Pierre Quiroga has finished third in the Ocean Fifty class on his first Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, bringing his trimaran Wewise across the line after a brutal, hazard-strewn solo transat he describes as the toughest and most beautiful test of his sailing career.
He arrived in daylight, watching the sun rise over Basse-Terre after ten gruelling days at sea, and said reaching the finish already felt like a victory given how rough the race had been. That view was shared across the fleet. This Ocean Fifty class endured a brutal run of weather systems and difficult seas, with one capsize and one retirement through injury along the way.
"Already, being on the finish line is a victory, the race was so tough, it's crazy to have arrived. Seeing the Basse-Terre landscape this morning with the sunrise and trying to remember everything we've done since Saint-Malo. I've got a little lucky star above my head that gives me these amazing arrivals every time, with bright sunshine and welcoming people."
He admits he spent the closing stages purely defending his position against a fast, well-sailed rival.
"I was pretty much in defensive mode to save my place against a very competitive boat well sailed by Léo (Legrand, on Sodebo Fifty). But it's true that when we found ourselves four miles apart from Thibaut this morning, I learned he had a penalty. That got me excited, I started building little scenarios in my head, but in the end it's great that he keeps his superb second place, won with boldness and talent."
The podium was the goal, but for Quiroga the human side of the adventure mattered more.
"The podium is what we came for, so that box is ticked, but the human adventure matters more. The best seat on this race belonged to the partner, there at the start and the finish, sitting on the sofa for ten days. Because it really was a huge struggle."
Among the defining moments was a decision to chase down a tropical depression, a call Quiroga still isn't sure was wise.
"We went looking for that tropical depression. Maybe it was stupid to go there, it was new territory for all us young skippers. We'll remember it for a very, very long time. It shocked me and I'm glad we came out unharmed, because we're not just talking about conditions here, we're talking about safety and human life. All five of us will share that memory for a long time."
A gennaker failure cost him dearly after a tactical gain on the sixth weather front.
"Right at that moment the front beam tore off and the gennaker went into the water. I fought for three hours to get it back up, and that's the moment that will stay with me most from this race. I thought about the boat, but also about saving my own skin."
Quiroga, who learned offshore racing through the Figaro solo circuit, said he was in his element despite finishing behind two major names. Basile Bourgnon's Edenred took line honours in the class, a performance that smashed the previous Ocean Fifty record and carried deep family symbolism given his father Laurent's own Route du Rhum victories.
"I love solo racing. I have a real appetite for it and I feel comfortable, even if two very big skippers finished ahead of me, I've shown I can get across. Crossing the Atlantic solo on an ocean-going multihull is the hardest exercise in the world, sailing people know that."
One absent friend was on his mind at the finish: Mathias Perraut, skipper of Elvest.
"Of course, I would have loved for Mat' and the whole team to be with me in Pointe-à-Pitre. These trimarans can capsize, and that's also what makes them magnificent. It's the second time, and I hope he comes back very strong and can see his dream through."
