Message from La Rochelle

Sam Davies with the gossip and news of her preparations for Saturday's Mini Transat

This Saturday, a total of 60 six and a half metre ocean racing 'skiffs' will be battling out their first 24 hours of the Transat 650 (originally known as the Mini Transat.) This prestigious race, well known for its harshness and minimalist rules is the race that most famous French, and now some English (Ellen MacArthur, Alex Bennett) sailors use to start their professional sailing careers.

The 60 'Mini-ists' are now lined up along one pontoon in the Port des Minimes in La Rochelle with sponsors flags flying and skippers, shore crew, supporters and families all busying away in the final pre-race preparations. The tented village is set up around the top of the dock, and there is a daily influx of 'visitors' to view and support the competitors. By the end of the week, the public crowds will actually have to be controlled in order to allow the skippers to reach their boats.

I arrived last Wednesday (by ferry and road) in convoy with two others British competitors - Paul Peggs and Simon Curwen. Last Wednesday was the deadline to arrive in La Rochelle as we have several days of strict safety inspections, briefings, medicals, weather briefings etc. that must be attended by everyone who is competing in the race.

By the beginning of this week Aberdeen Asset Management and I were pretty much ready to race, while some people appear to be still building their boats as you walk along the dock. Others are so ready to go that their boats are deserted. It is always a melee of activity on the pontoon though. There are the organisers checking and stamping sails, then the safety inspections; and some people have to have their boats re-measured (mainly those that have had to have new rigs due to damage earlier in the season.)

There is also the normal dock gossip: "have you seen the low pressure that is forming in the Atlantic? There will be 40 knots next Sunday..", "I don't think his boom / rudders / spinnaker pole will last past Finisterre", "How much petrol are you taking for your generator?", "What - you aren't taking a generator?", "How many solar panels do you have?" or "Has anyone got any more duck tape?"

Today's big announcement was fairly unexpected. The Transat has a strict limited entry to 55 boats, and the places in the race were determined by tough qualification criteria, which involved 2000 miles of sailing - and a first qualified (and paid up) first come first served basis. Until now there have been six boats waiting in La Rochelle on the "waiting list" and there has been much lobbying to allow 60 in the entry list. This number of 60 has been allowed because there are enough 'mother ships' and safety beacons to support 60 boats. Also, the six waiting have completed all their qualification - they were just too slow when submitting their applications.

After many attempts to persuade Les Affaires Maritimes (the equivalent of the MCA) to let them in, it was believed by nearly everyone that they would never allow more than 55, but this afternoon in our daily briefing, the good news was relayed back that they had changed their mind, and five more from the waiting list would be now allowed in the race. This is especially good news for the Brits, as Ian Munslow was one on this list, and is now officially in the race. But, the hot favourite - Ronan Guerin - is also one from the list that is now in.

So our preparations continue, and the weather forecast becomes increasingly on everyone's minds. La Rochelle is buzzing with anticipation for the start of the Transat 650. The spirit here is difficult to describe, as skippers, families, and supporters all rally together to prepare for a race that is sure to be a momentous milestone in everyone’s career.

More soon from the dockside in La Rochelle.

Sam

(The former Mini Transat starts this Saturday from La Rochelle before going on to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands before finishing in Brazil)