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After three weeks of intense sailing, the expression “coming back down to earth” takes on its full meaning. So, for Marvin Fébrissy Gréaux, it took two good nights’ sleep to get started on his college math program in La Rochelle. Far, very far from Lagos (Portugal) or Cape Finistère. “I got back on Monday, and it’s a little tricky,” jokes the young (17-year-old) sailor. All the more so because, in his first offshore race aboard the Figaro Bénéteau 3 Team St. Barth, he managed to represent the island with honor during both legs of L’Aventura.
Admittedly, during the first leg of the race, between Port-Bourgenay and Lagos, he and his teammate Romen Richard suffered a series of breakdowns that forced them to retire before the finish line. But this first experience proved to be an excellent learning opportunity. The second leg, between Lagos and Île d’Yeu, which he completed alongside Benjamin Dutreux, is proof of that.
“Keep your eyes everywhere!”
“We spent most of the race in the pack,” Marvin summarizes. “So it was much more exciting than during the first leg. ” The two sailors got off to a great start, taking the lead after the first few tacks. “We were playing it off against the others—we had to keep our eyes everywhere and make sure the sail changes went smoothly. It was really great,” Marvin enthuses.
After being forced to sail further south off the coast of Portugal due to the presence of a family of orcas, the first night proved more challenging for the Team St. Barth crew. “We were overtaken before the checkpoint,” says Marvin. “Since I’m still getting to know the boat and Benjamin hasn’t sailed much on a Figaro, we spent a lot of time figuring out the right settings. We were much more precise toward the end of the leg.” In fact, after a few poor decisions while rounding Cape Finisterre, the two sailors found themselves in last place. “A tough blow,” Marvin sighs. But they quickly regrouped.
Better control
“As we crossed the ridge in the Bay of Biscay, we chose to go through the middle, and even though we got stuck there longer than the others, we managed to make up the lost ground,” Marvin says with satisfaction. “During the last night, there were a lot of changes. The fleet bunched up, and that reshuffled the deck.”
At the finish line, Team St-Barth came in 16th. “I’m proud of what we accomplished last night,” Marvin says. “We had to stay very focused because there wasn’t much wind and there were a lot of competitors. It was incredible because it was a real race right up to the finish line!”
Once again a member of the Saint-Barth Yacht Club, Marvin Fébrissy Gréaux feels he’s starting to better understand how a Figaro works. “I feel like I have better control,” he confirms. “During the first leg, there were a lot of problems, and we were more passive. This time, we took a more active role; we were able to find the right settings and get a good feel for the boat. I’m getting more and more excited.”
The 2027 edition of the Transat Paprec mixed double-handed race is still a long way off. Nevertheless, it’s constantly on the young sailor’s mind. Even though, since the start of the week, his studies have caught up with him! Temporarily, at least. “I’m going to resume training for a crewed race, the National Figaro, which will take place October 8–11 (in Lorient, Morbihan—editor’s note),” Marvin adds. It’s definitely not easy for him to keep his feet on the ground!
L’Aventura for Figaro Specialists
The first edition of L’Aventura was won by Victor Le Pape and Paul Loiseau aboard Région Bretagne. The duo finished ahead of Chloé Le Bars and Hugo Dhallenne on Skipper Macif, as well as Laure Galley and Colombe Julia on Article 1. A race for specialists, though of course several mixed crews took part. Good preparation for the Transat Paprec.
