With Philippe Hartz (Navy), arriving just after them, Beaudart and Duthil were past 20th place on Wednesday evening, but they made a spectacular comeback overnight, bypassing the Ouessant cargo rail from the west. .

Early in the morning, the suspense was intense as Duthil and Beaudart were so close.

Finally, the more experienced of the two, who is in his 13th participation and already has four stage victories, took advantage of a slight error from the rookie to cross the line first shortly after 10:00 a.m.

But Duthil received a 30-minute penalty for breaking the engine seal.

The 48-year-old sailor had however explained from the first day, with supporting photos, that the device, perhaps incorrectly installed, was already broken 45 minutes after departure.

An unexpected turnaround for Davy Beaudart.

At 37, Louis Burton's teammate on the last two Transat Jacques Vabre blamed himself for having made a mistake at the very end of the course, a "dumpling": "I rounded the wrong buoy, a lack of lucidity , beginner's stupidity," he said.

"But I'm very happy. It's my 3rd race in Figaro, I'm totally new to the circuit, it's great", he added, specifying that the "honor" of having crossed the line first would stay at Duthil.

The jury "applied the rule", regretted Duthil for his part, evoking a "a little unfair" situation but ensuring that he had had the four days of the stage to ruminate and digest the incident.

This situation, and the feeling of having "not much to lose", may have also encouraged him to take the risk of the option by the west on Wednesday.

"You see the guys who are in good shape and who go fast. On the first stretch, it was hard to go as fast as them."

With the deliberation of the jury, Davy Beaudart has a 3 minute lead over Philippe Hartz and 29 over Fred Duthil.

The bulk of the fleet is almost 2 hours away.

The blow is tough for the favourite, Tom Laperche (Bretagne CMB Performance), who arrived almost 1h50 after Beaudart, who nevertheless led the dance throughout the climb towards the Welsh coast before seeing his domination challenged in the descent by sailors. sometimes passed further east on Tuesday or further west on Wednesday.

The jury still having two other cases to examine on Friday morning, no official classification of the stage was published on Thursday.

Due to a lack of wind, the stage had been shortened by 85 miles with a virtual mark to be rounded to the north rather than the Welsh islet of Skokholm, to guarantee everyone sufficient recovery time.

The competitors must indeed leave on Sunday for the 2nd stage, between the Channel and the French Atlantic coast, before a final explanation in the Bay of Biscay from September 4 to 8 to designate the successor to Pierre Quiroga, winner of the 2021 edition.

© 2022 AFP