Why do we participate in the Minitransat

For me it is very much something I have always wanted to do

In 1968 my father took part in the OSTAR in a 50 foot trimaran, even though I was only 7 and I didn’t understand what it all involved I wanted to be a part of it, the sense of adventure the camaraderie the centre of attention!!!!

As I grew up my sailing world increasingly centred around dinghies, cadets, 420’s, 505’s, I 14, 18foot skiffs. With the odd foray into bigger boats but nothing too serious, then in the early 90’s I bought a 33 foot American lake boat, a Tartan 10 but very quickly became bored with fully crewed sailing!!!! So increasingly looked towards shorthanded!! Then in 1997 I was fortunate enough to get the chance to do the mini fastnet with Ellen Macarthur, that was it I was hooked it was everything I enjoyed in the sport, a big dinghy and an opportunity to sail the Atlantic single handed in the same spirit that my father had been a part of in 1968, and better still it headed towards the equator downwind and not upwind across the north atlantic (I like the sun and I prefer downwind!!!!!)!!

But it was not till 2007 / 2008 that the opportunity to fulfil this dream started to materialise, up until then lack of money, a wife and a child had left no room for personal adventure!!

In 2007 I got involved with Carol Sear and her pogo 2 and her campaign for the Transat, we did a number of two handed club races with the Royal Southampton Yacht club and the UK Fastnet 650, in 2008 I borrowed the boat to again do the UK Fastnet, by this time it was reasonably obvious that Carols campaign was not going to happen this time, I had time on the boat and it was obvious to me if I was ever going to do a Transat I had to do it now, after all there is no time like the present so I bought Carols boat Pogo 2 - GBR440 and entered the 2009 Transat, 1 freezing cold trip round Il de Re/Coninbeg in March, a windy select and a very pleasant Mini Pavois and I was qualified. The rest as they say is history!!!!

Did I enjoy it??? YES I LOVED EVERY SECOND!!!

Would I do it again??? MOST CERTAINLY WOULD, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO GIVE ME A WAD OF MONEY THEN JUST WATCH HOW QUICKLY I GET A BOAT!!!!

What do I love about solo sailing?? Whether it goes right or wrong it is my doing no one else to blame, no one else to worry about!!

So whats special about mini??? Everything that I saw in my fathers 1968 OSTAR, the spirit of adventure, the camaraderie in particular I have made so many wonderful friends around the world, the sense of achieving something really special!!

So what mini sailing have I done since 2009??? NOT ENOUGH!!! A couple of mini fastnets and a UK Fastnet 650 (Midnight Fever 312 and Soitec 617).

 

Good luck to all of you who make the 2013 start I will be watching you!! I hope to see you all at the stopover!!

Long may spirit of mini last.