Joshua Schopfer wins the second leg of the SAS regatta and finishes 4th overall
by Joshua Schopfer 13 Aug 2024 17:24 BST
Joshua Schopfer wins the SAS regatta Leg 2 © Vincent Olivaud
The Swiss / British sailor has got his campaign for the Mini Transat 2025 off to a perfect start. 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.
Aged 25 and in his first season of offshore racing, Joshua Schopfer, from Geneva won the second leg of the SAS - Les Sables - les Açores - Les Sables against 47 competitors in the Series category.
The skipper crossed the finish line of the 2nd leg on Monday 12 August at 11h22'59'' (French time). It took him 7 days 19 hours 22 minutes 59 seconds to complete this 2nd leg. His cumulative race time over the two legs is 17 days 18 hours 17 minutes 33 seconds. The SAS is the most important regatta in the Mini class, with the exception of the Mini Transat.
"I'm really pleased to have won this regatta, because I've been under a lot of pressure throughout the race," he said. "During the last four days, the tension was at its highest because of my position; I discovered that it's quite uncomfortable to be chased..."
The regatta took place in a wide variety of conditions, but was marked by a steady breeze and boat-breaking seas, which at times forced the competitors to apply the brakes. "For three days, we sailed under spinnaker in 20-25 knots of wind, peaking at 30 knots, which wasn't easy. At times, we also found ourselves up against some pretty steep seas, which was very uncomfortable."
After four podium finishes in the Mediterranean this spring, Joshua has finally achieved a major victory. "I've been waiting for this for a long time. I'm happy because I'd come close to winning in the Mediterranean, but I hadn't managed to conclude in the lead. The SAS is the big race of the year. I'm proud to have won the second leg."
The learning curve for the Mini Transat will continue for another year, but Joshua feels that he has made immense progress in recent weeks. "In particular, I've learnt that I'm capable of spending ten days at sea alone. I'm also starting to get to know my boat really well and that's great. On this second leg, I was able to show that I'm starting to get the hang of things."
More information at joshua-schopfer.com