What is the Mini-Transat Race?

The founder of the race, Bob Salmon, came up with the idea of an offshore single-handed race on a 21-foot boat as a response to the outrageously high budgets required to participate in single-handed sailboat races such as the OSTAR (Observers Single-handed TransAtlantic Race).

The first Mini-Transat Race sailed from England to Antigua with a stopover in the Canary Islands in 1977. After the second running of the race in 1979, Bob Salmon was unable to come up with funding and the organization was turned over to French authority. Since then, the race has been dominated by French participants. In 1997, two Brits, Ellen Macarthur and Mark Turner, entered the race breaking a 15-year hiatus for British participants. They have been instrumental in encouraging other international entries.

This race draws a variety of skill levels from the sailing world including participants who have hundreds of thousands of miles of bluewater experience on Whitbread boats and other boats in the professional racing circuit down to the adventurer who has never sailed across the ocean before. Traditionally, very few women have participated in this race.

What Makes This Race So Difficult?

Gale's Response:

"There are only a handful of 6.5-meter sailboats in the United States, and to my knowledge, my boat is the only one actively sailing. Without other similar boats, it is very difficult to get proper training to be competitive. Therefore, I will be shipping my boat to France to train with the top sailors and participate in the feeder races prior to the Mini-Transat race in September 2001. Even though the boats are small, the top boats are selling for $80,000 to $100,000. Time away from work and living in a foreign country adds to the expense and complications.

To enter the 1999 edition of the race, a competitor only needed to sail 500 miles solo in a race sponsored by the French Mini Classe. For the next race, a competitor will need to sail 1000 miles solo in non-race conditions and 1000 miles in solo races sponsored by the French Mini Classe. Only 50-60 participants will be allowed to do the race. In 1999, over 135 people applied to do the race and only 70 were accepted. Those that have their qualifier miles completed early will have the best chance of making it to the starting line.

I have been granted permission to complete 1000 miles solo in non-race conditions on this side of the Atlantic but my course must be approved by the French Mini Classe and I will need to keep a very detailed log including photographs of mark roundings and sun sights with a sextant.

Life aboard a 6.5-meter sailboat in the big ocean can be very miserable. There are no accommodations below deck. In order to keep the weight down, I probably won't even be installing a bunk to sleep on. I will be navigating with the chart on my lap and using a bucket for my nature calls. I will be heating water for my freeze-dried food on a single-burner butane stove. Most of the time, I will be wearing a survival suit to try to stay warm and dry. The salt water will attack my skin and I will more than likely have salt water sores to contend with. Sleep will come in 10 to 15 minute catnaps so I will be able to keep a proper lookout for ships and other traffic. I will be battling autumn gales in the Bay of Biscay and flat calm seas in the doldrums interspersed with severe thunderstorms and high winds.

Only VHF radio and a shortwave radio are allowed for communications during the race. Once the race starts, each competitor becomes very much on his/her own. It makes it very difficult to make tactical decisions. The race committee will be able to poll each boat about every 4 hours and will be posting the positions on the Internet for the spectator crowd.

The course for the 2001 race will be from LaRochelle, France, to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, with a stopover in Lanzarote, Canary Islands. This will be the first time in the race's history that the boats will sail south of the equator."