Transat Paprec Day 5 - Galley & Bloch: "We couldn't have dreamed of much better!"
by Transat Paprec 24 Apr 16:59 UTC
24 April 2025
Laure Galley - Kévin Bloch (DMG MORI Academy): "We couldn't have dreamed of much better!"
They've been the stars of this early stage of the Transat Paprec. After quickly positioning themselves among the front-runners during the coastal course, Laure Galley and Kévin Bloch then took the lead and were in front by Tuesday evening at Cape Finisterre. Still right in the mix and battling at the front, they were in second place at 4:00 p.m., behind Demain (Martin Le Pape - Mathilde Géron, 1st) and ahead of Hellowork (Davy Beaudart - Julie Simon, 3rd). The entire fleet is moving quickly toward La Palma, where the leaders are expected to arrive on Sunday evening. Late this morning, Laure took a moment to reflect on this explosive start.
RACE UPDATE
Since Thursday morning, Martin Le Pape and Mathilde Géron (Demain) have taken the lead.
After taking a more easterly route, Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne gybed back toward the leading pack in the west.
The fleet is progressing westward toward Madeira with winds of 15 to 17 knots.
Wind speeds are expected to increase later in the day (22 to 25 knots forecast).
Lola Billy and Corentin Horeau (Région Bretagne - CMB Océane), who suffered rudder damage yesterday, stopped in Cascais for repairs and resumed racing around 4:00 p.m.
Romain Bouillard and Irina Gracheva (Décrochons la lune), as well as Davy Beaudart and Julie Courtois (Hellowork), encountered a submarine yesterday afternoon.
INTERVIEW: Laure Galley shares the story of a lightning-fast start!
You've had a great start to the race... What has it felt like from the inside? "It's definitely satisfying to kick off the race well. We had a solid coastal leg, which got us into a good rhythm from the beginning. Then we kept a good pace through the Bay of Biscay, made some good course choices... That allowed us to round Cape Finisterre in the lead... Honestly, we couldn't have dreamed of much better!"
What does it feel like when everything is working so well? "You realize all the hard work over the winter paid off and that we made the right calls... It's really satisfying, and we're enjoying it! Especially now that it's starting to warm up!"
Your positioning decisions before rounding Cape Finisterre paid off. How did you make that call? "We made that decision fairly early. A wind shift pushed us to move further east. But it was a bit of a gamble, especially if the lull had been stronger than for the boats further west. In the end, the difference wasn't that big, and it shortened our route. When a risk pays off, it's always a win!"
One unique aspect of your duo is that Kévin was also your coach... "I'm thrilled to be in the race with him. I'm learning so much every day by his side. He's an experienced skipper, and that's really valuable. Right now, he's at the helm because the conditions are quite sporty - we can't use the autopilot!"
Onboard Updates
Tiphaine Rideau and Pier-Paolo Dean (Banques Alimentaires) summed up the current mood well. Despite their smiles, they described a "terrible night" due to the waves and a "soaked boat".
"We're at Gibraltar and the weather's like Brittany", exclaimed Pier-Paolo. "It's still very damp", added Maël Garnier (Selencia - Cerfrance).
"It's not quite the trade winds we were expecting - it's pretty grey," said Arno Biston (Article.1). Even the sunrise was stormy" noted Romain Bouillard (Décrochons la lune). "We're not in swimsuits just yet" joked Mathilde Géron (Demain). A bit later, she explained that a whale "passed right in front of our bow". Charlotte Yven (Skipper Macif) reported seeing turtles, as did Jules Ducelier and Sophie Faguet (Région Normandie), who also spotted " two pretty massive sunfish."
Meanwhile, Quentin Vlamynck (Les Étoiles Filantes) sang "Sous les sunlights des tropiques", while Aglaé Ribon aboard Almond for Pure Ocean enjoyed a proper English breakfast. But the discovery of the day goes to Romain Bouillard and Irina Gracheva, who encountered a submarine last night. "At first, we were really surprised," said Irina, who was the first to spot it. "We thought, 'What is that shape in the water?' It looked like a whale but was much bigger!" Davy Beaudart and Julie Simon (Hellowork) later had the same encounter. Enough to spark curiosity not only among those at sea but also those following the race from land!
Follow the sailors on the race tracker!
Find out more at www.transatpaprec.com