Shift Fire! Shift Fire!
Same mission, different target
Unfortunately the time has come to shift fire from the Mini Transat 2021 race and extend this campaign to the new target of the Mini Transat 2023 race. Due to many circumstances beyond my control, it is not possible to compete in this year’s race despite fully committing myself to this campaign.
The Mini Transat maintains a strict limit of 84 competitors per race and currently every spot is filled for this year’s race. There are also 26 fully qualified racers registered and on the waiting list for any openings. That leaves me on a list with 42 other sailors who initially registered for this year’s race, but were not able to earn a spot. If the race organizers offered me a spot I would certainly be ready, however that is just not how it works.
I am greatly disappointed and frustrated that I cannot take part in the race this September. I feel like I am letting all of my supporters down. The emotions I feel are difficult to express over a blog post, but I hope you can imagine. The month delay in arriving to France due to COVID restrictions and a challenging visa process, prevented me from participating in my first two planned races. This left me just a couple hundred miles short of the 1,500 nautical mile racing requirement to qualify for the Mini Transat. I still pushed forward in case there might have been an opening available for me to race (not impossible a few months back).
However, I will continue to remind myself why I am here taking on this challenge that continues to test my commitment. I am here as an ambassador for U.S. Patriot Sailing, an incredible non-profit organization dedicated to supporting military veterans through the sport of sailing. I believe I am on track with the objective of raising awareness for the team through international competition.
In the past eight months we have managed to take a fully American Mini 6.50 through a winter of preparation, built a strong network of support from incredible sponsors and donors, shipped the boat across the ocean, and started racing in France. Getting the boat to meet the strict safety and class rules was not easy (as you have seen in the previous blog posts). Then finally getting out on the water and completing the 24 hour sail requirement. This led into a two stage, double handed race in the Mini Calvados Cup with some of the most challenging waters to sail, through the Bay of Biscay and into the English Channel. I could not have arrived at this point in the campaign without so much support from my sponsors, family, friends, and the veteran community. Thank you!!!!
The new target for the Mini Transat 2023 race will provide an opportunity to prepare the boat and myself further for this challenging adventure. With the arrival of new Quantum sails just last week, Terminal Leave is getting faster every day. There is a 600 nautical mile race starting 28 July called the Mini Gascogna PURU Challenge Race. This will be a two stage solo race from France down to Spain and back.
After the Mini Gascogna race I will return to La Trinité-sur-Mer to prepare for the 1,000 nautical mile solo qualification sail from France to Ireland and back. While this is not a race, a thousand miles on a 21 foot sailboat across the Bay of Biscay, English Channel, and back is no easy feat. This takes serious preparation and planning to execute safely. This passage is a qualification requirement to compete in the Mini Transat, so completing it this year in my boat will meet the requirement for the 2023 race.
My main focus right now is on the upcoming race to Spain and the thousand mile solo qualification sail. Looking forward, I have every intention of racing next summer in the Les Sables – Les Açores – Les Sables (SAS) race. This is the big race on the off years from the Mini Transat. It is 2,600 nautical miles of solo racing in two stages from France to the Azores and back. This is a level A race (same category as the Mini Transat) and provides an excellent offshore experience in preparation for the following year. Finally, competing in the SAS will grant me a spot in the 2023 Mini Transat so it will be a crucial race to complete.
I am fortunate to have the generous support from so many to help get this campaign to where it is today. Thank you to those who have contributed to get me over $30,000! That money is used to help cover the many administrative and logistical costs associated with preparations and getting on the race course. If you are able to support me with a donation, it will go a long way to getting me through the upcoming Mini Gascogna race and the 1,000 nautical mile qualification sail.
I will continue to post pictures and videos on Facebook and Instagram daily about my progress. You can also see the content on my website’s media page. Make sure to like and follow my pages to stay up to date, plus it helps raise awareness for the campaign! You can follow along in real time during this next race with the LIVE tracker.
Your support to this campaign is critical to my success in raising awareness for U.S. Patriot Sailing, thank you! I will be back in America this winter and looking forward to more speaking opportunities to share my story, the awesome work U.S. Patriot Sailing is doing, this sailing season, and the road ahead to the Mini Transat 2023. Please contact me if you are interested in me speaking at your club in person or over zoom. (peter@pgnoceanracing.com)
