See our October Newsletter for pre race interviews with sailors Emma Creighton & Jean-Marie Oger and coverage of the 1st leg.

The second leg, about 3,200nm took the sailors through rough conditions until the equator, with a very strategic approach in the doldrums and finally more trade winds again for the last 1,000nm to Salvador. Once again, the weather conditions were unforeseeable: the wind was mostly light, often forward (as opposed to off the wind). The doldrums were for some racers a very easy passage – with wind, and for some others zones of no wind at multiple times. With very little trade winds during the second leg, the racers, the boats and the equipment suffered beating to weather in sometimes gale force winds resulting in breakage of masts, rudders and no functioning autopilot.

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 4,200nm - that is the Mini Transat! Enjoy the photos of the racers as they finish.

Gwénolé GAHINET, aboard his Pogo 2 FRA 455, ASSO WATEVER finished first in the second leg and overall by finishing in 20 days and 5 hours! That is in front of almost half of the Prototype Mini fleet!!
The second boat in the series fleet is Pierre BRASSEUR, on his Pogo 2 FRA 552 VOILES OCEAN. Pierre only finished a little less than 4 hours behind Gwénolé.
To complete the podium in the Series fleet, Benoit MARIETTE with Pogo 2 FRA 599 ODALYS VACANCES, completed his 2nd leg less than 8 hours behind Pierre. Benoit had won the first leg by an hour and confirmed his 3rd place overall.

In the Series fleet, it is amazing to see that the first 10 boats finished in less than 21 days! Out of the first 10 boats, 9 are Pogo 2s and also take the first seven first places!!! If MARY Renaud hadn’t ran his Pogo 2 FRA 535 aground 30nm from the finish, it would have simply be “first 10 are Pogo 2s!!”

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!

• Collision in the middle of the ocean
• Encounter with an Orca
• Running aground
• No Power onboard
• Solo Sailing = Solidarity
• Best performance over 24 hours