Mini Training Camp to Be Hosted in Kingston, ON

by Nathan Baron on 26 May 2010 The Minimus Sailing Team are pleased to announce that they will be hosting a Mini Training Camp to be run out of Collins Bay Marina in Kingston Ontario. The camp will be attended by Canada's top Mini Transat sailors while they prepare to race in the Lake Ontario 300. The event is sponsored by Collins Bay Marina and RIBCRAFT Canada.

The Mini Transat, or 'Mini' is a high performance offshore racing yacht that is designed for singlehanded transatlantic racing. The 6.5 metre yachts are capable of sailing over 20 knots while carrying large amounts of sail from their tall rigs and long bowsprits. While the boats are designed for transatlantic racing, they are perfectly suited to the changeable and extreme conditions on the Great Lakes.

During the two day training camp, sailors will be working with top coaches to fine tune both boat handling maneuvers as well as doing some speed testing. Organizer of the event, Nathan Baron said 'In Canada the fleet is very spread-out geographically, so I thought it would be great to bring the boats together and do some training. I think this is just a fantastic opportunity for the fleet to collaborate and learn from each other. Kingston is the ideal place to do this as we have one of the best sailing venues in the world, and also provides the boats with quick access to the Lake Ontario 300 race course.'

The clinic will be held July 3-4, but will also include a feeder race from Kingston to Port Credit on July 10. Media and the public are welcome to visit Collins Bay Marina to watch some of the sailing as well as take a closer look at these awesome offshore sailing machines.

Collins Bay Marina will provide sailors with launch and haulout services for the training camp and the Lake Ontario 300 and provide top notch facilities for the yachts during their stay in Kingston. For more information on Kingston's most complete marine facility, please visit www.collinsbaymarina.com.

RIBCRAFT will be providing a RIB and support staff for the training camp as well as support for the Minis in Port Credit as they prepare for the race. For more information on RIBCRAFT, please contact David Megarry, 905.330.2330, dmegarry@ribcraftusa.com, www.ribcraftusa.com

The Minimus Sailing Team are lead by Skipper Nathan Baron who is campaigning to win the 2011 Mini Transat race, a single handed yacht race from France to Brazil. Please visit www.minimus-sailing-team.com for more information.