Mini Transat : A colour code for departure

• No viable weather window in the coming hours
• The option of a stopover in Gijon is set-aside for now
• A colour coded system in the mode of the transocean record attempts

In the absence of an opening in the next forty-eight hours, the race committee has decided to bring the Mini fleet back into Port Rhu where there are far more comfortable facilities to endure the wait. Yesterday’s proposal to rally in Gijon before passing Cape Finisterre is temporarily abandoned. Finally, a color-coded system for all those interested in the race has been set up to warn of the possibility of imminent departure. Explanations.

Back on the weather
To understand the situation, imagine the dividing line from the Bretton penninsular to Cape Finisterre. This highway is, for the moment, being swept by the western margin of the strong to very strong southwesterly winds. Inshore of that line the conditions are much more manageable, but it is a potential trap for competitors who may be at risk of being caught in the bay and not being able to get out. At the moment the winds are particularly strong between the Ortegal peninsula and Cape Finisterre, where gusts of over 50 knots are expected in the coming days.

The Gijon option
This situation has led the race committee not to activate the option of a stopover in Gijon. Given current projections, the risk was too great that the fleet would find itself stuck in the Asturian port, unable to safely navigate the 180 miles separating Gijon and the tip of Galicia in the face of strong winds from the west. This option can be activated only if the Spanish stopover permitted a maximum wait of two to three days before crossing the tip of Spain. The race director does not discount any options, in the interests of the competitors.

The meanings of the colour code
Currently, it is very hard on everyone to stay poised each day while waiting for a hypothetical departure. The organisers have decided to implement a colour code to anticipate future decisions.

Code Red : no departure is planned in the next 36 hours.

Code Orange : there is the possibility of a start in the next 36 hours.

Green Code: there is the possibility of a start in the next 24 hours.

The objective is to provide the best possible information to the press and the public who are following the Mini Transat. Tonight at the competitors’ briefing, the race director announced the introduction of the colour code system that will be found on the website .

Mini Transat : The window is narrow

• The fleet of Minis is on standby in Douarnenez
• Competitors moved to the Port of Treboul
• Looking at splitting the first leg into two sections

The recurring question in Douarnenez is why did you not start on Sunday with good weather prevailing over the bay? The answer lies at Cape Finisterre on the northwestern tip of Spain. This is where the singlehanders might be caugh out in the cold, beating in winds of 35 knots in a big sea. Critical conditions for boats as small as 6.50m sailed singlehanded.

You have to imagine life on a Mini, facing the sea in bad weather. The boat becomes trapped, barely able to climb the waves at very low speeds because of its short waterline length. The cockpit is regularly swept by the waves and the skipper is tossed about, relying on his safety harness to keep him attached to the boat. Inside, it’s a real mess. Everything that can be is piled up on the windward side, everything is soaked and the boat’s movement prevent any attempt of to make a hot meal. In short, these are particularly difficult conditions for both the sailors and their machines. The rig is pounded with each wave and some masts can not stand up to the punishment.

It is understandable that in these conditions the race committee has chosen to postpone the start of the Mini Transat. Moreover, they must now find a big enough window to stop it slamming shut on the fingers of the fleet. However, the current situation offers intervals of only 48 hours, which is not sufficient to allow all competitors to cross the obstacle of the Bay of Biscay and make their descent along the western coast of Galicia. They have to sail about 450 miles before meeting more manageable conditions. To ensure the safe passage of the fleet what is needed is a weather window of about three full days. But the pressure systems currently feeding the near Atlantic are at relatively southern latitudes, making the dominant winds southerly to southwesterly. The famous jump to a nor’wester, following the passing of a depression, does not have time to establish itself before a new system takes its place.

An Asturian alternative?
Faced with such a situation, the organising team has opted to wait for favorable weather window to reach Lanzarote.

One alternative that could be considered is breaking the first leg into two separate sections. The first could take the fleet from Douarnenez to Gijon, a Spanish port that can easily accommodate a fleet of 84 Minis. Through contacts established with the Barquera during the Grand Prix Guyader the Asturian contacts of Douarnenez Courses are mobilised. At Gijon, the soloists can await another weather window to round Cape Finisterre. The advantage of the operation: by splitting the leg it considerably reduces the size of the good weather window necessary to open the road to the south. But today, no decision has yet been taken, as this solution raises a number of logistical problems. Next rendez-vous will be at 18.00 tomorrow . The race has chosen to play the card of transparency with the competitors : this is also in the spirit of the Mini.

Mini Transat : start postponed
But Viva Guadeloupe!

• Guadeloupe is the guest of honor in the Mini Transat race village
  
• A parade of sail under the colours of the “Iles de Guadeloupe ” tomorrow at 13:00 on the Bay of Douarnenez
  
• A day of baptisms
  

Summer conditions returned to the Mini Transat race village on Saturday afternoon. Especially to welcome Guadeloupe, today’s guest of honor, the sun decided to join the party. This does not affect the decision to postpone since it is the weather situation in two days time, when the fleet would have been approaching the Spanish coast, that the skippers of the Mini Transat would have faced bad weather.

It all started this morning with a visit to the Mini Transat race village by a delegation from Guadeloupe in which Jacques Bangou, the Mayor of Pointe-à- Pitre was accompanied by officials of the CCI Guadeloupe. At 11am, it was the baptism of the Guadeloupe boat – Espace Océa, of François Lamy in the presence of the ship ‘s godmother, five-time Olympic medallist Laura Flessel. The “Wasp” as Fessel is nicknamed, successfully broke the traditional bottle of rum over the boat at the first attempt, ensuring good luck. This evening there will be another opportunity to celebrate the butterfly island of Guadeloupe since the CCI has partnered with the Mini Class for the traditional evening of the alumni of the Mini. There will be plenty of tall stories of the world of racing between beer kegs and cod fritters. Many may recall the charms of the journey to the West Indies, such as Marc Guillemot, sponsor of Gwénolé Gahinet (Watever – Logways) Bernard Abalan, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede or Fred Guérin, great leaders of the first editions of the race. Hiding in the background of the race you might even spot Roland Jourdain, sponsor of Pierre -François Dargnies’s boat (We- van.com) or even Michel Desjoyeaux on a visit to friends.

Baptiser or baptised
Sometimes one finds oneself on both sides in a game. This is what happened to Raphaela Le Gouvello (Respectocean.com) who had her own boat baptised by Gilles Boeuf, President of the Museum of Natural History, and then at 16:00 acted as godmother for Raphaël Marchant’s boat (Soréal – Ilou). A paradoxical situation perhaps, but a logical outcome when we know the commitment Raphaëla has to protecting the planet and its oceans. At 18:00, the competitors had an appointment with Denis Hughes, the Race Director, for a weather report which confirmed two essential items of information: tomorrow’s parade of sail can take place in good conditions and in the short term the weather window is still refusing to open for the start. The parade of sail under the colors of the “Isle de Guadeloupe” will take place on the same course as the prologue last week. A beautiful way to get an early taste of the spicy flavors that await the competitors at the finish in Pointe- à-Pitre.

They said:
François Lamy (Guadeloupe – Espace Océa): “This is my second participation in the race after a first experience in 1989. That was 24 years ago and I am impressed to see how high the level is now. In 1989, I left with the tool box still on deck. I hope in any case that my participation will encourage vocations among young Guadeloupe.”

Sunday 13 Octobre 2013 in Douarnenez
09:00 – 12:00 : free visits to the Public Service Patrol Boat Cormoran (Marine Nationale) – Port de Pêche / General Public
10:00 – 19:00 : Village open to the public
11:00 – 12:00 : Culinary demonstration – Espace CCI / General Public
10:00 – 12:00 : Introduction to seamanship – Tente du Conseil Général / General Public
10:30 – 12:00 : Exit of the Mini 6.50s from Port-Rhu – Port-Rhu / General Public
13:00 – 16:00 : Parade of Sail under the colours of the Iles de Guadeloupe on the Bay of Douarnenez – Live commentary and visible from the breakwater of Port du Rosmeur / General Public
14:00 – 17:00 : Free invitation to Paddle – Cale de l’enfer / General Public
14:00 – 17:00 : free visits to the Public Service Patrol Boat Cormoran (Marine Nationale) – Port de Pêche / General Public
19:00 : Closing of the Mini Transat race village – start dismantling