Right now is the season when many many ocean racers depart Europe and head south down the atlantic. The goal is to get to cape horn in the southern hemisphere summer, when the winds only average 40knots and the waves are only 10 meters high or so.
I have been following Diane Reeds One Girl Ocean Challenge. She is racing a mini in the mini transat race accross the atlantic. The reason I think she rocks is that it is very long term challenge to get qualified for the race. She started hunting for a boat in January 2010, purchased it and started working on the boat and then training for the event. She sailed several East coast races such as the burmuda 1+2. Then comes the qualification part. You have to complete some Mini races which means racing in France. Also a long single handed qualification sail that Diane sailed out from Florida and around the caribean and back. Huge miles on a small boat sailed single handed.
Here is her 2012 schedule from her website: http://www.onegirlsoceanchallenge.com/
The Schedule
March 2012 – Ship OGOC to FranceApril 14, 2012 – Demi-Cle 6.50, 150 miles double handed
April 21, 2012 – Pornichet Select, 300 miles single handed
May 13, 2012 – UK Mini Fastnet, 600 miles double handed
Feb / Mar 2013 – Training Bay of Biscay and the Solent
April 2013 – Demi Cle 6,50, 150 miles double handed
April 2013 – Pornichet Select, 300 miles single handed
May 2013 – UK Solent, single handed
May 2013 – UK Mini Fastnet, 600 miles double handed
2013 – The Transat Race, 4000 miles France to Guadeloupe
This October was the start of her race. There were many weather delays, but finally they got off!
Départ de la Mini Transat - 29 octobre 2013, 09H19 by minitransat
The fleet was beaten up rather badly by the weather and the race was canceled. The fleet sailed into Gijon Spain and restarted from there. Diane restarted with the fleet. After a technical stop for repairs she is once again on the way across the Atlantic to Guadalupe.
Links to follow the fleet in English are here:
http://www.minitransat.fr/actualites/comment-suivre-la-course?lang=en
Here she is starting for the second time:
