2015 Mini Transat - Îles de Guadeloupe - Final results

by Mini Transat on 23 Nov 2015 This time, it really is all over. The arrival of Yuri Firsov, the last competitor still at sea, let the curtain fall on the Mini Transat îles de Guadeloupe. Of course, there will still be some more backstage encounters and stories to be told for the umpteenth time, as well as disappointments to digest and triumphs to savour, but the Mini Transat 2015 has indeed left the front of the stage ... that is, until 2017.

Night falls quickly in the Caribbean. Now it is almost a reflex amongst the sailors: after sunset, they must come together in a tribe, as the elders used to around the campfire, and tell great stories full of lessons. An unknowing passer-by might be surprised to hear about the number of stoppages, the equipment breakage and torn sails. It’s enough to make us believe that the lives of these sailors is only made up of intense moments which blend together fear and excitement...

Broken records

Whichever way you look at it, this Mini Transat îles de Guadeloupe is about many records. First, the speed-records. Up to this point, the fastest sailor on a similar journey was Sébastien Magnen in 1999, who crossed from Concarneau to Guadeloupe in 24 days and 15 hours. In comparison, Frédéric Denis travelled the 4,020 miles separating Douarnenez and Pointe-à-Pitre in 19 days and 23 hours. This was an average of 8.4 knots over the entire route. Sébastien Magnen was credited in 1999 with a speed of 6.8 knots, while the fastest on the Mini Transat to date was Yves Le Blévec who crossed from La Rochelle to Salvador de Bahia at an average speed of 7.55 knots.

Another shattered record was the record for the distance sailed in 24 hours in the production boats. Aboard his Ofcet, Novintiss, Julien Pulvé broke Xavier Macaire’s previous record (272.6 miles) with a new record of 278.7 miles. He set an average of 11.6 knots from point to point. In this domain, it is clear that the appearance of Ofcet and Pogo 3 marks a real break with the old production boats. The powerful hull inspired by David Raison’s approach on his Magnum prototype, works its magic when the wind blows hard. The beautiful fight put up by Tanguy Le Turquais’ Argo (Terreal) and Edward Golbery (Les Enfants du Canal) on his Pogo 2, can’t hide the fact that it will be increasingly difficult to get a result without a new production boat with broad shoulders and flat nose.

The final significant result: only two sailors needed external assistance due to damage: Gilles Avril in the first stage and Radek Kowalczyk in the second. All the other sailors managed to get into port on their own. After a distress call from the Polish navigator, Sebastian Pébelier immediately turned around, went back upwind to find Calbud that was threatening to sink and then remained alongside his colleague helping until others could come to his rescue. Of course, the jury should allow him to re-claim the time lost, in recognition of the skill and speed with which the skipper of Mademoiselle Iodée responded.

Bruised and battered

The Mini Transat is not just about performance. To cross the Atlantic at those speeds on a 6.5 metre sailboat, the sailors have to know how to live through permanent discomfort, the all-pervading damp and cuts and bruises which are, happily, often inconsequential, but also reflect the harsh conditions life on board. During the first hours of the day when the sun is still in the east and is hitting the back of the boat, they need to choose between Scylla and Charybdis: to remain on deck with maximum protection to avoid the risk of sunstroke or take refuge in the shade inside, which can quickly turn into oven. Small wounds become infected and quickly get worse on contact with sea water, as proven by a quick look at the sailors’ hands. A good disinfectant and a tube of ointment are part of the essential on-board pharmacy, not to mention the good waterproof plasters. The neck, wrists, ankles are particularly vulnerable to irritation. Helming in permanent dampness is not the best way to keep your skin baby-soft. There is no ideal solution, although specially adapted cushions can partly prevent the worst evils. However, many competitors admitted to not being able to sit down sometimes.

The best solution is to sail standing up and stark naked, with hands holding on the deck, and trusting the autopilot to steer. These small miseries of daily life may seem unimportant compared to the sailor’s performance, but they are an important factor in the sailor’s levels of tiredness and morale. Is it any wonder that after that, they need to go through a decompression chamber before resuming a 'normal' life? At Pointe-à-Pitre, the Mini-ists slowly get up to speed. Next Tuesday, Carl Chipotel has invited the whole community of the Mini Transat îles de Guadeloupe to his home for a proper Guadeloupean day in St. Anne, to bring to a close this great story which began nearly two months ago on the jetties of Port Rhu in Douarnenez.

Proto - Eurovia / Cegelec General ranking after the leg 2 : Arrecife - Pointe à Pitre
Rank	Boat	Race time	Gaps	Over ortho
1	Frédéric Denis 800 - Nautipark	19d 23h 19min 55s		4020.7 nm 8.4 kts
2	Luke Berry 753 - Association Rêves	20d 14h 04min 49s	14h 44min 54s 14h 44min 54s	4020.7 nm 8.1 kts
3	Ludovic Mechin 667 - Microvitae	20d 15h 36min 16s	16h 16min 21s 01h 31min 27s	4020.7 nm 8.1 kts
4	Axel Trehin 716 - Aleph Racing	20d 19h 35min 58s	20h 16min 03s 03h 59min 42s	4020.7 nm 8.0 kts
5	Clément Bouyssou 802 - Le Bon Agent Bougeons l'Immobilier	20d 21h 02min 06s	21h 42min 11s 01h 26min 08s	4020.7 nm 8.0 kts
6	Michele Zambelli 788 - Illumia	21d 02h 30min 08s	1d 03h 10min 13s 05h 28min 02s	4020.7 nm 7.9 kts
7	Simon Koster 888 - Eight Cube	21d 14h 35min 37s	1d 15h 15min 42s 12h 05min 29s	4020.7 nm 7.8 kts
8	Jean-baptiste Daramy 814 - Chocolats Paries - Coriolis Composites	21d 16h 42min 13s	1d 17h 22min 18s 02h 06min 36s	4020.7 nm 7.7 kts
9	Nicolas D'estais 630 - Librairie Cheminant	22d 04h 29min 40s	2d 05h 09min 45s 11h 47min 27s	4020.7 nm 7.6 kts
10	Vincent Grison 679 - Roll my Chicken	22d 19h 35min 57s	2d 20h 16min 02s 15h 06min 17s	4020.7 nm 7.3 kts
11	Olivier Jehl 629 - Zigoneshi-wichard	24d 20h 57min 43s	4d 21h 37min 48s 2d 01h 21min 46s	4020.7 nm 6.7 kts
12	Nikki Curwen 741 - Go Ape ! Live Life Adventurously	25d 12h 25min 27s	5d 13h 05min 32s 15h 27min 44s	4020.7 nm 6.6 kts
13	Dominik Lenk 348 - Dominiklenk.com	29d 12h 54min 28s	9d 13h 34min 33s 4d 00h 29min 01s	4020.7 nm 5.7 kts
14	Fidel Turienzo 304 - Satanas	29d 23h 41min 50s	10d 00h 21min 55s 10h 47min 22s	4020.7 nm 5.6 kts

Série - Ocean bio actif General ranking after the leg 2 : Arrecife - Pointe à Pitre
Rank	Boat	Race time	Gaps	Over ortho
1	Ian Lipinski 866 - Entreprise(s) Innovante(s)	22d 09h 36min 30s		4020.7 nm 7.5 kts
2	Julien Pulve 880 - Novintiss	22d 13h 09min 04s	03h 32min 34s 03h 32min 34s	4020.7 nm 7.4 kts
3	Tanguy Le Turquais 835 - Terréal	23d 02h 45min 43s	17h 09min 13s 13h 36min 39s	4020.7 nm 7.2 kts
4	Charly Fernbach 869 - Le Fauffiffon Henaff	23d 12h 43min 18s	1d 03h 06min 48s 09h 57min 35s	4020.7 nm 7.1 kts
5	Armand De Jacquelot 755 - We Van	23d 13h 40min 26s	1d 04h 03min 56s 57min 08s	4020.7 nm 7.1 kts
6	Edouard Golbery 514 - Les Enfants Du Canal	23d 13h 50min 24s	1d 04h 13min 54s 09min 58s	4020.7 nm 7.1 kts
7	Edwin Thibon 721 - Coeur Fidèle	23d 20h 09min 32s	1d 10h 33min 02s 06h 19min 08s	4020.7 nm 7.0 kts
8	Thomas Guichard 512 - Carrefour	24d 03h 57min 48s	1d 18h 21min 18s 07h 48min 16s	4020.7 nm 6.9 kts
9	Simon Brunisholz 796 - www.defiatlantique.ch - Mini Lab	24d 10h 04min 05s	2d 00h 27min 35s 06h 06min 17s	4020.7 nm 6.9 kts
10	Patrick Girod 824 - Nescens	24d 14h 53min 03s	2d 05h 16min 33s 04h 48min 58s	4020.7 nm 6.8 kts
11	Olivier Taillard 868 - Alternative Sailing - Kerhis	24d 18h 03min 34s	2d 08h 27min 04s 03h 10min 31s	4020.7 nm 6.8 kts
12	Arnaud Machado 832 - Du Léman à l'Océan	24d 19h 57min 44s	2d 10h 21min 14s 01h 54min 10s	4020.7 nm 6.7 kts
13	Antonio Fontes 745 - Vela Solidaria	24d 23h 14min 34s	2d 13h 38min 04s 03h 16min 50s	4020.7 nm 6.7 kts
14	Roland Ventura 523 - Fondation Planiol	25d 03h 01min 36s	2d 17h 25min 06s 03h 47min 02s	4020.7 nm 6.7 kts
15	Andrea Fornaro 857 - Sidéral	25d 03h 35min 05s	2d 17h 58min 35s 33min 29s	4020.7 nm 6.7 kts
16	Rodolphe Victorri 830 - St-pierre et Miquelon	25d 05h 55min 39s	2d 20h 19min 09s 02h 20min 34s	4020.7 nm 6.6 kts
17	Dimitri Simons 758 - Teamsolo.nl	25d 07h 21min 47s	2d 21h 45min 17s 01h 26min 08s	4020.7 nm 6.6 kts
18	Sébastien Pebelier 660 - www.mademoiselleiodee.fr	25d 10h 06min 38s	3d 00h 30min 08s 02h 44min 51s	4020.7 nm 6.6 kts
19	Henri Marcelet 737 - Région Nord-pas De Calais	25d 12h 59min 50s	3d 03h 23min 20s 02h 53min 12s	4020.7 nm 6.6 kts
20	Victor Turpin 599 - Générations Océan	25d 15h 02min 30s	3d 05h 26min 00s 02h 02min 40s	4020.7 nm 6.5 kts
21	Carl Chipotel 566 - Gwadloop !!!	25d 15h 05min 00s	3d 05h 28min 30s 02min 30s	4020.7 nm 6.5 kts
22	Thomas Dolan 481 - Shamus Software	25d 15h 19min 15s	3d 05h 42min 45s 14min 15s	4020.7 nm 6.5 kts
23	Henri Lemenicier 549 - LPO - Agir Pour La Biodiversité	25d 15h 40min 08s	3d 06h 03min 38s 20min 53s	4020.7 nm 6.5 kts
24	Vincent Madern 440 - Un Express pour Pointe-à-Pitre	25d 19h 20min 01s	3d 09h 43min 31s 03h 39min 53s	4020.7 nm 6.5 kts
25	Andy Abel 587 - Pepen	25d 21h 24min 41s	3d 11h 48min 11s 02h 04min 40s	4020.7 nm 6.5 kts
26	Hervé Aubry 836 - Ixina - Voilerie HSD	26d 07h 43min 02s	3d 22h 06min 32s 10h 18min 21s	4020.7 nm 6.4 kts
27	Mathieu Bourdais 879 - Tous au Large	26d 08h 44min 02s	3d 23h 07min 32s 01h 01min 00s	4020.7 nm 6.4 kts
28	Quentin Vlamynck 728 - Arkema 2	27d 05h 12min 18s	4d 19h 35min 48s 20h 28min 16s	4020.7 nm 6.2 kts
29	Aitor Ocerin 858 - Iparbeltz	27d 10h 04min 05s	5d 00h 27min 35s 04h 51min 47s	4020.7 nm 6.1 kts
30	Chris Lükermann 732 - CA Technologies	27d 11h 09min 29s	5d 01h 32min 59s 01h 05min 24s	4020.7 nm 6.1 kts
31	Lizzy Foreman 633 - Hudson Wight	28d 12h 22min 03s	6d 02h 45min 33s 1d 01h 12min 34s	4020.7 nm 5.9 kts
32	Yann Claverie 579 - Map Product	28d 16h 51min 03s	6d 07h 14min 33s 04h 29min 00s	4020.7 nm 5.8 kts
33	Sylvain Michelet 641 - A Chacun Son Everest !	29d 01h 47min 48s	6d 16h 11min 18s 08h 56min 45s	4020.7 nm 5.8 kts
34	Jesus Jimenez Martinez 654 - Helly Hansen Tarifa	29d 14h 44min 58s	7d 05h 08min 28s 12h 57min 10s	4020.7 nm 5.7 kts
35	François Jambou 552 - Concevoir et Construire	29d 20h 24min 03s	7d 10h 47min 33s 05h 39min 05s	4020.7 nm 5.6 kts
36	Xu Jingkun 529 - China Dream	30d 03h 54min 52s	7d 18h 18min 22s 07h 30min 49s	4020.7 nm 5.6 kts
37	Frédéric De Mesel 623 - Double Trouble	30d 11h 57min 00s	8d 02h 20min 30s 08h 02min 08s	4020.7 nm 5.5 kts
38	Katrina Ham 635 - Katrinahamracing.com	31d 03h 30min 55s	8d 17h 54min 25s 15h 33min 55s	4020.7 nm 5.4 kts
39	Jan Heinze 613 - Lonestar	31d 04h 32min 17s	8d 18h 55min 47s 01h 01min 22s	4020.7 nm 5.4 kts
40	Yury Firsov 838 - Magnum Sports	32d 12h 53min 58s	10d 03h 17min 28s 1d 08h 21min 41s	4020.7 nm 5.1 kts
41	Guillermo Cañardo 657 - Peor Para El Sol	33d 23h 59min 30s	11d 14h 23min 00s 1d 11h 05min 32s	4020.7 nm 5.1 kts
42	Nacho Postigo 860 - Vamos Vamos	34d 07h 33min 41s	11d 21h 57min 11s 07h 34min 11s	4020.7 nm 4.9 kts
43	Federico Cuciuc 556 - Zero et T	35d 00h 55min 36s	12d 15h 19min 06s 17h 21min 55s	4020.7 nm 4.8 kts