Pogo 2 806 is now in San Francisco. We drove Thursday and arrived in Alameda around 8pm. On Friday the boat was launched and with the help from Thomas (Thomas Marine, our marine electrician for the Pogo 2) and Sylvain Barrielle (UK Sailsmaker in San Francisco), we wired the new LED tricolor mast head light, mount the new mast head fiberglass

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Only a couple of weeks before the start of our first SingleHanded Transpac with the Pogo 2. Some good news: the allergy that literally spread over my right arm like a 3rd degree burn is healing. Just had another visit at the Dr. today and it is definitely recovering well. Of course sunblock and UV long sleevesare prescribed at all (more…)

Once again, the Pogo 2 was the smallest boat in the fleet. PSSA (Pacific Singlehanded Sailing Association) organizes every year multiple offshore races for singlehanded and doublehanded sailors. This year, we have chosen to campaign the Pogo 2 doublehanded in preparation for Pacific Cup.

Racing offshore with PSSA is more than just racing. (more…)

If you haven’t followed the 2011 Charente-Maritime/Bahia Mini Transat 6.50, we have posted many news about the race and the racers. Simply follow this link to live the race again!

If the main story is the journey of these amazing sailors facing the elements single handed across the oceans, we have found some inside stories, some naratted by the skippers with always a touch of humour. Just follow the links below to read them! (more…)

None of them have shaved in 3 weeks. They are all exhausted and their faces, as they meet the world again, show all signs of relief after a long tiring and stressful journey across the Atlantic. One man, one boat and 45oonm, that is the Mini Transat! Enjoy the photos of the racers as they finish.

The Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6.50 (aka “the Mini Transat) started on September 25th from La Rochelle. The first leg of the race represents about 30% of the race and ends in Madera, off the coast of Portugal. (more…)

The Pogo 2 dominated the top 10 in the first stage of the Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6,50. Full results can be seen here.

With 1,100 miles behind them sailors now face the 3,100 mile leg from Funchal (Madeira-Portugal) to Salvador de Bahia (Brazil). The start of the second stage is set to take place on Thursday 13 October 2011. The race can be watched online using an online tracker.

As we continued our visit in La Rochelle, we definitely had to stop and say hello to Jean-Marie Oger, skipper of Pogo 2 FRA 774. Jean-Marie is not only one of the best Pogo 2 racer in the world, but he also helped us last year in France as we were getting ready for the US Built Pogo 2 project. JM didn’t do so well on the first leg: his boat hit a large aquatic mammal (maybe a whale), which took off one of his rudder. He had to stop in Portugal to repair. JM still finished the first leg, behind everyone else. It’s not over for the racer from Brittany – with a little more than 1000nm to go, JM is currently 4th place in the Series fleet, only 25 nm behind the first boats! Go luck JM and see you soon!!

Open Sailing was in La Rochelle just before the start of the 2011 Mini Transat and got the chance to talk to a few racers. We met with Emma again (last time was just before her boat was shipped to France) and enjoyed talking to her. She seems very well prepared: after 8 months in France preparing for the race, Emma seems serene and a lot more experienced for 45oo nm solo sailing!

Enjoy this little interview and stay tune for other interview, coming soon on the Open Sailing News section!!

Early July,  we had a little report about the Mini Fasnet. The Mini Fasnet is a 500nm double handed race. Due to strong winds up to Fastnet Rock, the Race Committee sent the racers south to the BAX buoy and back. The first 7 series Mini were all Pogo 2s with the first three boats finishing a minute 20 from each other! Thanks to FRA 472 with Xavier Macaire and Kan Chuck, follow the 3 boats sprinting to the finish. (more…)