Mini Transat: Work To Do

(September 30, 2015; Stage 1, Day 12) – The arrival pontoons for the Mini Transat – Îles de Guadeloupe that previously seemed strangely empty, with the notable exception of each new arrival, have been full of life since this morning. It is time to begin preparations for the second stage.

The solo skippers have been making inventories of all the little miseries from the first stage, repairing damaged equipment, finding appropriate technical solutions to improve the performance of an auto-pilot, making the BLU reception more audible, cleaning the boats and making inventories of possible tears in the sails. On and around the pontoons, the sails are drying, and filling the grey docks with splashes of bright colour.

The big manouevre
For some, there is a lot of work to do. Jean-Baptiste Daramy (Chocolats Paries) is going to have to stratify his rear panel again, re-install the rudder gudgeons, and check the grading and the balance of the two rudders. So, it’s a real construction site that awaits the Basque sailor before leaving on the second stage. The race against the clock is also on because Jean-Baptiste has returned to work between the two stages, in the composites workshop where he is employed.

Simon Koster (Eight Cube) is still, according to him, in a phase of discovery about what his prototype can do. For him, the stopover is an opportunity to discuss at length the points that still need to be tested, the things that went well, and the disappointments around the boat’s performance, with the team from the Mer Forte office.

Others are trying to find solutions for squaring the circles. Sébastien Pébelier (Mademoiselle Iodée), diving into the water in Lanzarote port, found that the leading edge of his keel had been damaged in a collision with a floating object. The problem is that the sailor left Douarnenez with his sword drawn at the wind, but with empty pockets, and has not got a cent to offer to take the boat out of the water for the necessary repairs. Each sailor tries to activate their critical support networks to come up with a favourable outcome.

The whims of Aeolus
There are six sailors still at sea. Following the Chinese sailor, Xu Jingkun (China Dream), it’s the turn of the Russian, Yuri Firsov (Magnum Sports) to cross the finishing line in front of Arrecife port. But the last miles have been very difficult. He must have failed to negotiate the becalmed patches along the coast, and then couldn’t run with the thermal winds to try and grasp back some miles along the route.

His followers didn’t even have this opportunity, as they were mired in the calm seas between Morocco and the Canaries. There are only around forty hours left for Fidel Turienzo (Satanas) and Maxime Eveillard (Héli Strategy) to reach Lanzarote. The first is a little more than 250 miles away, and the second has another 100 miles on top of that until they find deliverance. Fidel Turienzo needs to make an average speed of 6 knots, while Maxime needs speeds of around 9 knots. Never say never.

Race website – Race program – Tracker

Report by race media.

Background: For the 20th edition and for the second time, the Mini Transat – Îles de Guadeloupe returns to its origins with a start from Douarnenez (France). The Breton harbour will see the fleet of 72 solo sailors set off on September 19 to Lanzarote (Canary Islands), where the Mini 6.50 will complete stage one of the race. The second stage will start on October 31, taking the fleet across the Atlantic to finish some three weeks later in Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe). The 2,700 nautical mile race from France to the Caribbean is the longest solo race for the smallest of boats.