Mini Transat - Douarnenez to Pointe-a-Pitre
FLASH
Justine Mettraux, first woman and 2nd in the Yslab Ranking (series boats)

Justine Mettraux crossed the finish line of the Mini Transat in second place in the series boats at 03h 40mn 34s local time (07h 40mn 34s GMT). Her elapsed time is 22 days 22h 55m 34s. Her average speed over the course (point to point) is 6.67 knots. She arrived 1d 13h 43m 7s after Aymeric Belloir, winner of the Yslab Ranking. She is the first woman to arrive in Pointe-à-Pitre and achieves the best performance by a woman in a Mini Transat series boat.

Second place a surprise
"This is a bit of a surprise because I had no idea where I was. I knew I was third from the Canary Islands. I knew I was second 5 miles before the arrival. It is not easy to navigate like that, you do not where you are, you do not know where you're going, but I tried to do it like that."

Technical problems
"I didn't have too many problems, a few things but nothing serious. So I told myself that all is well on the boat, if I sail as fast as I can it should not be too bad. Though I was not sure of my track."

Crédit Jacques Vapillon / Mini Transat 2013

Expectations
"It was different from what I imagined, I thought we would have some contact between boats, but in the end we were all quite alone. If I had not had a problem with my beacon, I would have spent two weeks alone. Otherwise, it was downwind, it is difficult to find a rhythm, it's monotonous. Although it is less intense than in other races, emotionally it was hard because I did not know where I was. Without information, we do not know if it is right or not, it is always challenging."

Problems with the emergency beacon
"In fact, the beacon was in the companionway, where I also put my garbage. One day, I was restacking things and I think that, without meaning to, I triggered it. I had music on and I was trying to maneuver, so I did not hear the alarm and it was only when I went into the boat that I heard it beeping. I turned it off and reported to the Race Director that everything was fine, but I had no VHF range and therefore had no other way to announce that there was no need to come to see me. I was not surprised to see the ship that the Race Committee diverted to me because I thought there would be someone who would. he did not come close, he contacted me by radio."

NOTE TO READERS

Effective Course
Start from Douarnenez (leg abandoned).
Re-starting Sada (Spain) - Finishing at Pointe-à-Pitre: 3700 miles

Dates
Start from Douarnenez originally planned for October 13, 2013 at 13.00. Departure postponed due to severe weather conditions on the race course.
After 16 days of waiting to find a weather window for the fleet of 84 Mini 650s, Douarnenez was able to hold the start of the first leg of the Mini Transat 2013 on Tuesday, October 29 at 9:19. The worsening weather conditions forced the cancellation of this leg and the Mini Transat fleet found shelter in the ports on the north coast of Spain.76 competitors rallied as to the Galician port of Sada where the race to Pointe-a-Pitre was started the morning of Wednesday 13 November at 09.45. A gate is positioned off Lanzarote and competitors who wish to may stop in the Canaries.

Douarnenez Courses: organizer of the Mini Transat 2013 and 2015
All the organisations of Douarnenez are mobilised with the support of local and regional authorities under the aegis of Douarnenez Courses: the yacht clubs, Douarnenez and Société des Régates de Douarnenez, the Winches club organizers for many years of Mini races with the Mini Fastnet and Trophy Marie-Agnès Péron as torchbearers, but also the association of the Fêtes Maritimes, the Atlantic Yacht Club, the Fédération Maritime and others who are preparing for fifteen days prior to departure, a festival celebrating the sea and the sailors. Competitors will be welcomed into the Port-Rhu a real jewel in the heart of the city.

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