Mini Transat: Italians and French chew bitterly in first leg

The Mini Transat 2023 sends the 1351-mile first leg, which started in Les Sables d’Olonne and arrived in Santa Cruz de La Palma in the Canary Islands, into the archives. The hoped-for result did not come for Italian sailing, which had long cherished the dream of being able to see Luca Rosetti on the podium, betrayed by an unlucky last leg.

They also chewed bitterly on the French who, surprisingly, did not win the stage either among the Series or the Prototypes: among the Series was won by Belgian Michael Gendebien, and among the Prototypes was won by Spaniard Carlos Manera aboard Xucla.

Mini Transat – How the Italians’ first leg went

Luca Rosetti ninth, Francesco Farci is 27th, Alessandro Torresani 30th. A balance sheet that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, especially because Luca Rosetti had given the impression after the passage of Cape Finisterre that he could aspire to something much more important. Rosetti in fact had taken the lead of the race down the Portugal descent, but a very capricious trade wind complicated the situation. The Italian immediately pointed south, placing him among the most easterly of the entire fleet. In a normal trade wind situation it would probably have been a winning move, not this time though.

In fact, the Portuguese trade wind was not formed, and the real flow was more to the southwest than the Italian’s position, which ended up losing ground to the group positioned to the west. Although he managed to limit the damage in the final part of the first stage, it was 15 hours late, which Rosetti will try to make up in the second. Francesco Farci is just over 24 hours away, Alessandro Torresani just over 30. Distances to keep in mind because the final Mini Transat ranking is developed with the sum of the times of the two legs.

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What can the three Italians among the Series do in the second stage? To get back into the rankings, the only option is to attack, in a stage that historically is less tactical than the first. Longer yes, but with fewer strategic options should the trade wind, as likely, be well stretched along the Atlantic. It will therefore be more difficult to create major gaps, and the only way to catch up will be to be surgical in your trajectories and take a few extra risks by pushing the boat. Mission certainly not impossible, but at least complicated. Appointment October 28.

Mauro Giuffrè