#13. This week I sit down with Sylvain Karpinski who is from Canada and raced in the 2023 Mini Transat on a Vector named Gusta. It is a fascinating story of how he quickly learned how to sail and jumped right into preparing for this big race.  Then during the Mini Transat he had to overcome challenges such as climbing his mast while solo in big seas and even broke his bow sprit multiple times.  He shares some crazy stories about his experience and what it took to get to the finish line. Have a question or comment? Reach out at peter@pgnoceanracing.com and make sure to check out my w ..read more

#12. Kicking off the first of many interviews this year with the Irish Mini sailor Mark O'Connor! Mark has his sights set on the 2025 Mini Transat in series with his Maxi. We discuss how he got into the Classe Mini starting out in a Pogo2 and the transition to a newer boat. When Mark is not on his Mini, you can find him working on the electronics of an IMOCA in France. You can find Mark on Instagram @marksmini650 or email him at mocsailing@gmail.com. Check out his website www.ocean.racing Have a question or comment for me? Reach out at peter@pgnoceanracing.com and make sure to check out my w ..read more

#5. July SITREP: With just over two months left before the start of the Mini Transat, it is time for an update. These past few months have been extremely busy as we get closer to the start of the big race. Recorded July 18, 2023 from Annapolis, MD. Make sure to sign up and check out the July SITREP blog post online: https://www.pgnoceanracing.com/blog/july-sitrep-1 Please support this campaign and donate, THANK YOU!!! https://www.uspatriotsailing.org/page-18221 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peter-gibbons-neff/message ..read more

#4. What does take to qualify for the Mini Transat? With so many skippers competing for 90 spots in the big race, understanding the rules, race calendar, and registration process is critical to qualifying in time. The simple answer is 1500 nm of racing in the class and a 1,000 nm solo qualifier...but it gets complicated quickly! Find the Mini race calendar here: https://www.classemini.com/?mode=courses See the pre-registration list for this year's Mini Transat here (click the PDF link under other documents): https://www.classemini.com/course-en-mini-transat-2023-1.html Check out all of my p ..read more

#2. In this episode I explain what the Mini Transat is and break it down in a quick overview. The Mini Transat is a 4,050 nautical mile solo ocean race on 21’ sailboats (Classe Mini 6.50) across the Atlantic Ocean. Starting from Les Sables d’Olonne, France the first leg is 1,350 nm to Santa Cruz de La Palma. This is the westernmost island of the Canary archipelago off the west coast of Africa. With an estimated duration of a little over a week, this first leg is known for strong winds and challenging weather conditions. The second leg is 2,700 nm long across the Atlantic to the Caribbean isla ..read more

#13 This week I sit down with Sylvain Karpinski who is from Canada and raced in the 2023 Mini Transat on a Vector named Gusta. It is a fascinating story of how he quickly learned how to sail and jumped right into preparing for this big race.  Then during the Mini Transat he had to overcome challenges such as climbing his mast while solo in big seas and even broke his bow sprit multiple times.  He shares some crazy stories about his experience and what it took to get to the finish line. Have a question or comment? Reach out at peter@pgnoceanracing.com and make sure to check out my we ..read more

#12 Kicking off the first of many interviews this year with the Irish Mini sailor Mark O'Connor! Mark has his sights set on the 2025 Mini Transat in series with his Maxi. We discuss how he got into the Classe Mini starting out in a Pogo2 and the transition to a newer boat. When Mark is not on his Mini, you can find him working on the electronics of an IMOCA in France. You can find Mark on Instagram @marksmini650 or email him at mocsailing@gmail.com. Check out his website www.ocean.racing Have a question or comment for me? Reach out at peter@pgnoceanracing.com and make sure to check out my we ..read more

#11. Happy New Year! First episode of 2024 where we cover briefly the delivery from Guadeloupe to Florida. Make sure to follow this podcast, because we have a lot of new episodes coming out soon with interviews from other Mini sailors. Feel free to email us at peter@pgnoceanracing.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peter-gibbons-neff/message ..read more

#10. Leg 2 of the Mini Transat complete! What a wild adventure with breaking off my rudder completely and stopping in Cape Verde for a quick 12 hour repair. Then spending the next two weeks racing across the Atlantic ocean. Listen to Jane and I break down the second and final leg of this transatlantic ocean race. Watch my interview with Alex from the Winded Voyage YouTube Channel in Cape Verde during my stopover!!! https://youtu.be/J9vXhK8W60I?si=BO-Kpy6fmrLOpyvZ Make sure to check out my blog posts and sign up for emails here: https://www.pgnoceanracing.com/blog Want to support this campai ..read more

#9. The final half of the race from the first leg. Listen as I review the After Action Report parts 3 &4 and add some additional insight. Check out the AAR Blog posts for pictures and race tracker screen shots for the times I am referencing here. Part 3: https://www.pgnoceanracing.com/blog/mini-transat-leg-1-aar-pt3-days-5-8 Part 4: https://www.pgnoceanracing.com/blog/mini-transat-leg-1-aar-pt4-days-9-13-finish Interested in supporting this campaign? Donate Here: https://www.pgnoceanracing.com/donate Send all questions and comments to peter@pgnoceanracing.com or jane@pgnoceanracing.com ..read more