Mini Transat

Just finishing the Mini Transat is a major feat for any sailor who dares brave the hell and fury the Atlantic Ocean can unleash on such a small boat. At the very least, surviving the trek invariably means getting beaten and tossed around for weeks on a 6.50-meter boat that merits its “Mini” name. 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 Mini Transat is an experience of a lifetime that just isn’t another tick on a bucket list. The race known as the toughest on the earth starts in Douarnenez, France, with the first leg ending at Lanzerote. After a few days rest the fleet set off again with the second leg finishing off Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe.

In order to qualify for the Mini Transat, competitors need to sail:

– 1000 miles worth of races, one of which must be solo

– 1000 mile non stop solo passage in the boat they wish to enter wish