Closing wordsfor the Mini 6.50 race, Douarnenez 2026.
Thank you to:
– All the competitors for this superb edition of the Mini Fastnet.
You kept us on the edge of our seats throughout the race with your various tactical choices and the currents of the Four Channel.
– All the volunteers, who were always available and kept spirits high. Some have been preparing for the race for months, while others took time off work or traveled long distances every day to join us.
– Annabelle Moreau for her collaboration and the excellent course she designed this year.
– The Mini Class and its Board of Directors for their collaboration.
– The town of Douarnenez and the marina.
– The Brittany Region and the Finistère Department.
– The FFV (French Sailing Federation).
– Our sponsors: JAIN Bakery, L’Abri du Marin, YS & Bio grocery store, HENAFF, Armox Lux, and Accastillage Diffusion (Véronique Mens).
– Marcelle and her team of crêpe makers.
– Cécile and Christelle for the reflexology and shiatsu sessions.
See you next year, and happy sailing…
Saturday June 20th, 12AM
Official results are announced at Maison du Nautisme and confirm the podium.
Proto:
- Nicomatic, #1067, Boule – Marie
- Métier Intérim, #800, Bataille – Delcroix
- Branchet, #1069, Letissier – Delesne
Series:
- Zeste de Citron, #1105, Poghon – Gautier, at 15:30
- Mini Fifty Fifty, #994, Cloarec – André
- Irish Express, #1119, Corlay – Jezegou
Friday, June 19, 7 p.m.
All the Minis have arrived in Tréboul at the end of the 2026 Mini-Fastnet.
Congratulations to all the racers!
Tonight, it’s time to relax and celebrate, with a BBQ on the slipway, as is tradition.
See you tomorrow, Saturday, at noon for the awards ceremony.
Friday, June 19, 7 a.m.
It was a long night for half the fleet still at sea, with very light winds. But the wind is returning from offshore, and all the Minis should be back by this evening.
Thursday, June 18, 4 p.m.
The calm has given way to a wind that has allowed the Minis to get going again.
And the arrivals are coming thick and fast.
In the prototype class, 5 have arrived, with a (provisional) podium:
- Nicomatic, #1067, Boule – Marie
- Métier Intérim, #800, Bataille – Delcroix
- Branchet, #1069, Letissier – Delesne
In the Series class, 8 are already in Tréboul, with a provisional podium as well:
- Zeste de Citron, #1105, Poghon – Gautier, at 15:30
- Mini Fifty Fifty, #994, Cloarec – André
- Irish Express, #1119, Corlay – Jezegou
Arrival of 1105: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1220763953420725
All the volunteer teams from the Winches Club are on hand to welcome all the competitors, providing towing, mooring assistance, and hot meals.
Given the expected arrival of the last competitors, the prize-giving ceremony scheduled for Saturday at 5pm has been moved forward to Saturday at 12pm.
Thursday, June 18, 9:00 AM
After Nicomatic’s arrival last night, the wind remained very light throughout the night across the entire Iroise Sea.
A long night indeed for the Mini sailors competing in the 2026 Mini Fastnet Race, who are becalmed between the Four Channel for the most advanced boats and west of the Isles of Scilly for the last ones.
Follow the race live: https://carto.oceantracking.fr/minifastnet/carto
And on our social media: https://www.facebook.com/WinchesClub
Flash 10 PM
Nicomatic – Petit Bateau, No. 1067, skippered by Caroline Boule and Benoit Marie, have entered Douarnenez Bay after rounding the Basse Vieille buoy and are less than 5 nautical miles from the finish line. Despite the calm in the bay, they are expected to cross the line before midnight.
Wednesday, June 17, 9:00 AM
The southwest wind held steady throughout the night, allowing the 62 Mini 6.50s still in the race to sail directly towards Douarnenez.
At 9:00 AM this morning, the fleet was spread out across the Celtic Sea. The leaders were near the Isles of Scilly, with 140 nautical miles to go. The last boats were still off the coast of Ireland and would have to contend with an area of light winds expected later in the day north of the Isles of Scilly.
The first boats were expected to arrive overnight.
Tuesday, June 16, 10:30 PM
Nearly half the fleet has rounded the Fastnet Rock and is speeding towards Douarnenez in a light Irish drizzle and a steady 15-20 knot southeasterly wind. Plenty of speed to be made!
In the prototype class, Nicomatic (1067), still in the lead overall, is averaging 13 knots over the last hour, while Branchet (1069) is 13 nautical miles behind. They have less than 230 miles to go.
In the Series class, the battle is tight, with about ten 650s within a few miles of each other. The group is led by Seven x Seven (998), followed by Zeste de Citron one mile back.
The night will likely be decisive for this final sprint.
Tuesday, June 16, 10:00 AM
At the end of the second night at sea, the fleet is closing in as they approach the Fastnet Rock. The gaps have narrowed, and the new race leader is Nicomatic, No. 1067, less than 25 nautical miles from the Fastnet Rock, marking the halfway point. The wind seems to be well established in the area, with the sailboats sailing at over 6 knots. The entire fleet has now passed the Isles of Scilly, and the back of the fleet is 100 nautical miles from the Fastnet Rock.
During the night, a PLB3 satellite personal beacon was activated on a boat, raising concerns about a man overboard (MOB). A Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched by the UK Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre. After verification, it was determined to be a false alarm. The support vessel Yahgan was informed, as well as Race Control.
Well done and thank you to the maritime rescue team.
Monday June 15, 11PM
At the end of the day, the leading Minis are near the Isles of Scilly, southwest of Cornwall, one-third of the way through the race.
The gaps between the northern and southern groups have narrowed (to about 5 nautical miles), and there are more navigational options for rounding the Scilly archipelago, while respecting the three Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS) that border it. The night will be crucial in determining the winner.
A second retirement is regrettable: that of boat number 886, Stingfoot, currently south of the Ushant shipping lane and heading towards Brittany.
Monday, June 15, 1:00 PM
During the night, part of the fleet took the option of bypassing the Ouessant TSS to the north (traffic separation scheme), while the other part continued south. Note that n° 914, Petit Tonnerre, preferred to take the Four channel to reach the north of the Ouessant TSS!
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, having abandoned the race.
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.
