Storms postpone 24th Mini Transat

Rather than start 90 solo sailors on the first leg of the 2023 Mini Transat, the fleet of 21-foot Mini Class competitors were postponed on September 24 due to strong winds and large seas forecasted off Spain’s Cape Finisterre when the Mini fleet would be rounding this point.

Something about 40 knot winds and 10 foot high waves …

Instead, their 1400 nm course from Les Sables d’Olonne in France to the Canary Islands began a day later which has allowed the weather forecast to further develop and move slightly more north. Additionally, the race organization added a waypoint to keep the fleet towards the southern part of the Bay of Biscay to maintain distance from the low pressure system.

After two years of intense preparation, extra scrutiny is needed to dissect weather files to refine strategies as the first 48 hours of the race is expected to be in light winds, plus rounding Cape Finisterre promises to be challenging despite the change in the schedule.

With divisions for prototype and production boats, the 24th edition follows the previous format of two stages, with the second extending from the Canary Islands to Guadeloupe.

Event information – Tracker

After a one day postponement due to storms, the 24th edition of the Mini Transat, reserved for the Mini 6.50, the smallest offshore racing class at 21-feet, saw the first stage get underway on September 25, 2023.

A notable proving ground for sailors with shorthanded aspirations, it is also test platform for new boat types, with competitors entering in the production division for manufactured boats and the prototype division for custom designs.

Held biennially, with limited participation for safety that includes strict qualification guidelines, the 4,050 nm course is divided in two parts with the combined elapsed time to determine the results:

September 25: Les Sables d’Olonne (France) to Santa Cruz de La Palma in the Canaries (Spain) – 1350 nm
October 28: Santa Cruz de La Palma in the Canaries (Spain) to Saint-François in Guadeloupe – 2700 nm