The 22nd edition of the Mini-Transat La Boulangère sets sail on September 22 in which 87 women and men commence this biennial solo transatlantic competition in the Mini 6.50, a powered-up 21-footer that offers a supreme test for both boat and skipper.
The Mini 6.50 Class encourages competition in two divisions: the prototypes and the production boats.
Production boats are built out of fiberglass, have alloy masts, 1.6 meter draft, and prohibit material such as titanium, carbon fiber, and epoxy resin. Ten boats must have been built to qualify as an official production boat.
Prototypes, on their side, are free of these restrictions and have been, for years, the very first laboratory for sailing innovations. Canting keels, daggerboards, swinging wing masts, long poles for huge spinnakers, have been tried first on minis. New hull shapes with very wide waterlines and foils are the now the latest innovations.
In less than three weeks, on Sunday 22 September at 14:15 hours local time, 90 sailors (including 8 women), will take the start in La Rochelle of the 22nd edition of the Mini-Transat La Boulangère with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canaries) as the destination of the first leg. Festivities will kick off on Saturday 14 September with the opening of the event village in the Bassin des Chalutiers. Among the 90 entries, who represent 13 nationalities, 12 are ‘repeat offenders’, so the vast majority will be rookies setting out to take on the Atlantic. The second leg to Le Marin (Martinique) will set sail on 2 November.
The Mini-Transat is without doubt an exceptional race. Since 1977, the year it was created, its success has been undeniable! A school of offshore racing, an initiatory voyage, the adventure of a lifetime, a fierce competition… It has something for everyone! So much so that there is growing clamour for a ‘Mini ticket’. And before it even kicks off, the 2019 edition is already rewriting the history of the race. Indeed, the Mini-Transat has never gathered together a line-up such as this! The previous record participation dated back to 2007, with 89 skippers at the start. They are even more numerous for this 22nd edition since 90 women and men are registered for the event (22 on prototypes and 68 on production boats). The record speaks volumes about the passion and dynamism generated by the Mini-Transat some 42 years on from its creation.
Image: Mini-Transat La Boulangère / Christophe Breschi