Transat Paprec Day 13 - Cap Saint Barth has lit the fire!
by Transat Paprec 3 May 04:56 NZST
2 May 2025
Competitors in the Transat Paprec - a race organized by OC Sport Pen Duick - and those familiar with the charts have become accustomed to it: Cap St Barth has been at the forefront since the start.
Better still, the boat skippered by Cindy Brin - the first native of Saint Barthélemy - and Thomas André can legitimately claim overall victory. With Wings of the Ocean (Alexis Thomas-Pauline Courtois) and Skipper Macif (Charlotte Yven-Hugo Dhallenne), they have taken a slight lead over the competition. Here's a recounting of an incredible sensation and a breakdown with skipper Éric Péron, who has been with them for several months.
The days before are already long gone. Those days before the big start, the cool temperatures of Finistère, the goodbyes to family, the short, fitful sleep. Cindy Brin had gotten into the habit of pacing the pontoons wearing large sunglasses to hide the dark circles under her eyes, the deepening fatigue, and the mounting apprehension. Thomas André, for his part, used his smile to hide his doubts and his obsession with understanding everything about the weather at the start of the race. "It 's like a climber looking for his route, looking where his holds are, where to put his hands," he confided after the briefing. "We do the same: we imagine our choices, we project ourselves, and the route slowly infuses our minds."
"Cap Saint Barth is a big surprise, they're having a superb race!" (Armel Le Cléac'h)
After the reflections, the actions. And from the start, from the coastal course, Cap Saint-Barth is celebrating. With tears barely dried for their loved ones, the battle begins. Cindy and Thomas are keeping an eye on everything and are getting into the lead pack between the buoys. They even come out on top of this coastal course. In the 'top 10' rounding Cape Finisterre and then along the Portuguese coast, they are 6th at La Palma and then 3rd from Monday following a front. Since then, Cap St Barth has opened up a slight gap with the two other leaders, Wings of the Ocean (Alexis Thomas and Pauline Courtois) and Skipper Macif (Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne).
"Cap Saint-Barth has been a big surprise so far, they're having a superb race," said Armel Le Cléac'h, two-time winner of the Transat Paprec (2004, 2010). "Every day, we're less and less surprised," added race director Francis Le Goff. Éric Péron, a renowned Figaro sailor and participant in the Arkea Ultim Challenge - Brest, is in charge of the technical side, coaching, and managing the duo's communications. He deciphers their first half of the race: "At the start, I know that Thomas had the strength to allow them to get off to a good start. However, I was more surprised later by their ability to attack and hold their own in a group of top sailors."
"Wearing the colors of Saint-Barth adds an extra dimension."
Eric's role is essential to the project. "He helped us a lot," explained Cindy Brin before the start. In 2008, partnered with a skipper from Saint Barth, Miguel Danet, Eric was the first to take the helm of a boat bearing the colors of the Saint Barthélemy community in the Transat Paprec. Since then, he has maintained ties and was keen to get involved when the Cap St Barth project was relaunched. "It's not easy to set up a project while being far from the mainland," he confided. Cindy spent the winter in Brittany and together, they found a boat, a trainer, and most importantly, a co-skipper: Thomas André, who was looking for sponsors to compete in a new season in the Figaro, quickly gained unanimous support.
But where does their success come from? How can we explain that, twelve days after the start, they are in contention for victory? "Obviously, the fact of flying the colors of Saint-Barth, knowing that we are expected, adds an extra dimension," explains Éric. A fact that doesn't only involve Cindy. "The fact that she carries this on her shoulders also allowed Thomas to set off free from pressure, focusing only on sailing well. He is keen to prove what he is capable of and he has all the latitude to do so here."
As the days went by, a real bond grew between the two sailors. They displayed an impressive frankness, even in the toughest and most demanding moments. And it wasn't easy, as Cindy confided at the end of last week: "Emotions are heightened tenfold on the boat, everything is multiplied by 10,000, and it's not easy to manage. Even though we get along very well with Thomas and haven't been getting into any trouble, it's not easy to open up to someone you've only known for three months." Cindy was also sick for several days at the start of the race and had difficulty eating. "I broke down many times, but it's getting better." she explained.
But the tough sailor hung on and gradually regained her drive and enthusiasm. This Friday morning, at sunrise, Cap St Barth was sailing within sight of Wings of the Ocean and had just passed Skipper Macif. Thomas made no secret of his pleasure at being there: "It means the crew isn't too bad! The rest of the journey promises to be complicated but exciting." One thing is certain: the party should be grand when they arrive in Saint Barthélemy in a week.
Track the fleet here.