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The start of the 2027 Transat Paprec mixed doubles race is still a few months away. It will take place on April 18, to be precise, from the port of Concarneau in Brittany. In the meantime, Marvin Fébrissy Gréaux is seizing every opportunity to hone his skills on the Figaro Bénéteau 3, the Team St. Barth, which the Territorial Collectivity of Saint Barth has entrusted him to sail in preparation for the transatlantic race. Consequently, he couldn’t miss the National Figaro regatta, which took place over three days, from October 9 to 11, in Lorient (again in Brittany). The final Figaro competition of the season brought together 28 crews and a host of big names in sailing, as the starting line featured Franck Cammas, Tom Laperche, Basile Bourgnon, Thomas Ruyant, Nicolas Troussel, Benjamin Dutreux, Gaston Morvan, and even… Thomas André, Cindy Brin’s partner on Cap St. Barth for the 2024 Transat. In short, quite the field to compete against!
After three intense days and six demanding races, Marvin Fébrissy Gréaux and his crew (Alix Martin, Jules Fortunati, and Damien Cloarec, the owner of the Figaro chartered from the Collectivité de Saint-Barth) finished in 26th place overall. A result that in no way disappoints the young sailor. “It’s not great, but we weren’t expecting a top performance in this race,” Marvin says. “It was still a learning experience for all of us. And there were so many big names! It was so cool to be able to compete against those guys.”
Observe, ask questions, learn
What Marvin takes away most from his first National Figaro is the competitive aspect. “Even though we finished 26th overall, we didn’t finish last in any race,” he says proudly. “It was always a close race with the others. We were all in it together, and the difference really came down to how well we knew the boat. I haven’t quite figured out the details that make the difference yet, but I’ll get there. We can be proud of ourselves.” Especially since the crew was only able to complete a single full training session before the race. “There were a lot of breakdowns (on the other boats, ed.) on the first day on courses with a bit of a rhythm,” says Marvin. “We didn’t break anything and we sailed cleanly. I’m proud of us! Jules and Alix are helping me a lot with the project, and I’m happy to share this experience with them. That was one of my goals: to share this project with others.”
Beyond the enjoyment and camaraderie, the Saint-Barth Yacht Club member emphasizes the learning experience inherent in such a competition. “We all learned a tremendous amount at this National,” he says. “We saw everyone sailing close-hauled. We all start and finish together, just a few minutes apart. That gave me time to observe the others, copy their moves, and ask questions. Especially to Damien (Cloarec, ed.), who’s been on the circuit for a long time and knows the boat well.”
After this new experience aboard the Figaro Team St. Barth, Marvin Fébrissy Gréaux will return to his studies and training. The Figaro season is over, but another race awaits him early next year. He’ll be sailing in tandem with his future crewmate for the Transat Paprec, whose name has not yet been revealed.
As for the National Figaro, it was won by Paul Morvan’s crew (Gaston Morvan, Tom Goron, Joséphine Bayle, Paul Mathieu, Brieuc Jacoby) on Foricher-French Touch, ahead of Région Bretagne – CMB Espoir and Région Normandie.
