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The Paprec Group's offices on the outskirts of Rennes were packed with people on Thursday March 20. Journalists, politicians and entrepreneurs made the trip to Brittany to discover the list of 19 mixed crews who will be setting sail on the 17th edition of the Transat Paprec on April 20. The public was presented with a rather eclectic line-up of sailors with different backgrounds, nationalities and ages. It's not chauvinistic to say that among all these skippers, Cindy Brin caught the eye of the spectators.
The sailing instructor was first singled out for special praise by the President of the Collectivité, Xavier Lédée, in a video broadcast during the conference: "I'll let you imagine the pride of the population in the participation of this child of the island, whose results will live up to the hopes placed in her. "During the traditional presentation of each crew, Cindy charmed the audience with her naturalness and complicity with her teammate Thomas André.
"I feel serene about setting off with her".
But when it comes to petit fours, Cindy confesses, it's not really her world. The sailor would be more at ease on her boat in Port-la-Forêt, revising her maneuvers. After taking a break from training for a few weeks to accompany the sailors of the Saint-Barth Yacht Club for a competition, Cindy experienced a rather difficult resumption. During the first outing, the spinnaker didn't go up properly, the sheets weren't in the right place, it was a mess," she says. I felt like I had to learn everything all over again. "And yet, every night before going to bed, the skipper went over the maneuvers in her head. But by the second day, everything came back naturally: "It was as if I'd never left. "
She has nothing to be ashamed of," insists Thomas André. After all, it's only been a short time, and she didn't know the boat at all. And now I feel serene about setting off with her. "For the Breton sailor, this first participation is not necessarily about winning, but more about "having a good transatlantic race, playing the weather game and being in contact with the others". I don't think it's necessarily a big deal not to succeed right away," philosophizes the 24-year-old sailor. After all, the Figaro class is a professional class where people have been working full-time for a long time. "
A quality line-up
Many of the 19 crews taking part in the Transat Paprec for the first time have significant experience in the Figaro class or other categories, such as Martin Le Pape, Davy Beaudart, Quentin Vlamynck, Estelle Greck and Mathilde Géron. Others are familiar with the 3,890-mile route from Concarneau to Saint-Barth, including Sophie Faguet (4th in 2023), Pauline Courtois and Quentin Horeau (3rd in 2023), Chloé Le Bars (6th in 2023) and last year's winner Charlotte Yven. "Finishing in Saint-Barth is still my fondest sailing memory," said the skipper during the press conference, alongside her new team-mate Hugo Dhallenne. The sailor has no intention of lowering her standards for this new edition, and hopes to match her first place.
"I'm not fooled, she's still the favorite," says Thomas André, who points out that his teammate Hugo Dhallenne has already won the Mini Transat in 2021, and a 4th place in the last Solitaire du Figaro. Cindy, for her part, remains focused on her goal: crossing the finish line. "Afterwards, you never know, on a misunderstanding you never know what can happen," the island native slips in with a smile. There's no secret to hoping for a podium finish: you just have to keep training. During January and February, the two Cap Saint-Barth skippers followed an intense preparation program, sailing five days out of seven for weeks on end. "It allowed us to really get to grips with everything on the boat, the maneuvers, the lines, where it fits in, etc." explains Cindy. Since her return in mid-March, the skippers have been less present on the water. It's time to prepare the first-aid kit, the safety bags, install the satellite links and finalize the decoration of the Cap Saint-Barth boat.
"This project will bring the people of Saint-Barth together".
"The decorations really pop," says Cindy. The figure of the Arawak and the pelican were not necessarily familiar to the Breton, but he has learned to tame them. This boat has the identity of Saint-Barth," stresses Thomas André. And a project like this, with all its symbols, will help bring the people of Saint-Barth together around this race, which thrills the island every two years. "The Breton says he's proud to be part of the project: "This crew makes sense because we start in Brittany, then we go to Saint-Barth, so we have both identities on the boat. "During the press conference, the young sailor reminded everyone that in the event of a conflict at sea, he will be able to express his annoyance in Breton and Cindy in Patois, if they don't want to be understood by their crewmate.
Whether in front of an audience of guests, or in smaller groups, the relationship between the two skippers seems natural, almost friendly. During the interview, Thomas André, whose temperament is more talkative than Cindy's, doesn't hesitate to complete her sentences. The two sailors have already made arrangements for the Atlantic crossing. If they have to launch for any reason, Thomas will be the one to do it. For Cindy, it's out of the question to set foot in the blue expanse. But who knows, when she arrives on the pebble, Cindy might just forget her fear of the water, carried away by the feverish welcome she receives from the locals.
Transat Paprec 2025 entry list
Boat SkipperCo-Skipper
Almond for Pure Ocean Thomas De DinechinAglaé Ribon
Article.1Arno Biston Vittoria Ripa de Meana
Banques Alimentaires Pier-Paolo DeanTiphaine Rideau
Bretagne CMB Espoir Victor Le PapeEstelle Greck
Bretagne CMB Océane Lola BillyCorentin Horeau
Cap St Barth Cindy Brin Thomas André
Décrochons la lune Romain Bouillard Irina Gracheva
Tomorrow Martin Le Pape Mathilde Géron
DMG MORI Laure Galley Kévin Bloch
Faun Adrien Simon Chloé Le Bars
HelloWork I Davy Beaudart I Julie Simon
Humains en action I Anaëlle Pattusch I Hugo Cardon
Les Étoiles Filantes I Quentin Vlamynck I Audrey Ogereau
Région Normandie I Jules Ducelier I Sophie Faguet
Selencia - Cerfrance I Maël Garnier I Cat Hunt
Skipper Macif 2022 I Charlotte Yven I Hugo Dhallenne
Solan Ocean Racing I Maggie Adamson I Calanach Finalyson
Wings of the ocean I Alexis Thomas I Pauline Courtois
Women's Engineering Society I Ellie Driver I Oliver Hill
