhythm of the circuit
The Solo Guy Cotten is also an important test for newcomers to the championship. Several newcomers were competing in their first hours of single-handed ocean racing on Figaro Beneteau 3s.
Paul Cousin, skipper of Région Normandie, finished first rookie of this edition.
"I had a good race overall. For a rookie, there was very little waste. I was going pretty fast and, strategically, I was on the ball. I had a bit of trouble at the end and I was very tired: I hardly ate at all during the race. But I managed to get some sleep on a quieter shore.
When I saw the gap to the other rookies, I realized that the ranking could be assured, which allowed me to concentrate on the overall. It's very encouraging for the future. This race was very complete: we encountered all conditions and there's a lot we can learn to progress."
