Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2025

The 'sheepdog' support boats in Mini-Transat La Boulangère

by Aurélie Bargat 28 Sep 2017 15:32 BST 1 October 2017
Mini Transat Îles de Guadeloupe Leg 2 © Jacques Vapillon / Mini Transat Îles de Guadeloupe

As is the case with every edition, there will be seven support boats in the Mini-Transat La Boulangère.

Seven crews distributed amongst the whole of the fleet to key an eye open for trouble, supply news of the fleet to Race Management, pass on any safety messages and possibly provide assistance in the event that a competitor triggers the alert. Accompanying the mass transhumance of the Minis towards the West Indies, the support boats also keep a check on morale.

They go by such names as Top50, Platine, Blanche Hermine, Cachaça or Clair de Lune. Their skippers are former Mini-Transat sailors, professionals seasoned in the art of delivery and those familiar with racing circuits, keen to share in this extraordinary adventure. "You are the eyes and ears of Race Management". With the skippers of the support boats gathered together for a briefing, Race Director Denis Hugues highlights the duties of the crews who will be following the Mini-Transat La Boulangère.

Indeed, life aboard a support boat is no pleasure cruise. On-board, the crews will have to plot the positions of the competitors, ensure that they adjust their course in line with the requests from Race Management and provide information that is as accurate as possible regarding the atmosphere at sea, the conditions encountered and the skippers' morale. In short, they must provide Race Management with everything they need to ensure they have their finger on the pulse of the leg underway at that present time.

Spider's web

It is a genuine combat device put in place by Denis Hugues for every edition of the race. "You need to know how to deal with different criteria: the boats' speed, the crew's understanding of the Mini-Transat, the skippers' temperaments... Some are more 'fiery' than others. We have to take that into account when we divide up the support boats amongst the fleet."

The first boat will maintain a link with the head of the fleet and back to around tenth or fifteenth place. "This is largely sufficient. If one of the lead boats has an issue, it will inevitably slow down. And it's always easier to ask a support boat to move up towards the front of the fleet rather than turn back." The other boats will be distributed in such a way as to try to cover the whole of the fleet of competitors. This is a fairly simple mission during the first leg, where the whole fleet remains relatively bunched together on the descent along the Portuguese coast, though it's far more complicated during the second leg. "The lateral separation may stretch to over two hundred miles between those favouring a course close to the great circle route and those who dive south in search of the true trade wind."

A strict routine

For the support boats, the day begins with an unchanging ritual. At 06:00 hours, universal time, the only time there is on the oceans, the radio link-up begins. Using VHF, the support boats call up the boats nearest to them to plot their geographical position and get their news. Those most familiar with the exchanges often reply with a laconic 'Nothing to report', whilst others, missing the contact with others perhaps, are tempted to recount their life story. And so it is that with each edition, the small community of Minis draw attention to the race's 'golden pedal' at the finish. This has nothing to do with cycling of course. Essentially, they're referring to the pedal on the VHF, which gives them the freedom to exchange with other people. The ritual will be repeated at 18:00 hours UT. At 07:00 UT, the support boats receive the positions from all the competitors, along with a grib file containing the weather information. The position reports are updated at 13:00 and 19:00 hours UT.

In the event of a particular hazard, a reported obstacle or deteorating weather conditions, the support boats can also pass on messages from Race Management. For the rest of the time, during each encounter, the support boats sound out what morale is like amongst the solo sailors they meet, try to collect a few anecdotes about life aboard and take some photos of the solo sailors in the open ocean in the hope that they won't have to make any kind of intervention. Whilst the routine remains in place, it's a sure sign that the race is going well...

The Mini-Transat La Boulangère in figures:

  • Sunday 1 October: Start of the Mini-Transat La Boulangère in La Rochelle, France
  • 21st edition
  • 4,050 miles to cover between La Rochelle – Las Palmas in Gran Canaria and Le Marin (Martinique)
  • 81 skippers at the start
  • 10 women
  • 11 nationalities
  • 20 years: age of the youngest skipper in the race: Erwan Le Draoulec
  • 62 years: age of the oldest skipper in the race: Fred Guérin
  • 25 prototypes
  • 56 production boats
  • 66 rookies
  • 15 'repeat offenders'

www.minitransat.fr/en

Related Articles

Mark O'Connor qualifies for Mini Transat
The 25 year old Dublin native is living in France to fulfil his goal of completing the race Mark O'Connor is a 25 year old Dublin native living in France to fulfil his goal of completing the Mini Transat race. Posted on 1 May
Ambre Hasson discusses her Classe Mini season
Touching base with Franco American Classe Mini skipper Ambre Hasson Sail-World checked in with Ambre Hasson, the skipper of Mini 618, to get the latest on the Franco American's 2025 Mini Transat campaign. Posted on 2 Apr
Joshua Schopfer - My First Offshore Season
Breaking waves and reaching goals As a pivotal year for my project begins, I want to reflect on the highlights of my first season in the Mini 6.50 class, share my plans for 2025, and most importantly, wish you a Happy New Year! Posted on 9 Jan
Ambre Hasson's unconventional path into sailing
From 9-5 in New York to Classe Mini sailing in France! Ambre Hasson is a Classe Mini sailor who will be talking to sailors in the Vendée Globe race village ahead of the start on 10th November. Originally not into sailing, she was inspired by Pip Hare in the 2020/21 Vendée to get into the sport. Posted on 29 Oct 2024
Ambre Hasson debriefs her Classe Mini 2024 season
Debriefing the 2024 Classe Mini season with Franco American skipper Ambre Hasson Sail-World checked in with Ambre Hasson, the skipper of Mini 618, to debrief her 2024 Classe Mini season as she works towards next year's Mini Transat 2025. Posted on 27 Aug 2024
Joshua Schopfer wins SAS regatta Leg 2
Scoring his first major victory in Les Sables - les Açores - Les Sables race After four podium finishes in the Mediterranean, he scored his first major victory on the second leg of the SAS - Les Sables - les Açores - Les Sables, which he finished in fourth place overall. Posted on 13 Aug 2024
First big offshore regatta for Joshua Schopfer
Swiss-British sailor ready for The SAS (Les Sables - Les Açores - Les Sables) After three months of preparations and racing in the Mediterranean, Swiss-British sailor Joshua Schopfer has been back in Brittany since the end of June and is actively preparing for his first major single-handed ocean race. Posted on 17 Jul 2024
Ambre Hasson on her Classe Mini campaign
An update Q&A with Ambre Hasson ahead of the Sables - Les Açores - Sables 2024 Sail-World checked in with Ambre Hasson, the skipper of Mini 618, as she works towards the Mini Transat 2025. This is the third of four interviews with the American Classe Mini skipper as she progresses through four double- or singlehanded 2024 events. Posted on 16 Jul 2024
Rebecca Coles makes remarkable Classe Mini debut
Second place for Scottish sailor in Mini Fastnet Scottish sailor Rebecca Coles, just 23 years old, achieved an impressive second-place finish in her debut Classe Mini offshore sailing race, the Mini Fastnet, alongside renowned co-skipper Carlos Manera Pascual. Posted on 17 Jun 2024
Fine second for Joshua Schopfer & Arnaud Machado
In the Italian classic Roma Per Due Teaming up with Arnaud Machado, Joshua Schopfer finished second in the Roma Per Due regatta. He also finished second in last month's Arcipelago Regatta alongside Giovanni Bignardi, making a fine debut in the Mini class. Posted on 23 Apr 2024