Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo M50

Mini Transat - A magnetic challenge whose success cannot be denied

by Solene Rennuit on 19 Sep 2013
Mini Transat Jacques Vapillon www.vapillon.com
To understand the renewed success of each edition of the Mini Transat we must consider the principles that led to its destiny, principles that are jealously guarded by the membership to protect the integrity of the Mini Class. The Mini Transat is not only an offshore race; it is also the story of a journey of initiation, strong human relations, improbable encounters between men and women from different backgrounds.

Let's face it: it's a funny idea to want, in the age of widely available Internet, satellite links and instant communication, to undertake a Transatlantic crossing with your means of communication limited to the absolute essentials in a tiny boat of 6.50 m. And yet, for every edition, there are more than a hundred wanting to try their luck. The young offshore sailor hoping to make the Mini Transat a step towards a career in sailing, the hobbyist for whom getting to the other side of the Atlantic is the Holy Grail, all can be found embedded in this funny common history that is the Mini Transat.

To understand, you have to imagine the daily life of a Mini Transat competitor. Reduced to its simplest expression it is about running a boat, planning for the coming days navigation and weather, eating succinctly, sleeping where you can, all in an incredibly cramped space. When the weather conditions are rough, it becomes increasingly difficult to find something dry and it is not uncommon for the most comfortable place to sit to be a corner of the cockpit. But life aboard a Mini is not a hell. Just to hear the talk about surfing under spinnaker in the sunny trade winds is to understand that, on those days, there are few better places in the world for a sailor to be than racing the Mini Transat.

Since its creation, the Mini Transat has always wanted to focus on the role of man in the conduct of his boat. Today, the sailors of the Mini Transat are entitled to use GPS and to receive limited information (wind speed and direction in particular). But though they no longer need to use the sextant for positioning, they are still cut off from any possibility of exchanging information with the outside world.

There is no question of being able to speak to someone to lift the mood on a difficult day, or seek the help of a team on the ground to solve a technical problem. The rule is inviolable: Help yourself and the Mini will help you. Michel Desjoyeaux, double winner of the Vendée Globe, admits himself that he did much introspective thinking during his Mini Transat in 1991.

Therefore, do not be surprised if some start logbooks of raw intimacy, rave to the cameras about their capabilities to reach the finish line, or are moved from tears to laughter in a few inverse seconds. The Mini Transat is an accelerator of emotions, one of the best opportunities to be alone with yourself.

It is therefore not surprising if, among all those who have raced the Mini Transat, there is a collusion that often manifests itself many years later. From Jean-Luc Van Den Heede via the Peyron brothers and through Halvard Mabire, Thomas Coville and Yves Le Blévec, all experienced those special hours that remain etched in life. Between all those sailors, there is a common bond, built up over the many editions of what remains one of the finest human adventures in the world of sailing. More than ever the watchword remains relevant for all those who dream of sea adventures: first pass your Mini.

The course 2013: returns to its origins
Leg 1 - Douarnenez to Puerto Calero (Lanzarote): 1257 miles.
Leg 2 - Puerto Calero to Pointe-à-Pitre: 2764 miles.

Dates
Prologue 'Tout commence en Finistère' October 6, 2013.
Start from Douarnenez October 13, 2013 at 13h. Arrival in the Canary Islands between 23 and 26 October 2013.
Start from Canary Islands November 9, 2013. Arrival in Guadeloupe between 23 and 30 November 2013.

All associations have mobilized Douarnenez with the support of local and regional authorities under the aegis of Douarnenez Courses: the yacht clubs, Douarnenez and Société des Régates de Douarnenez, the Winches club organizers for many years of Mini races with the Mini Fastnet and Trophy Marie-Agnès Péron as torchbearers, but also the association of the Fêtes Maritimes, the Atlantic Yacht Club, the Fédération Maritime and others who are preparing for fifteen days prior to departure, a festival celebrating the sea and the sailors. Competitors will be welcomed into the Port-Rhu a real jewel in the heart of the Mini Transat website

V-DRY-XLloyd Stevenson - Catalyst Yacht Tender 1456x180px BOTTOMZhik 2024 December

Related Articles

Aussies hunt 'Ashes on Water' win
The BONDS Flying Roos are looking to bounce back with a vengeance in Portsmouth Fresh off a bruising weekend in New York, the BONDS Flying Roos are looking to bounce back with a vengeance as they take on long time rivals Great Britain in their home waters at the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, held in Portsmouth.
Posted today at 9:27 pm
4 Ultim rocketships to contest Rolex Fastnet Race
The giant 32m long by 23m wide flying trimarans are taking part in the 100th anniversary edition While the 50ft flying catamarans competing at SailGP Portsmouth this weekend will be impressive, charging out of the opposite western end of the Solent will be giant 32m long by 23m wide flying Ultim trimarans taking part in the 100th anniversary edition.
Posted today at 6:45 pm
SailGP comes to Portsmouth!
We speak to the sailors ahead of the weekend The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth takes place this weekend, with the 12 teams competing in F50 catamarans close to the waterfront, where a massive grandstand has been built for the spectators.
Posted today at 5:41 pm
SailGP: No practice racing at Portsmouth
The Practice Race was a fizzer, however the future of the SailGP fleet development was revealed. The scheduled Practice Day failed to fire at SailGP Portsmouth, after the forecast, admittedly light, breeze failed to male an appearance. The self propelled start marks were making a much better speed than the F50s.
Posted today at 4:14 pm
Elite Training at New Sailing Centre
Canash Beach, St Vincent, hosts international sailors The SVG Sailing Association held a successful High Performance Race Training Clinic, at the newly established High Performance Centre at Canash Beach, St Vincent. The four-day event ran from July 13th to 16th.
Posted today at 1:51 pm
McIntyre Mini Globe Race Leg 3 Preview
The race to South Africa starts from Vuda Marina Fiji on 26th July In a world-first sailing challenge, 15 solo sailors from eight countries are navigating identical 5.8-meter (19-foot) self-built plywood yachts around the globe— The fleet has enjoyed a five week stopover in Fiji at the end of Leg 2.
Posted today at 1:26 pm
Third time Finn World No.1 for Alessandro Marega
Maintaining the top spot in the Finn World Ranking List Italy's Alessandro Marega maintains the top spot in the Finn World Ranking List for the third consecutive release. He remains World No. 1 with an 80-point lead over France's Laurent Hay.
Posted today at 1:18 pm
World Sailing Nations Cup to make grand return
After a seven-year hiatus, World Sailing has officially opened the bid process for host cities After a seven-year hiatus, the World Sailing Nations Cup, the ultimate event to crown the world's top match-racing nations, is making its much-anticipated return.
Posted today at 9:08 am
2025 WASZP Pre-Games in Weymouth Day 2
A classic British summer's day as sailors launched beneath a blanket of grey cloud and drizzle The second day of the WASZP Pre-Games served up a classic British summer's day as sailors launched beneath a blanket of grey cloud and with a hug of fresh drizzle.
Posted today at 5:25 am
Moth take a big step forward at Garda Worlds
The just concluded Int Moth Worlds at Lake Garda, Italy were technically much more complex than NZ The just concluded Int Moth Worlds at Lake Garda, Italy were technically much more complex than the 2024 World Championship, held just six months ago in New Zealand.
Posted on 17 Jul