On Sunday, 13th September, Ollie Bond will take the start of the “Mini Transat” from the French port of La Rochelle flying the Artemis Ocean Racing Team’s colours against a huge 85-boat strong fleet. And Artemis Ocean Racing teammate, Samantha Davies, will be at the start to see Ollie off in her role as ‘godmother’ to the race, as well as official starter. Crossing the Atlantic single-handed aboard a tiny 6.50-meter long monohull is an incredible adventure as well as a fantastic sporting achievement, and the skipper of the Artemis Mini is among the race favourites - British hopes are high for this year’s event!

Created by Englishman Bob Salmon in 1977, the Mini Transat originally started from Penzance (Cornwall) and finished in Antigua after a stopover in Tenerife (Canary Islands). It gave birth to one of the most innovative and active class of ocean racers, and quickly became a major stepping-stone for aspiring professional skippers. Salmon’s idea was to go back to ocean racing’s “Corinthian” roots, the financial excesses of the OSTAR (Observer Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race) prevented most amateurs from entering never mind standing a chance of ending up on the podium. Taking a radical approach, Salmon decided to limit the boat length to 6.50 meters (21.3ft), which ensured that budgets would remain reasonable and, at the same time, gave the newborn category the ‘insane’ factor it is still famous for. If, on today’s ocean racing scene, a class still embodies the original spirit of pioneering adventures, it has to be the Mini Transat!

Over its 32 years of existence, the Mini Class has seen the birth of more than 700 boats, some of which featured groundbreaking solutions that later made their way to bigger racers. Michel Desjoyeaux’s prototype, notably, was the first ocean racer to feature a canting keel, and that soon became the norm for round-the-world IMOCA 60 footers. All the greatest names in offshore racing competed in the Mini Class before going on to win major TransAtlantic races or capture victories around the globe, and if the Mini has always been dominated by the French, the most prominent British racers have taken part with convincing results: Ellen MacArthur, Brian Thompson, Sam Davies - skipper of the Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA 60 for the Transat Jacques Vabre - but also Phil Sharp or Artemis Ocean Racing’s Nick Bubb, currently competing on the Artemis Figaro in the Tour de Bretagne, to name just a few. This year, hopes are high for the Brits on the Mini Transat, thanks to a certain Mr Bond…

Oliver Bond, the latest recruit of the Artemis Ocean Racing Team, is the best British hope in the upcoming Mini Transat, and a serious contender for victory in the Production Boats category. Racing a 6.50 meter monohull across the Atlantic is not for the faint-hearted, but “Ollie” has been on the podium of every last major race in this amazing class. A skilled technician as well as a talented competitor, he has worked in Dee Caffari’s Aviva campaign shore team preparing her boat for the 2008 Vendée Globe.

“Final preparations are underway,” he said, “and I’m enjoying the atmosphere here in La Rochelle, it’s a very friendly class and everyone is always ready to give you a hand or share a toolbox. I’m mainly concentrating on acquiring weather data before the start, since the rules are very restrictive on that front whilst racing. The same applies as far as communications are concerned, and it can get quite lonely but I can cope with that, and with the absolute lack of comfort as well (note: Minis are so small and cramped that standing up inside is not an option!). As a competitor, I’m more worried about making a fatal tactical mistake. I’ve had some counseling provided by fellow Artemis Ocean Racing Team members, and I feel I’m ready to roll.”

The Mini Transat in brief:
Course: La Rochelle (France) - Funchal (Madeira) - Salvador de Bahia (Brazil)
Total length: 4200 nautical miles (7780 kilometres)
Start date: Sunday , 13th September
ETA in Funchal: Friday 18th, September
Leg 2 start date: Saturday, 3rd October
ETA in Salvador de Bahia: Tuesday , 20th October