Nine points shy of a podium and one race away from turning a mixed week into a breakthrough, Yoann Richomme's second regatta aboard the TP52 Paprec offered plenty to build on, both for the rest of the 52 SUPER SERIES and for the bigger project waiting down the track.
Paprec Sailing Team finished ninth at Puerto Calero in Lanzarote at the weekend, after a promising opening stage. It was a mixed result, but one number puts it in perspective: only 11 points separate second place from ninth. On a circuit this tight, the final race changed everything.
"With a good last race, we'd almost have made the podium," Richomme admits. "That's the whole difficulty of this circuit: staying at the top level, all the time."
Two race wins during the week showed the pace is there. Conditions were tricky, with a shifting breeze that caught out even the most experienced crews. Consistency, the real key to success in the 52 SUPER SERIES, remains the crew's top priority ahead of the circuit's final stage in Valencia in October.
On the boat, Richomme has kept refining his role as navigator. It is not a job that comes naturally, even to an offshore sailor. In this class the emphasis shifts from the reflexes of solo ocean racing to something more precise: feeding tactician Loïck Peyron the right information at the right moment, giving him a clear picture of his options so he can make the call.
"It's not an easy role, you have to find your place, find the words," Richomme admits.
The week threw up an unexpected twist when Peyron was injured mid-race and Richomme had to take over tactics himself. It was a revealing moment, proof the old racing instincts haven't gone anywhere.
"It let me take the game into my own hands," he says. "It was really enjoyable. I've been away from it for a while, but the appetite is still there. Quick decisions at the marks, where everything is won or lost in a few seconds. I found my feet again pretty fast."
This TP52 campaign isn't only about the results on the water.
Between regattas, Richomme has been sharpening analytical tools he'll need back in the IMOCA: speed data, strategic calls, risk-taking, the quality of manoeuvres and transitions. "I'm loving this at the moment," he says. "Especially since some of these tools carry straight across to how we operate the IMOCA."
That transfer of knowledge matters given the tightening calendar, with his new boat due to launch in a little over six months. "The ability to quickly analyse performance is crucial. Every outing generates analysis, every analysis generates thinking, and every bit of thinking helps improve the boat."
The final stage in Valencia comes up in early October, before Richomme turns his full attention to the closing stretch of construction on the new IMOCA Paprec. The 2028 Vendée Globe is taking shape, one decision at a time.
