Monday, June 15, 1:00 PM
During the night, part of the fleet opted for the Four Channel, while the other part continued south of Ushant.
The verdict in the early afternoon: the northern route, via the Four Channel, seems more advantageous, with the leaders having gained a 10-mile advantage. But nothing is decided yet; they still have 500 miles to go.
At the rear, number 431, Tip Top Too, is heading towards Douarnenez.
Monday 15th, 00AM
Night fell on the Minis as the wind eased. All the sailors have passed Basse Vieille and almost all appear to be skirting the Ushant shipping lane to the south.
In the prototype class, the race is led by DMG Mori Academy 2, number 1048, closely followed by Métier Intérim, number 800, and Nicomatic, number 1067. But nothing is decided yet; nine boats are within five nautical miles of each other.
In the production class, the gaps are even tighter, with more than ten boats within two miles of each other.
Sunday, June 14th
The race started at 7:00 PM, with a clearing buoy off Flimiou, for a very open race to the Fastnet Rock: the only course marks are Basse Vieille at the entrance to Douarnenez Bay, the Fastnet lighthouse to be left to starboard, the nearby Stags buoy also to be left to starboard, then back to Douarnenez, leaving Basse Vieille to port.
Upon rounding the clearing buoy, spinnakers were hoisted for a broad reach along the coast.
You can follow the race live by following the onboard GNSS trackers: https://carto.oceantracking.fr/minifastnet/carto
Saturday June, 13th
Prologue day for the Mini Fastnet, and Race Village day at the Tréboul marina.
On the racing side, the start was given at noon. The sailors, organizers, and all the volunteers on the water observed a minute of silence in honor of Charlie Dalin, who recently passed away. Charlie was a former Mini sailor before becoming a universally respected champion and winner of the 2025 Vendée Globe. The new SNSM lifeboat Pen Sardin from Douarnenez officially launched the race with a blast of its horn at the end of the minute.
The wind was light on the water, but our Minis completed the two laps of the course between the buoys in record time. Everyone was back in the docks by 3 pm!
Then came the entertainment on the harbor and pontoons: crêpes offered by our four volunteer crêpe makers, kouign-amann to taste with entertainment from the Jain bakery, reflexology by Cécile Vasseur, and shiatsu offered by Christelle Guillard. The brass band also livened up the quayside and pontoons. Sailing wasn’t forgotten either, with a rigging release workshop (for example, in case of a broken mast at sea), allowing skippers to test various tools for cutting riggings “for real.”
On the eve of the departure for the Fastnet, the organizers had invited all the skippers for the weather, course and safety briefing, in the late afternoon.
Friday June 12th
The safety checks have been completed, and the crews are finishing their preparations.
In the late afternoon, Annabelle Moreau, the race director, held a quick briefing in preparation for the prologue, which will take place on Saturday in Douarnenez Bay. The schedule includes: boats leaving the port from 9:00 AM, the start at 12:00 PM, and a return in the early afternoon, allowing racers, Douarnenez residents, and tourists to mingle around the Race Village set up in the port of Tréboul.
Thursday June 11th
Third day of safety checks, under the authority of Virginie Trarieux, Technical Director, Camille, representative of the Mini class, with the participation of numerous volunteers, under the coordination of Catherine and Mary.
Tuesday June 9th
The Mini Fastnet 2026 is now!
Security checks are underway today for the 66 boats and their two skippers, before the prologue on Saturday and the start on Sunday.
