Ten women conquering the Atlantic: those good girls of the Mini Transat

With 200 days to go before the departure from La Rochelle, we continue our approach to the Mini Transat, following the interview with Andrea Fornaro. Scrolling through the entries that struck us was the number of women currently on the provisional entry list, as many as ten. A number that would be a record for the regatta whose first edition was held in 1977. The last Italian to take part was Susanne Beyer on Penelope in 2011, in this edition there will not be a representative of our tricolor at the start, although we note the new entry of Francesca Komatar in the Italian fleet, ready to contest her debut season in the class in the Mediterranean.

We do not yet know if all ten girls will be at the start in La Rochelle, as some qualifying is still in progress, what is certain is that there is a fine generation of women, young and prepared, ready to challenge the Ocean. Let’s get to know them better.

Agnes Menut

French, 38 from Marseille, runs on Mini Doudou, a 2005 Pogo 2. His best result in the class is fifth at the 2013 Mini Golfe. Married with an 18-month-old son, before discovering a love for Mini 650s she was a pharmacist, then came the call of the great spaces of the Ocean and a visceral love of sailing. https://minidoudou582.wordpress.com/

Anna Corbella

Watch out for this name, it’s one to mark on your calendar. The 41-year-old Spaniard from Barcelona, if she is at the start in la Rochelle, will not be doing this Mini Transat just to watch but is aiming to do very well thanks in part to her new Pogo 3. She is one of the leaders of the class at the international level, thanks to the work she is doing at Base Mini in Barcelona, where our own Andrea Pendibene also trained. He has already done the 2009 Transat, but also boasts a participation in the Barcelona World Race and has as his next stated goal the 2020 Vendée Globe. http://www.annacorbella.org/

Charlotte Mery

A 25-year-old Parisian, her best result in the class was second place at the 2016 Duo Concarneau. He races on a 2011 proto. After a stint in the Olympic classes, 470 in particular with which he finished 10th at the 2013 ISAF Worlds, came a passion for big offshore sailing. She took a year off from competitive activities to pursue a master’s degree in communications. The dream of the Mini Transat was born in her as early as 2008, a desire that finally seemed to be able to come true. https://minicharlotte.com/charlotte/

Clarisse Cremer

A 27-year-old Breton, she is undoubtedly the most communicative of the 10 skippers, having successfully launched her social campaign to promote the Transat 650 project. She will be aboard a new Pogo 3, one of the boats that on paper are favored for the final victory. Not a veteran of the class, which she has been attending for a short time, she could be an outsider to watch, however. His best result so far is the Concarneau duo, a sixth-place finish, in the crowded Series category he will find stiff competition. http://clarissecremer.com/

Elodie Pedron

Thirty-one years old from Orvault, born in Grenoble, and with an engineering degree from the prestigious INSA in Toulose, she has good experience in the class. Her best result is third place in the 2015 Mini Fastnet. The Pogo 2 on which she will actually sail prevents her from being able to aspire to the positions that matter, but her experience could still place her in the top half of the rankings. He could aspire to do well in the challenge within the challenge among the many Pogo 2s that will be in the race, which includes Ambeco of our own Ambrogio Beccaria.
https://www.facebook.com/elodie.pedron.750?fref=ts

Estelle Greck

French, 27 from Ploemeur, has been attending the Mini Class since 2012 and will be aboard her 2004 Pogo 2. On her chances in the rankings, what has been said about Elodie Pedron applies: the Pogo 2 is unlikely to take her into the upper echelons, but her experience is certainly a candidate for a good regatta and to give the other Pogo 2 colleagues a run for their money. His best result was seventh place at the 2014 Mini Fastnet. http://greckestelle-revonslongcours.com/

Lina Rixgens

German, 23 years old from Cologne, is studying medicine in Belgium and alternates her studies with training at the Mini center in La Rochelle. Velistically, she trained on dinghies, and after her beginnings in Optimist has raced extensively, including internationally, in the Europe Class. She sails a 2008 Pogo 2 and boasts a fine seventh-place finish at the 2016 Mini Barcelona; among the Pogo 2s, she may be one of the highest-ranked. https://www.linarixgens.de/

Marine Andre

At 21 years old, she is one of the youngest in the 2017 Mini Transat. He is arriving from Brest and will be sailing aboard a 2004 Pogo 2. He has little experience in the class; his best result so far is a 17th at Pornichet Select. He wants to do the Mini Transat to experience a unique adventure, with the goal of getting the boat to the finish line.

https://www.facebook.com/marineandre512/?fref=ts

Marta Guemes

Thirty-one years old, a Spaniard originally from the Canary Islands but living in Grenoble, she is a graduate engineer at INSA. He started sailing before the age of 10, but his passion for offshore racing did not come until he was 24 after attending the Glenans for a year. For two years now she has been sailing aboard her 2005 Pogo 2, another skipper who will add to the battle of challenge within challenge. She finished 11th in the 2016 Mini Barcelona. http://www.sailing-marta.com/es/

Nolwenn Caze

French, 25 from Larmor Plage, is a naval officer. Aboard his 2006 Pogo 2, he has already sailed more than 5,000 miles securing qualification for the 2017 Mini Transat. He started sailing on the Optimist, then as he grew older he began racing in the Mediterranean. It could be one of the outsiders to watch. http://nolwenncaze.com/

Mauro Giuffrè