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An eventful start
The starting gun sounded in Les Sables-d'Olonne on Sunday, September 21st, launching the 90 solo sailors towards La Palma in the Canaries. But right from the start, the tension materialized in the form of a collision: Gabriel Bouan (963) and Sophie Delannoy (917) collided during the start procedure.
The result was an aborted start to the race, a badly damaged bow and a forced return to port for the skipper of Pellipop - PSE: pour un sourire d'enfant. It's a hard blow, because as with all ministries, this departure represents the culmination of several years' work.
An all-nighter to save a departure
While Sophie Delannoy was able to set off again at 6.30pm, Gabriel's situation seemed more compromised. But this was without counting on the immediate mobilization of Victor Brodeur, composit boat builder at the SKAW shipyard, and Anne-Gaëlle Gourdin, who raced the last Mini. Without a moment's hesitation, they set to work at 5pm, putting in almost 24 hours of uninterrupted effort with barely 30 minutes' sleep.
Cutting out the delaminated laminated parts, rebuilding the crash box, re-jigging, laminating and finally applying a layer of gelcoat to ensure watertightness: a real commando operation, carried out at full speed to get the boat back on schedule.
Validation and return to the race
At 8pm on Monday evening, the Race Direction gave the green light. Gabriel then left the port of Les Sables-d'Olonne once again, heading for the waypoint south of Les Glénans. Although he lost precious hours at the start, this will in no way affect his ranking, as the first leg was neutralized due to the arrival of Hurricane Gabriele.
The Mini spirit, stronger than the galleys
This story perfectly illustrates what makes the Mini Transat so unique: a close-knit community where competition does not prevent solidarity. Mutual aid and resourcefulness are written into the DNA of this unique race. For Gabriel Bouan, this delayed start will undoubtedly remain a founding memory, a mixture of anguish, gratitude and determination.
