Mini Transat: Itzel Marie Diaz qualifies

"A year at sea at a rate of knots!

September may be back-to-school time for most, but for me and my little boat, we haven't had a decent break since January!Firstly, there were the autumn and winter training sessions at the Concarneau centre.

The programme?

A series of manoeuvres and outings in all sorts of weather, from calm conditions (when there's hardly any wind) to more challenging outings (i.e. sailing in a storm)! As I mentioned in an article for Voiles et Voiliers, I had a few setbacks at the start of the project, which affected my self-confidence. Sailing a Mini means taking on a large-scale project on your own. You have to find partners, know how to fix anything that breaks, manage a budget and a juggle a crazy schedule. In other words, it was a huge challenge!

First solo races

If someone had told me a few weeks earlier that I'd be spending my first night alone on my boat in a race, I wouldn't have believed them! Despite a few butterflies and trembling knees before the start on the pontoon, I knew I just had to go for it!

In mid-April, I took on the Pornichet Select, a solo 300 nautical mile race. Two days and nights sailing around the islands of Houat and Hoëdic, the Île d'Yeu, the offshore wind turbines and the Saint-Nazaire channel... I went through every emotion, from fear to the thrill of going at full speed in the dark, admiring the fluorescent plankton that lit up the boat's deck and some curious dolphins.

First victory of the year: crossing the finish line of my first solo race! Despite aching from head to two, two weeks later, I took part in my second solo race: the Mini in May. 500 nautical miles from La Trinite-sur-Mer and the first time I tackled the Raz de Sein on my own - I even crossed paths with a sea turtle there... Once again, I crossed the finish line!

Sailing in the English Channel

After the first two solo races came the Calvados Cup: two two-crew races that took us from Douarnenez to Deauville in Normandy.

It's not easy for people from Brittany to sail in The Channel, where the currents are much stronger and greatly affect the wind and sea conditions. The second race took us across The Channel twice to England and back to Deauville. So we were able to admire the southern English coastline... without stopping, of course!

Another highly technical part: sailing at night between cargo ships (and spending a lot of time on the radio asking them to divert!).

The Mini Transmanche: old Minis caught in a storm

In August, I spent over twenty days at sea between my 1,000 nautical mile non-race qualification and a 500 nautical mile race. This race was the Mini Transmanche: a race for vintage boats, like Kaïros, which was built in 2005 and has a pointed bow.

The course?

Setting off from Ouistreham in Normandy, you cross two bodies of water: the Barfleur Raz and the Blanchard Raz, then head back up towards England, rounding the Wolf Rock Lighthouse to the south of the Isles of Scilly, following the south coast of England towards the Isle of Wight and finally, crossing The Channel back to Ouistreham!

This race was by far the most difficult of my entire season! We went through four fronts (four storms), the waves were higher than the boat, and I had to take out my storm sail several times... Unfortunately, on the Isle of Wight, my mainsail got badly torn and I had to cross The Channel to get back to France with just one headsail. This race took a real toll on me and my boat. The plus side is I've gained some real sailing experience. I also beat my speed record on my boat: 16 knots! (over 29 k/h).

Despite several breakages, I won the 'Planet Perf' prize for an eco-responsible project.

Last race of the season: the Duo Concarneau

 

My year of racing ended with a 300 nautical mile regatta between Saint-Nazaire, Molène and les Glénan. So Kaïros was back in the Atlantic! We got off to a good start in strong winds, with the spinnaker raised, and managed to reach 16 knots! The rest of the race went off without a hitch, with calm conditions and plenty of sunshine. The only downside about September is that nights at sea start to get chilly!

I'm thrilled about my intense yet fulfilling year at sea! I'd like to thank my partner Opinel, who enabled me to enter all these races and gain vast sailing experience. The next step is to take the boat out of the water and give it some tender loving care. Finally, having validated my qualifications for both race and non-race outings, I'm now keen to get back to training and further improve my sailing skills.