With less than 40 days to go before the start of the Route du Rhum, Destination Guadeloupe, the race's skippers traded wetsuits for the stage lights of the Folies Bergère, gathering in Paris for the event's Official Presentation.
It was a fittingly theatrical setting for one of ocean racing's great solo spectacles, and marked the last big gathering of skippers before the fleet's attention turns fully to Saint-Malo.
For sailors already deep into final preparations and weather planning, the Paris stop was as much about ceremony as racing. Sponsors, media and race organisers filled the room alongside the competitors themselves.
Chandeliers hung overhead while skippers in race kit stood below, the venue lending the presentation a glamour rarely associated with ocean racing.
With the IMOCA and Ultim fleets among those represented, the presentation offered an early look at the calibre of competitors set to cross the Atlantic solo this edition. New Zealand's offshore sailing community will be watching closely, given the strong ties between Kiwi sailors, designers and the French ocean racing scene that produces boats and talent for both classes.
Among the Ultim contenders is Charles Caudrelier, whose new Gitana 18 found stable foiling settings in just half an hour during trials off Belle-Île, a stark contrast to the lengthy development his previous boat required.
There was no racing news to report from the day itself. It was pure build-up, with photographs from the event, credited to Jean Louis-Carli, Fact Story and OC Sport, capturing the skippers on stage and mingling with guests.
Attention now shifts to Saint-Malo, where a record 118 skippers are confirmed to line up after the entry list closed in recent days. Fewer than 40 days remain before the fleet departs for Guadeloupe.
Weather routing, final technical checks and logistics now dominate the skippers' schedules. Paris had its moment of spectacle. What lies ahead, across the Atlantic, is the real test.
