Transat Paprec Finish - The most beautiful night in Saint Barthélemy
by Transat Paprec 9 May 08:11 PDT
9 May 2025
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From the explosion of joy of Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif) to the happiness of Thomas de Dinechin and Aglaé Ribon, less than three hours passed.
In between, there was the popular enthusiasm surrounding Cindy Brin and Thomas André (Cap St Barth, 3rd), the emotion of the finishers, and the intense joy of completing an incredible adventure. A look back at a truly special night that will remain etched in the collective memory of Saint Barthélemy—and beyond.
Key highlights:
- Two years after her win with Loïs Berrehar, Charlotte Yven claims victory once again under the Skipper Macif banner, this time with Hugo Dhallenne
- The only sailor to win twice in a row, Charlotte matches Armel Le Cléac'h's record (winner in 2004 and 2010)
- Romain Bouillard and Irina Gracheva (Décrochons la Lune) finish second despite a torn spinnaker and being becalmed for long stretches
- Nearly 200 boats welcomed Cap St Barth (3rd) to celebrate the first arrival of a Saint Barthélemy-born skipper, Cindy Brin, sailing with Thomas André
- Only 35 seconds separated Cap St Barth (3rd) from Selencia-Cerfrance (Maël Garnier and Catherine Hunt, 4th)—the narrowest margin in this edition
- Within 2 hours and 53 minutes, the top 13 teams had crossed the finish line
6:30 AM in Gustavia Port. The orange hues of sunrise have given way to a sky slightly lighter blue than the sea. The port of Saint Barthélemy has returned to its usual calm—except for the ten 9.75-meter monohulls that arrived during the night and the buzz on the dock, in the race HQ, and among the teams. Sailors like Lola Billy and Corentin Horeau (Région Bretagne - CMB Océane), Pauline Courtois and Alexis Thomas (Wings of the Ocean), and Thomas André (Cap St Barth) debrief over their first meal ashore. Their boats, moored and with sails down, give no hint of the 18-day battle just fought, which came to its climax in the heart of the night.
The big bang survivors
A beautiful ending, made exceptional by an extraordinary scenario. "I've never seen anything like it," said race director Francis Le Goff. A massive area of calm around the Caribbean triggered a dramatic shake-up: leaders fell back, certainties vanished, and everyone had a chance. The front runners headed north, the trailers south. Every cloud, every gust, every tiny wind shift became critical. Hours passed in limbo; it felt like their fate would come down to a roll of the dice.
"It only takes one boat getting a bit more wind to change everything," said Yann Chateau at race HQ. The pair who best took advantage of such an opportunity—benefiting from a "perfect angle"—were Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne. "When we saw how tight it was, we chose a middle option—not too far north, not too far south—and tried to stay opportunistic," explained Hugo on the dock. They were first to finish, crossing the line at 2:18 AM (8:18 AM Paris time).
Hugo, usually chatty and supportive at sea, regained his calm and smile on land. Charlotte savored the moment—the first female skipper to win twice, and only the second sailor ever to do so, after fellow Morlaix Bay native Armel Le Cléac'h.
Cindy Brin and Thomas André: the new stars
While champagne flowed and congratulations were exchanged, the battle offshore raged on. Final gybes, last-minute duels, and one final twist: Romain Bouillard and Irina Gracheva (Décrochons la Lune) arrived 43 minutes later. Their spinnaker had torn, they'd lost hope—but rallied. Irina's face radiated joy; Romain, drenched in sweat and laughing, said, "My legs are shaking!"
Then the excitement hit a new level: Cap St Barth was approaching. Over 200 boats surrounded Cindy Brin and Thomas André. Gustavia was packed. Portraits of the sailors were handed out—even Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne grabbed some. "This welcome is stratospheric," smiled Cindy. The first Saint Barth native to sail the Transat Paprec, she briefly stepped back into her sailing instructor role: "I hope I've shown that dreams are worth believing in." As the crowd roared, she and Thomas unfurled a banner before stepping on stage: "On a misunderstanding, it might just work out."
To the very edge of what's possible
It did work out—but by just 35 seconds. In the final stretch, Maël Garnier and Catherine Hunt (Selencia - Cerfrance) came roaring in.
He had cycled around France as prep; she trained relentlessly. Despite technical issues and exhaustion, they clinched a top 5 finish.
Fatigue was also clear on the faces of Mathilde Géron and Martin Le Pape (DEMAIN, 5th). Their eyes glistened—nearly in tears. They gave everything. Mathilde even hallucinated: she thought the sails were speaking and saw a cat on deck. Martin, despite five Transats and massive experience, admitted this was a tough, wet, brutal edition.
Raw emotion, unfiltered joy
Landfall brings a mix of raw emotion and lightness. Julie Simon (Hellowork, 8th with Davy Beaudart) joked about "a Crocs accident" that gave her sunburned feet. Kévin Bloch (DMG MORI Academy, 7th) declared, "I want a beer!" sharing a knowing glance with Laure Galley. Quentin Vlamynck and Audrey Ogereau (Les Étoiles Filantes, 8th) said they "learned so much."
Dawn, disappointment, and triumph
As the sun rose, emotion lingered. Alexis Thomas and Pauline Courtois (Wings of the Ocean, 9th), who had led for a time, admitted disappointment. "That's the Figaro," said Alexis, eyes glistening. Lola Billy (Région Bretagne - CMB Océane, 10th) was on the verge of tears when Corentin Horeau apologized for being hard on her after a Lisbon pit stop. Chloé Le Bars (FAUN, 11th with Adrien Simon) seemed heavy-hearted: "That's part of the game." Accepting fate, embracing what you can't control—that's a victory, too.
Later, Estelle Greck and Victor Le Pape (Région Bretagne - CMB Espoir, 13th), penalized 39 minutes for a broken lead seal, broke down in tears.Their emotion contrasted with the festive spirit on the dock. Thomas de Dinechin (Almond for Pure Ocean, 12th) was already in swimwear, making Aglaé Ribon laugh. Then came a brief pause, the atmosphere warming again as Anaëlle Pattusch and Hugo Cardon (Humains en Action, 14th) arrived. After hugs, they were joyfully tossed into the water by Julie Simon, Aglaé Ribon, Romain Bouillard, and Kévin Bloch.
In that moment, they weren't just sailors, racers, teammates, or athletes. They were simply—happy people.
Quotes from the docks
Charlotte Yven (Skipper Macif, 1st): "This Transat Paprec was long, but we adapted, supported each other, held strong, and fought to the end. It was amazing to give it everything. The margins were tiny, but we just focused on our own wind, trying to stay fast all the time—and maybe that's what made the difference. I'm so happy and proud to join Armel Le Cléac'h as a two-time winner. And most of all, thrilled to have shared this with Hugo!"
Romain Bouillard (Décrochons la Lune, 2nd): "I slept one hour in the last 48! We finished second—it feels like we won, we were fighting with six boats in a 4-mile radius! I'm so happy, especially for my first time in the Caribbean and my first Transat. Huge thanks to Irina—she gave an insane level of intensity. Without her, this result wouldn't have been possible!"
Cindy Brin (Cap St Barth, 3rd): "I said at the start: 'on a misunderstanding, you never know what could happen.' Well, this one was planetary! We were always in the game. I doubted myself every day—but Thomas always brought the confidence back. 24 years ago, I was on my father's boat saying, 'One day, Dad, that will be me.' Today—it is! I already felt like I'd won by just taking the start, but I never expected third place. I'm so proud to represent Saint Barth!"
The rest of the fleet: Three more arrivals expected today!
The full fleet should finish by Friday. Only three teams remain at sea:
- Maggie Adamson & Calanach Finlayson (Solan Ocean Racing, 15th)
- Pier-Paolo Dean & Tiphaine Rideau (Banques Alimentaires, 16th) are expected late morning (Saint Barth time, early afternoon in France).
- The final duo, Ellie Driver & Oliver Hill (Women's Engineering Society, 17th), is 88 nautical miles from Saint Barthélemy.
Find the final rankings of the 17th Transat Paprec here.