Guadeloupe is in sight, and Guirec Soudée's happiness is unmistakable.
Rounding the island before crossing the finish line in 4th place, the French skipper is savouring his last moments at sea. He is thrilled with his performance, reflecting on an intense crossing and the pleasure he took in pushing his boat to its limits.
He seems in no hurry to see the adventure end. As he nears the finish, Soudée sounds like a sailor reluctant to let go, someone who enjoyed the fight too much to want it over.
Fourth place across the Atlantic, solo, is no small result, and it shows in his tone as he talks through the final stretch. He pushed hard, and that much is clear from how he describes the crossing: a relentless effort to extract every bit of speed from his boat right to the final miles.
A demanding passage well sailed brings its own particular satisfaction, and Soudée's comments carry exactly that. He speaks of the crossing as intense, but also as something he took genuine enjoyment from, testing both himself and his boat under pressure.
Rounding Guadeloupe before the finish is always a charged moment in the Route du Rhum. Crowds gather, boats close in, and after weeks of solitary ocean racing the skipper suddenly has company again.
For Soudée, that moment has arrived with a result to be proud of and, by his own admission, more than a little reluctance to see the solo chapter close.
The Atlantic crossing, now nearly behind him, gave him exactly what he came for: a real test, a fast boat, and a finish worth savouring.
