36 skippers will line up in Perros-Guirec on Sunday for the start of the 57th edition of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, featuring three legs taking the fleet to Vigo, Pornichet and Le Havre. As before every major race, Sailorz asked a panel of experts to assess the contenders this year, including defending champion and 2025 runner-up Alexis Loison and Charlotte Yven, 2023 winner Corentin Horeau, Jules Delpech, with five Solitaire appearances under his belt, and Romen Richard, coach at the Centre Excellence Voile de La Rochelle.
1,660 miles, two crossings of the Bay of Biscay, three of the English Channel, two passages around Cape Finisterre, the Raz Blanchard to negotiate and close-quarters coastal sailing along the Breton and English coasts: the 57th edition of the Solitaire offers “a classic course just the way we like it“, sums up Romen Richard. “Yann Chateau (race director) has put together a demanding route that keeps the legend of the Solitaire alive.” For defending champion Alexis Loison, “it’s the full package, you’ll need to perform on clay and grass.”
One major change is that this year’s Solitaire takes place very early in the season, in May/June rather than late August/September as in the previous six editions. “That changes a lot of things,” explains Romen Richard. “It means less time to prepare, which is tougher for rookies and late-forming projects, but also potentially milder weather and shorter nights, which could work in their favour, as some of the more experienced profiles often make a big difference overnight.”
Is It Loïs Berrehar’s Time?
With the scene set, who do our experts see as favourite? One name clearly stands out, the only sailor consistently tipped for the podium, including three times for the top step: Loïs Berrehar, third in 2023 and runner-up in 2024, back this year in Banque Populaire colours (having notably won the Solo Guy Cotten offshore race), before moving into the Imoca class in 2027. “He is razor-sharp, fully dialled in, and already has two podium finishes, with stage wins to back it up (two out of three in 2024) and he knows the race inside out,” comments Charlotte Yven, who sailed alongside the 32-year-old for several seasons under the Macif banner. “Taking a break last year and already having his Imoca project underway probably means he’s racing with a little more freedom of mind.”
“Loïs is someone who is always incredibly quick and capable of things nobody else can do on a Figaro,” adds Jules Delpech. “He has a very special connection with this boat, especially when it comes to pushing hard under gennaker. He has a real knack for weaving through the fleet and is always up at the front from the start, with the ability to stay there for a long time.”
“Loïs is part of a team I know very well, and I know the level of performance, discipline and resources they can bring,” adds Corentin Horeau, winner of the 2023 Solitaire in Banque Populaire colours, while adding one slight caveat: “He’s extremely strong in heavy breeze, but a little less comfortable in lighter, more unstable conditions,” which could well feature in a May/June Solitaire.
Lunven and Goron Neck and Neck
Behind the Banque Populaire skipper, our experts place two sailors level on points, who have sailed together this season and won the Trophée Banque Populaire Grand Ouest: Nicolas Lunven (PRB), the oldest competitor in this year’s Solitaire (43), which he has won twice (2009 and 2017), and Tom Goron (Xplorassur), the youngest in the fleet (having just turned 20). With a slight edge to the former, who was ranked first by two of the panel. “I loved the way he prepared himself to get back to the top level,” admires Alexis Loison. “He focused on the essentials without overthinking things, and teaming up with Tom Goron was a brilliant move. I saw him several times in training, and every time I turned around on the RIB, his boat was the best set-up in the fleet — everything was perfectly in place and often heading the right way. It was impressive to watch!”
Corentin Horeau agrees: “He prepared intelligently, as always, and compared to sailors who have never won the Solitaire, already having two titles probably means he arrives with a little less pressure.” Jules Delpech does raise one question: “Since Nico hasn’t sailed that much Figaro 3 racing, one or two extra solo races wouldn’t have hurt to fully get back into the groove and arrive completely confident. But if there’s one rock-solid guy in this fleet, it’s Nicolas Lunven!”
And what about Tom Goron, whom several of our experts rank alongside Paul Morvan (Foricher Les Moulins, winner this season of the Solo Guy Cotten), with both sailors lining up for their third Solitaire? “Tom and Paul have already shown they’re capable of producing some brilliant performances. They may have lacked a bit of experience in managing consistency over the duration of previous editions, but this year both have leaned on some of the very best (Nicolas Lunven for Tom Goron, Jérémie Beyou for Paul Morvan) to guide them,” says Charlotte Yven. “Being chosen by Nico and Jérémie definitely gives you extra confidence,” adds Corentin Horeau.
“Based on their results this season, they’ll be right in the mix,” believes Romen Richard. “They’re always well placed, make very few mistakes and sail in a very similar way to Loïs — consistent and always quick.” Asked about the “Tom Goron case” (see our feature on the skipper), Alexis Loison says: “Nico (Lunven) told me he was really impressed by Tom’s talent and all-round ability — capable of sailing through the rocks as if he’d done it his whole life, producing routings and mastering Adrena faster than anyone else… he learns incredibly quickly.”
Rookies: A Battle Between Two Pauls
Fourth in the average rankings from our panel, Paul Morvan narrowly edges out Arno Biston (Article.1), who is also competing in his third Solitaire, after finishing 11th and top rookie in 2024, then third in 2025, and reaching the podium this season in the first two events of the French Elite Offshore Racing Championship: the Solo Guy Cotten (2nd) and the Trophée BPGO (3rd). “His rise has been meteoric: top rookie, podium finisher, so what’s next this year?“ asks Alexis Loison. “The Solitaire is a race that really suits him because he’s naturally quick, never gives up and is always in the right moves, constantly managing to reposition himself well,” adds Charlotte Yven.
Asked about the other sailors capable of challenging for a top five or podium finish, our experts mention Alexis Thomas (Wings of the Ocean), who according to his La Rochelle coach Romen Richard, “is reaching a good level of maturity and has really unlocked some speed gains; he just needs a little more consistency. If he can maintain the pace over time, he’ll definitely be in contention.” Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif 2025) is also considered a strong outsider, with former Macif teammate Charlotte Yven explaining: “He showed in previous Solitaires that he’s capable of producing some outstanding performances. He was perhaps just lacking a bit in terms of sleep management and mental resilience, but I get the feeling he’s worked hard on that over the winter.”
Our experts also keep an eye on Tom Dolan (Kingspan), winner in 2024; Thomas de Dinechin (Almond for Pure Ocean) who, according to Jules Delpech, “has good upwind speed”; Davy Beaudart (Nautymor) “who brings huge experience across many different classes,” Delpech continues; Hugo Cardon, “who took a stage win last year” (Charlotte Yven); Arthur Meurisse, Adrien Hardy, the other forty-something in this year’s Solitaire, and Martin Le Pape, stepping in for Yoann Richomme aboard Paprec. “Could arriving at the last minute like this actually be the spark he needs, given that he comes in relaxed and with a perfectly prepared boat?” asks Alexis Loison.
Among the ten rookies, our experts unanimously predict a showdown between the two Pauls, Cousin (Région Normandie) and Loiseau (Région Bretagne-CMB Espoir), with Corentin Horeau even believing the latter “could challenge for the overall standings.” Romen Richard also highlights Normandy sailor Pierrick Letouzé (Normandy Offshore Program, 28), “who has huge offshore experience, is very strong on weather analysis and knows very well some of the key sections of this Solitaire — such as the Cotentin Peninsula (he lives in Cherbourg) and the English coast.”
Our experts’ top 5: 1. Loïs Berrehar, 2. Nicolas Lunven, 3. Tom Goron, 4. Paul Morvan, 5. Arno Biston.
Photo : Alexis Yvonnou / Solo Guy Cotten
