Des minis et, entre-autre, un OVNI ...

So, Hanami 2 will participate to the TRANS-GASCOGNE: http://www.transgascogne.com/

For english speakers visiting the site (there are some), here are some details copied from a mail to an 'experienced american candidate crew' who is currently around here:

The RACE

It is for small 6.5m boats and there are 2 categories: solo and shorthanded (2).
It is the last qualification race before the Mini-Transat from France to Brasil (Salvador de Bahia) at the end of the year.



It starts the 28th of July from Port Bourgenais but for the Hanami's crew it is necessary to be on board at least the 27th and there are a couple of social events before day 'D'. The boat will be there the 24th for being checked by the organization people (securilty, telecoms and so forth). From Port Bourgenais the race goes to LUANCO, a small place west of Gijon on the North coast of Spain.

The crossing is likely to be 2 or 3 days (with 2 nights at sea I rekon) on both legs.
On leg 1, the boats will head up to Belle Ile, that is NW of the starting point, before heading south.
There will be a 2 days stop-over in LUANCO before everybody sails back to Port Bourgenais and the last arrival should be the 5th.
The prize ceremony will be the 7th.

The boat and the crew

There are 6 accompanying boats, all with at least 3 people on board.
Their job is about monitoring the fleet by VHF twice a day then reporting by Iridium/Mail to the organization.
They do not 'race' or follow the fleet but are positioned in areas defined by the organistion team and monitor the boats in this area.
No physical assistance to be done by the accompanying boat, except if formally ordered by the Organisation people and for emergencies.
At this time the we are a team of 3 but want to be 4 as one is afraid of being sea-sick (it already happened a couple of time).
Hence, as one is missing the org people should come with a couple of candidate but it hasn't happened yet.

Getting there

Port Bourgenais is not exactly what could be called an 'easy place to reach'.

From Paris trains leave from Gare MONTPARNASSE to LES SABLES D'OLONNE several times a day, with or without connection in NANTES. The trip is 3h30 if direct, longer if there is a connection in Nantes. Trains have to be booked in advance and this can be done on the Internet. Then Port Bourgenais is 20 km from Les Sables and travel will be by car and I'll take care of this.

On the way back it is the same but in the other direction.

To be followed ...