2023 Season Preview
An exciting season of racing coming soon!
Racing from France to the Azores in July 2022
My mission remains racing in the Mini Transat as an ambassador for U.S. Patriot Sailing. Everything I do this year affects my preparation for the big race across the Atlantic.
This season I plan to compete in 4 races before the Mini Transat in September. My plan involves starting early in the Spring with the first few races, take a much needed break to recover, then do one final race (two legs) which serves as the final practice run before the Mini Transat. Once again, this hinges on the registration system. Since the demand for this class has increased dramatically, all skippers have to submit preference sheets that provide an order ranking of the intended races. This ensures you at least get your first choice, but then are added to the waiting list for the races as they fill up. As plans change or boats break, the waiting lists are updated every few weeks. Throughout these past two seasons, I have made both races I was originally on the waiting list for so the system has worked well for me previously.
Earlier this week I submitted my preference sheet for the upcoming season. On 3 February the initial registration lists are published. By the end of that month, all skippers must pay the entry fees and confirm intent to race, at which point the final list is published for the season. This process has evolved over the past few years, but helps ensure the maximum number of sailors can compete and seems to be working well from my perspective.
Upcoming Racing
Plastimo Lorient Mini (PLM): This 250 nm double-handed race kicks off the Atlantic Mini season each April in Lorient. La Base, originally a German submarine base in WWII, now is home to incredible French ocean racing teams with 100 ft trimarans and 60 ft IMOCAs, both of which race solo around the world non-stop. This year the PLM will be a mixed double-handed race for the first time and Jane has agreed to race with me! It should be a great way to launch into the 2023 season. We will get a few training days in at La Trinité-sur-Mer first, then a quick 30 nm delivery northwest to Lorient.
Pornichet Select: In late April, my first solo race will be 300 nm event in familiar waters again. Starting just south of La Trinité-sur-Mer, the race is a loop between Lorient and Le Sables d’Olonne. Despite feeling like a sprint, it will remain challenging since so much of the race is close to shore and other vessels. Avoiding these obstacles while managing sleep deprivation makes for a difficult race.
Mini en Mai: 500 nm solo and departing from my home port of La Trinité-sur-Mer, it is an incredible experience. I am really excited for this race again. Last year we had 100 Minis on the starting line (it was insane!) and strong winds on the course. This was also the race where my autopilot stopped working for three days, so looking for an opportunity to improve on my past performance.
Puru Transgascogne: After a brief break in racing, this two leg solo race from France to Spain and back, will serve as my final race before the Mini Transat. Think of it like a rehearsal for crossing the ocean. This race will be open ocean sailing across most of the Bay of Biscay. The past two seasons I have seen some nasty seas in the southern part of the bay, so this will be a good final test of the boat and myself. The start and finish in Port Bourgenay is about 5 miles from the start of the Mini Transat, so it is a convenient location. After leg 2 I will sail the boat to Les Sables d’Olonne where I will haul the boat out for a few weeks and make final preparations.
Mini Transat: After 3 years of preparations and training, I will finally cross the starting line on September 24th! Check out my last blog post to see more about the race: https://www.pgnoceanracing.com/blog/2023-mini-transat
With about 6,000 nm of sailing planned for this season, it will be a busy year! After all this sailing, Jane and I will then deliver Terminal Leave to Florida which will be at least another 1,200 nm. We will haul out the boat for the rest of the winter, then sail her back to Annapolis that Spring!
This racing is only made possible through support from sponsors and donations. All donations are greatly appreciated and help make this mission a reality! Please donate through the GoFundMe page or email me at peter@pgnoceanracing.com. Thank you!!!
This campaign requires balancing costs, training, racing, boat maintenance, and rest. There is a significant trade off between miles sailed and wear on the equipment. Each time I sail the boat, I learn something new and my performance improves. Cost becomes a major factor for a few reasons. The more I sail the boat in the demanding Bay of Biscay, the more parts will likely need replacing. The costs also quickly add up between living in France, operational costs of sailing, transportation, and administrative costs for racing. It takes a significant amount of resources to prepare and safely race across the Atlantic Ocean!
