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The first leg of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 2026 reminded us why this race remains one of the most demanding exercises in single-handed ocean racing. Between the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay and the tricky approach to the Spanish coast, the skippers sailed for almost four days in challenging weather, with little respite and long compressed gaps.
On arrival at Cape Finisterre, Tom Dolan finally gained the upper hand thanks to a decisive acceleration in the final hours of the race.
A northern option turns the stage on its head
It all came down to the night before the finish. While a group of leaders were sailing side by side, Tom Dolan chose a position slightly further north than his direct rivals. Around him were Loïs Berrehar, Nicolas Lunven, Paul Morvan, Alexis Thomas and Victor Mathieu. But the Irishman gradually managed to build up a lead thanks to his superior speed in the final approach tacks.
This difference in pace on the water quickly became impossible to make up. At dawn, the skipper of Kingspan controlled the finish towards Cape Finisterre and crossed the line after 3 days, 20 hours, 21 minutes and 36 seconds of racing. The tactical choice looks simple from the outside. In reality, we still had to conserve enough physical energy to exploit the last wind oscillations after several very committed nights.
The Dolan-Berrehar duel, a Solitaire classic
Behind Tom Dolan, Loïs Berrehar confirms that he will be a force to be reckoned with again this year. Second at just over 37 minutes, the Banque Populaire skipper remains in the game after a leg in which he often animated the front-runners.
In fact, the sporting rivalry between the two sailors is becoming one of the main threads running through the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec. In 2024, Loïs Berrehar won two legs but failed to secure the final overall classification, which was eventually won by Tom Dolan. And this 2026 edition is exactly the same. Both sailors are displaying particularly high levels of consistency in a Figaro fleet that is still extremely dense.
For Loïs Berrehar, the challenge will now be to turn his average speed into a stage win on the next run to Pornichet.
Paul Morvan signs his first major result
Third, less than 41 minutes behind the winner, Paul Morvan turned in one of the outstanding performances of this first leg. The skipper of Foricher - French Touch took his first podium in the Solitaire. In a race where the gaps are often counted in minutes after several hundred miles, this consistency confirms his rise to prominence on the Figaro circuit.
His sleep management in the final hours seems to have played an important role. At the finish, the skipper explained that he had managed to rest before the final approach, so as to be able to attack the final sequence more lucidly. On such long courses, physical management is now almost as decisive as pure tactics.
Old hands resist new profiles
Another interesting lesson from this stage is that experienced sailors remain fully in the game.
Martin Le Pape and Nicolas Lunven finished fourth and fifth respectively after a particularly clean race. Together, they have raced nineteen times in the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, but the new generation is pushing hard behind them. Paul Loiseau finished first rookie in a solid provisional seventh place. As for Paul Cousin, he also broke into the Top 10 on his first appearance.
The fleet will now have just over 48 hours to recover before the start of the second leg to Pornichet. And with the gaps still limited after this first leg, the general ranking remains wide open.
