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Rather than start 90 solo sailors on the first leg of the 2023 Mini Transat, the fleet of 21-foot Mini Class competitors were postponed on September 24 due to strong winds and large seas forecasted off Spain’s Cape Finisterre when the Mini fleet would be rounding this point.
Something about 40 knot winds and 10 foot high waves …
Instead, their 1400 nm course from Les Sables d’Olonne in France to the Canary Islands began a day later which has allowed the weather forecast to further develop and move slightly more north. Additionally, the race organization added a waypoint to keep the fleet towards the southern part of the Bay of Biscay to maintain distance from the low pressure system.
After two years of intense preparation, extra scrutiny is needed to dissect weather files to refine strategies as the first 48 hours of the race is expected to be in light winds, plus rounding Cape Finisterre promises to be challenging despite the change in the schedule.
The 24th edition follows the previous format of two stages, with the second extending from the Canary Islands to Guadeloupe. With divisions for prototype and production boats, the combined elapsed time for the two stages determines the overall winners…
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