Growing Up

This year's 70-strong Mini Transat fleet has more strength in depth and was better prepared than ever before. Brian Thompson reports from La Rochelle

After sailing the Mini season in 2001 on the Simon Rogers Lighthouse Life Foundation, I then sold my boat to Jonathan McKee. However, my involvement continued, doing a refit on her at Synergy Yachts; modifying her with inboard D1s and cassette-type rudders plus other changes. I sailed with Jonathan in the 500-mile Course des Lions (finishing 2nd) in the spring and joined him in preparation for the Mini Transat start.

Qualification

There has obviously been an explosion of interest in the Minis over the past few years, and both the last two editions have had far more entrants than places. This is an interesting situation, as the only other offshore class in this position is the IMOCA Open 60 for the Vendée Globe. It makes for a very unfortunate position for those on the waiting list and for those who have to qualify from outside Europe (Chris Sayer and Liz Wardley, for example). From the interest I saw from potential skippers...

To read the remainder of this article please go to the July 2003 edition of Seahorse, available at selected newsstands or by calling: + 44 (0) 1590 671899 or by email at: info@seahorse.co.uk

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