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…)

The 2011 Mini Transat is coming fast. With a start on September 25th from La Rochelle in France, the 84 single handed racers are getting ready to face the worse! Open Sailing will be in La Rochelle before the start to give you some unique and inside news from the racers! Until then, enjoy this video from the 2009 Mini Transat! Go MINI !!!

2011 Santa Barbara to King Harbor on the Pogo 2… read the full race report here.

The Santa Barbara to King Harbor race is one of the most fun long distance race in Southern California and very well attended with usually 100 boats participating. The race is an 80 nm downwind course, from Santa Barbara, around Anacapa Island and finishing in Redondo Beach. With a start on a Friday and a cut-off time on Saturday, 4pm, racers can still enjoy the weekend with family and friends.

Open Sailing decided to deliver the Pogo 2 by motoring to Santa Barbara rather than trailering. (more…)

The Mini Fastnet is a very well known race in the European Mini Circuit that usually takes the sailors (double handed on the Mini) from Douardenez, France to the Fastnet Rock, in Ireland, and back. The weather is considered the toughest for the mini sailors, and this year, because of gale force wind in the English Channel, the race organizers decided to send the racers to course “B”, that is all the way down to the Gironde Estuary, in the South West of France, and back. The race was about 480 nm with still plenty of breeze.

In a fleet of 75 boats where over 30 boats were racing in the “Serie” class, the Pogo 2 proved, once again, to be the best Production Mini out there. The Top 7 finishers are all Pogo 2 which confirms that the 2003 FINOT design has still many years of racing success still ahead! Peraphs the most impressive is that, the top three arrived within 1 minute and 7 seconds… ! Xavier Macaire (last year’s winner) and Kan Chuh (Vmax) arrived 21 seconds before Benoit Mariette and Grégoire Mouly (Odalys vacances) whom crossed the finishing line 46 seconds before Davy Beaudart and Nicolas Bunoust (Innovea Environnement).

Great racing! To read more about the 2011 Mini Fastnet, please follow this link.

Also, more photos of the race by Ricochets 17 or some practice in the breeze before the race by Gildas Hemon.

The Pogo 2 is featured in the June newsletter from UK-Halsey sailmakers.

“UK-Halsey Sailmakers is supplying sails to the only United States production builder of Mini TrasAt 6.5. These powerful 21-footers are the weapons of choice in Europe that aspiring professional sailors use to make their mark in the sport of shorthanded ocean racing. Open Sailing of Southern California is building the Pogo 2 designed by the Finot / Conq Achitect Group” continue reading…

The 3rd Pogo 2 “made in the USA” was delivered on May 27th to the Hamptons and launched out of Sag Harbor, NY. The Pogo 2 crossed the USA, escaped a couple of tornados in Oklahoma and the flood out of Missouri to arrive Thursday night in Sag Harbor. (more…)

Picture of the Pogo 2 racing in the Berger Series Pt Dume race. The 34 mile race saw mostly light conditions with more breeze up the coast at the Pt Dume. The Pogo 2 finished just before sunset. Full Results.