Transat Paprec Day 3 - Pier-Paolo Dean & Tiphaine Rideau: "We're having an incredible time!"

by Transat Paprec 22 Apr 20:33 BST 21 April 2025

They are the youngest duo in the Transat Paprec fleet. At just 19 and 20 years old, Tiphaine Rideau and Pier-Paolo Dean (Banques Alimentaires) have embarked on their first transatlantic crossing. Thanks to their experience in dinghy sailing, they managed a solid start.

After a few early setbacks, they're now positioned to the west of the fleet, which is expected to round the northeastern tip of Spain by the end of the day. The race has intensified as the boats head south as fast as possible to avoid a high-pressure ridge and catch the Portuguese trade winds. As of the 3:00 PM ranking, Laure Galley and Kévin Bloch (DMG MORI Academy) were in the lead, with Tiphaine and Pier-Paolo trailing 16 nautical miles behind.

RACE UPDATE

• Since midday, the entire fleet has been heading south
• The western route followers, led by Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif), currently benefit from a better wind angle and are slightly faster than the southeastern group
• As of the 3:00 PM ranking, the southeastern group held the advantage: Laure Galley and Kévin Bloch (DMG MORI Academy, 1st), Martin Le Pape and Mathilde Géron (DEMAIN, 2nd), and Romain Bouillard and Irina Gracheva (Décrochons la lune, 3rd)
• The fleet is expected to pass between the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) and the tip of Spain later today

A race against time is under way to head as far south as possible and reach the Portuguese trade winds before being trapped by a forming high-pressure ridge near the Iberian Peninsula.

INTERVIEW OF THE DAY - "We can feel we're offshore"

Aged just 19 and 20, Tiphaine Rideau and Pier-Paolo Dean (BANQUES ALIMENTAIRES) are crossing the Atlantic for the first time. The farewells on the dock were understandably emotional, and the first hours at sea were intense. They faced an early technical issue (a slightly torn jib), had to find their sea legs, and stay close to the leading pack. Despite these early challenges, the rookie duo held their ground. Their perseverance is paying off: they're still in the mix as they approach Cape Finisterre, which the fleet should reach this evening. And most importantly, just like their cheerful Tuesday morning spent sharing a grapefruit and cracking jokes, they're savoring every moment of their time at sea.

How was the big departure and saying goodbye on the dock?

Tiphaine: "It was more emotional than I expected. At our first races, we were the emotional ones. This time, you could feel the emotion more from our families. Everyone was there, and for the first time, I saw real concern in their eyes."

Pier-Paolo: "It was really intense. Early in the morning, no one was there when I arrived, and then gradually the docks filled up—with our families, our sponsors... It was the first time we said goodbye and were leaving for such a long time."

And you had a great start right after that!

Pier-Paolo: "Yeah, that was really fun—it's kind of our specialty, so we wanted to make it count! The coastal course was tricky, with a lot of maneuvers. You really needed experience to get through it without burning too much energy or making too many mistakes."

And then things got tougher...

Pier-Paolo: " Yeah, after the bay course, we set off with the spinnaker a bit high on the wind, and when we went to switch to the jib, we noticed a big hole—about 35 to 40 centimeters wide. It didn't break our spirits, but we were down a sail and a bit slower than the others. We took the jib down, patched it with two big pieces, and now it's holding. It was stressful because we didn't want to fall behind. "

But you've kept up with the pace?

Tiphaine: "At the start, we lost a bit of ground on the lead pack. The first night wasn't great—I was seasick, and we had to repair the sail. But we took a slightly more westerly route to get through a patch of light wind near Cape Finisterre. And for now, we haven't lost anything on those ahead of us, especially those further east. The option seems to be working—we're feeling pretty confident!"

Have you been able to enjoy yourselves since the start?

Pier-Paolo: "It wasn't easy at the beginning, but since sunrise today, we've been laughing nonstop! I think the fatigue makes everything seem funny—we keep cracking each other up. The sun's out, the sea is turning blue, dolphins are swimming around the boat... It's just amazing!"

Tiphaine: "And the swell is long and regular, there are beautiful waves... You can feel that you're really out in the ocean, making progress ! "

Life on Board - Little updates from the fleet

The race got off to a fast-paced start, and that intensity was felt throughout the fleet. Cindy Brin and Thomas André (Cap St Barth) managed to find their sea legs after a rough first night with seasickness. Anaëlle Pattusch (Humains en action) injured her ankle and had to take it easy. Victor Le Pape (Région Bretagne - CMB Espoir) had to dive under the boat to remove a fishing net stuck under the keel. "It annoyed us for a good part of the day," said Victor.

On the more pleasant side of things, Davy Beaudart and Julia Simon (Hellowork), Maël Garnier and Catherine Hunt (Selencia - Cerfrance), and Thomas de Dinechin and Aglaé Ribon (Almond for Pure Ocean) all took time to capture the sunrise. Some aren't exactly alone at sea—boats like Hellowork and Selencia - Cerfrance are sailing within sight of each other, while Adrien Simon and Chloé Le Bars (FAUN) passed very close to a cargo ship.

During the day, many crews enjoyed a proper meal: Laure Galley and Kévin Bloch (DMG MORI Academy) started their day with toast and scrambled eggs, Thomas de Dinechin (Almond for Pure Ocean) cooked a risotto, and Julia Simon (Hellowork) cracked open a box of chocolate eggs...

Find out more at www.transatpaprec.com