Faces new and old

The Mini's major event of 2010, the singlehanded Mini Pavois, to start in a week

The Mini Pavois is set to be interesting as the first solo race of the season for the Minis with a leg of 500+ miles.

A week out to the start there are 47 sailors with the list still growing, with some still waiting to register following the Select 6.50. Many newcomers are expected in both classes, the Protos and Series. The Mini Pavois is the first single-handed race for the Minis this year
A qualifier for the 2011 Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6.50 (Mini Transat), the Mini Pavois is the third race on the Atlantic coast for the Classe Mini this year, following the Demi-Clé 6.50 and the Select 6,50. The Mini Pavois is the first longest race of the season - 800 miles singlehanded in two legs. This sixth Mini Pavois, organised by the Grand Pavois Organisation, will take the fleet for the fourth time south, across the Bay of Biscay, 300 miles to Gijon, Spain before the 500 mile return trip to La Rochelle via marks off the coast of southern Brittany.

So far 47 sailors have registered comprising 19 Protos and 28 Series, 33 French and 14 non-French. The international nation of the class continues to impress with two Spanish, Jorge Maden Ruiz and Nacho Orti, Turk Tolga Pamir, Czech Milan Kolacek, two Americans in Andy Abel and Ryan Finn, two Dutch in Robert Rosen Jacobson and Lucas Schroder, Scot Ewan Stirling, Belgian Jonas Gerckens, two Germans Jorg Riechers and Henrik Masekowitz, Etienne David from Switerland and New Zealander Conrad Colman.

In the Protos there is Nicolas Boidevezi (719 – Défi G.D.E.) on a 2008 Bertrand design, which finished 7th in the last Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6.50 and 5th in the Select 6.50. Jorg Riechers (753 - Mare.de) is on on 2009 design Bertrand, winner of the 2009 Transgascogne and that recently finished second in the Select 6.50.

As well as Sébastien Rogues who traded his series boat for HenriH-P Schipman’s Lombard design that was third into Salvador de Bahia last year. Rogues recently won the Select 6.50, nearly three hours ahead of the second! An interesting arrival in the Protos is Etienne David (679 - Teamwork) who is best known for his repeat participation in the Tour de France à la Voile. He is sailing Stéphane Le Diraison's 2007 Manuard design that finished fourth in the last Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6,50. David recently won the Grand Prix d'Italie with Le Diraison.

Milan Kolacek is sailing the 2009 Manuard design 791, winning the double-handed Demi-Clé and coming 8th in the Select 6.50. Lucas Montagne is sailing aboard 618, a Finot design raced by Peter Laureyssens as Ecover in 2007 and in 2009 by Olivier Avram.

The only woman in the Proto class is Véronique Loisel (429 - De l'espace pour la mer), who is sailing a 2003 Lombard design, originally belonging to Alex Pella that was second in the 2005 Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6.50.

The race will feature two new prototypes: Thomas Normand (787 – Financière de l’Echiquier) on a 2010 Manuard design that was seventh in the Select 6.50 and David Raison, who returns to the class aboard his amazing Magnum design.

An unusual arrival on the circuit is extreme skiing World Champion Aurélien Ducroz (417 – Nissan) sailing a Lombard designed Proto. After plenty of challenges on snow, Aurélien is now looking for challenges at sea!

In the Series class, 19 Pogo 2s will be lining up at the start of the 28 Series boats registered. In addition there are two Manuard Tip-Tops sailed by Jorge Maden Ruiz (636 – Casio G-Shock) and our eminent journalist colleague Loïc Le Bras (579 – Cachaca) plus three new Rolland D2s of Tolga Pamir (737 - Yakamoz), Pierre Cizeau (746 - E = MD2) and Brendan Archin (757 - Bibounde), who just finished second in the Select 6.50.

Will the supremacy of the Pogo 2 be broken? We shall wait to see, knowing that there are also two Zeros, a Dingo and a 1998 Pogo 1, in the hands of Serge Bertrand (230 – Minimum).

Six competitors return having competed last year in the Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6.50: Robert Rosen Jacobson (602 –Ned602), Emmanuel Renaud (446 – Koati), Conrad Colman (480 – Betelgeuse), Amaury François (697 – Minus), Marc Vertes (733 – Les amis de la terre kokopelli) and the amazing Xavier Macaire (472 - Masoco Bay) who finished third in the Series class.