Adrien Simon – Chloé Le Bars: “Being in contact on the Atlantic is crazy!”

WORDS OF A DUO. They both made their mark in the Mini class and crossed the Atlantic aboard these 6.50-meter monohulls. Next up was three Solitaire du Figaro Paprecs' and one Transat Paprec for Chloé Le Bars, sailing with Paul Meilhat for Adrien Simon, and a discovery of the Figaro. The two sailors, partnered aboard FAUN, know each other well, complement each other, and have experience with both the boat and the race format. In short, they have all the ingredients to shine. What if they were to secure a podium finish, like in their only race together?

What motivated you to participate in this edition of the Transat Paprec?

Adrien : Because it looks like a cool race! It's one of the flagship races on the Figaro circuit, and I couldn't see myself not participating, being in the same class. It's a race of the season, and it's a must-do!

Chloé : It's definitely an important race on the circuit. I already participated two years ago. I really enjoyed this 2023 edition, and it makes me want to do it again in 2025!

What did you like so much about the previous edition?

Chloé : There are lots of things that were really interesting in this race. During my previous transatlantic race, in a Mini 6.50, we weren't really in contact. This time, we have the opportunity to be able to play in contact throughout the race. We're not side by side, but we sometimes come across boats in the middle of the Atlantic, it's pretty crazy! It's a race where, like the Solitaire du Figaro, we fight for every little meter, and it's very stimulating. We also have to use weather strategies that are very different from what we do on short courses, which is very interesting.

What did the Mini bring you as a Figaro sailor?

Adrien : First of all, we did a transatlantic race, which is really important. You've already spent more than two weeks alone at sea, so you know what to expect. Back then, we were all alone on our boat, so if we had any problems, we only had ourselves to blame. It gives you experience of the open sea, and a certain idea of how to manage the open sea too. Today, we're adding a few elements like weather strategy, which will allow us to optimize our trajectories.

How did your duo form?

Chloé: We've known each other for a few years now. We had the opportunity to sail together in a Mini 6.50 race three years ago. We realized that things went very well on board, and we also get along very well on land. When he offered me the Transat Paprec, it was impossible to refuse this opportunity. We sail well together, we understand each other well, we work in similar ways, and we complement each other well! How do you position yourselves compared to the rest of the fleet?

Adrien: I'm not really sure how we compare to the others. We haven't had any real double-handed confrontations compared to the rest of the field. It's very competitive, so it's going to be a hell of a battle. The last time we sailed together, in a Mini, we finished on the podium (3rd in the Plastimo Lorient Mini 2023). So if we have the same goal, it could be good!