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Pre-season grand slam
So, with just a few days to go before the official start of the Mini Transat, the question on every ocean racing fan's lips is: will Benoît Marie also win this year's Mini Transat? All bets are off, but with such an impressive pre-season record, it's tempting to say... "Unless a killer whale crosses his wake, it's a wrap!"
Of course, there's more to the Mini Transat than numbers, predictions and easy wins. It's about sleepless nights, surprise squalls, and stories where the wind can turn a hero into an extra in the blink of an eye. But Benoît seems to have decided to play the role of hero right from the start: dominating pre-season regattas, high spirits, and 10 years' experience on all types of hydrofoil boats, from ULTIMs to dinghies. The result? A Nicomatic-Petit Bateau incredible, which took a long time to perfect, but which flies over water with apparent simplicity.
So, today's prediction: if the weather remains good, the competitors may well be extras, and Benoît Marie may well sign a near-perfect course. But in the ruthless world of the Mini Transat, one thing is certain: nothing can ever be taken for granted... even for the absolute favorite.
