With just over a week to go before the start of the Transat 6.50 Charente-Maritime/Bahia (ex-Mini Transat), the 69 competitors are now in La Rochelle preparing for the 4,000-mile solo transatlantic race which starts on Saturday 17 September.

Nick Bubb one of the three British competitors in this year's event arrived in La Rochelle with his new Rogers design (see previous feature here) last week and as the time counts down to the start the pressure is beginning to build. Although Bubb has been campaigning Mini Transat yachts for the last four years this is the first time he's managed to secure an entry to the race. Consequently Bubb, who at 26 is still one of the youngest competitors, is also probably one of the most prepared sailors in the fleet. He's produced some impressive results over the last two years including firsts in the 2003 Mini-Fastnet Prologue and Trans-Gascogne Prologue, and seconds in the Open Demi-Clé and Chrono 6.50, which puts him well in contention.

The other hot British contender is 24-year-old Phil Sharp who, having purchased Bubb's previous boat at the end of the 2003 Transat 6.50, has been showing some impressive speeds during his qualifying races this year including a fourth in the Open Demi-Clé and a third in the Transgascogne in the highly competitive 75-boat fleet. Stephen Simpson (50), an RYA Cruising Instructor at Plas Menai who bought Paul Peggs's (former British Mini sailor) old boat completes the British line-up.

Interestingly Clemency Williams, another British hopeful, has decided not to take part due to a couple of big set backs. She lost her mast last year and then had a car crash while towing the boat earlier this year. Although she says she could be on the start line, realistically she's not ready and has decided to concentrate on her meteorology degree and act as weather router for her boyfriend Nick Bubb.

Those following the 2003 event may remember Cian McCarthy, the Irish entry who, sailing an Owen Clark-designed Proto took a fifth place on Leg 1 and finished a creditable 10th overall having broken his forestay on day one of the second leg. Sailing the same boat 'The Tom Crean' McCarthy is even more prepared this time and should be watched closely, particularly in the big breeze.




While the 69-boat entry list includes masses of talent from the 11 different countries represented there are three main contenders who clearly stand out from the rest. Corentin Douguet sailing E. LeClerc/Bouygues Telecom has won virtually everything this year including the Mini Pavois - big solo race, the Mini Fastnet - big double handed race, and he's just won the Transgascogne race. He's basically won all the three big races during the lead-up to the Mini Transat which puts him well at the top of the favourites list.

Other top contenders include Spanish sailor, Alex Pello, who finished third in the 2003 event is back again this year sailing a fast Lombard design, and Frenchman Yves le Blevec (Figaro sailor and crewman aboard Orange II), who finished fifth overall in the 2001 event will be racing Armel Tripon's (2003 overall winner) super-fast Finot design Dephemerid Eux.

So, with a super-hot competitor line-up and some interesting new boats and equipment, including carbonfibre masts seen for the first time in the event's 28th year history, the stage looks set for some interesting and exciting racing.

Yachtingworld.com will be in La Rochelle next week checking out some of the whacky, new designs and innovative ideas, and catching up with some of the competitors before they head south towards Lanzarote/Brazil.

Entry list

1 - 385 - Mumbru Jaime - ESP - ULISSES 65 - Proto

2 - 393 - Mc Carthy Cian - IRL - THE TOM CREAN - Proto

3 - 151 - Le Blevec Yves - FRA - DEPHEMERID'EUX - Proto

4 - 386 - Hochreutener Tobias - SUI - COMPLETE FREIGHT- Proto

5 - 93 - Sudrie Erwann - FRA - GWENN HA DU - Proto

6 - 432 - Marchand Nicolas - FRA - IUT DE NIMES - Proto

7 - 212 - Lagrange Jean-Christophe - FRA - ZOUKATI -Série 1

8 - 391 - Noblet Yvan -FRA - APPART CITY - Proto

9 - 424 - De Lamotte Tanguy - FRA - SET MECENAT CHIRURGIE CARDIAQUE -
Proto

10 - 320 - Loulier Pierre - FRA - LOP LOP - Série 2

11 - 139 - Barrier Alexia - FRA - ROXY - Proto

12 - 176 - Currier Adam -USA - SATECH - Proto

13 - 368 - Deshayes Ronan - FRA - PCO TECHNOLOGIES -Série 3

14 - 287 - Bergman Manuel - FRA - FELIBRE GRAINE D'EPEAUTRE -Série 4

15 - 276 - Joschke Isabelle - FRA - SYNERGIE TRAVAIL TEMPORAIRE -
Proto

16 - 487 - Sannié Mathieu - FRA - LPO LIGUE POUR LA PROTECTION DES
OISEAUX -Série 5

17 - 438 - Laureyssens Peter - BEL - BASE CAMP -Série 6

18 - 241 - Simpson Stephen - GBR - BLUE ONE - Proto

19 - 417 - Maslard Stanislas -FRA - CREDIT AGRICOLE SKIPPER
CHALLENGE - Proto

20 - 433 - Douguet Corentin -FRA - E. LECLERC / BOUYGUES TELECOM -
Proto

21 - 480 - Avram Olivier - FRA - CAP MONDE -Série 7

22 - 231 - Bunoust Nicolas - FRA - LOIRE ATLANTIQUE - Proto

23 - 483 - Mesure Sébastien - FRA - CULTISOL - MARINS SANS
FRONTIERES -Série 8

24 - 486 - Bauwens Eric - FRA - TCHAO -Série 9

25 - 198 - Hardy Adrien - FRA - BROSSARD - Proto

26- 468 - Sottovia Bruno - FRA - APROTEC MORZINE - Série 10

27 - 431 - Caracci Andrea - ITA - SPEEDY BONSAI - Proto

28 - 312 - Cassanas Matthieu - FRA - NIGHT FEVER - Proto

29 - 346 - Giraud Clément - FRA - ADRENALINE - Proto

30 - 80 - Roux Frédéric - FRA - PEPITO - Proto

31 - 389 - Boudaoud Arezki - FRA - TOTEM - Série 11

32 - 323 - Augeix David - FRA - NACL - Série 12

33 - 518 - Sorin Fabrice - FRA - JULES - Série 13

34 - 219 - Monegier Quentin - FRA- MARIOLE - Série 14

35 - 19 - Charmet Nicolas - FRA - LA LIGUE CONTRE LE CANCER - Proto

36 - 321 - Gindre Pierre - FRA - SPORT VOILE - Proto

37 - 171 - Haize Xavier - FRA - PRIM'AVEL - Série 15

38 - 427 - Gladu Sébastien - FRA - BIRVIDIK - Proto

39 - 481 - Chombart de Lauwe Marine - FRA- DCF - Série 16

40 - 306 - Duc Louis - FRA- POSITIVE VIBRATION - Série 17

41 - 466 - De Saqui David - FRA- LADY PAULETTE - Série - 18

42 - 516 - Pontu Sylvain - FRA - UNE PLACE POUR CHACUN - Série 19

43 - 392 - Mariotti Ludovic - FRA - BIP BIP - Proto

44 - 265 - Claquin Aloys - FRA - VECTEUR PLUS - Proto

45 - 429 - Pella Alex - ESP - OPEN SEA/TEAM WORK - Proto

46 - 406 - Blaise Philippe-Jacques - FRA - DELILALOS - Proto

47 - 419 - Sharp Philip - GBR - LE GALLAIS - Proto

48 - 407 - Daret Dominique - FRA - MEYRIS - Série 20

49 - 495 - Courtel Jean-Christophe - FRA - ARAGORN - P/S 21

50 - 491 - Mergui Mikaël - FRA - MARCEL FOREVER - Proto
51 - 511 - Vidal Romain - FRA - BINGO - Série 22

52 - 395 - Voultoury Pierre - FRA - C2O - Proto

53 - 450 - Ramon Hugo - ESP - MALLORCA ETS TU - P/S 23

54 - 508 - Bourguet-Maurice Frédéric - FRA - PAMINA - Proto

55 - 500 - Bubb Nick - GBR - WHITTLEBURY HALL - Proto

56 - 260 - Ducrot Cyril - FRA - REGION NORD PAS DE CALAIS - Proto

57 - 243 - Kargl Christian - AUT - GUIZMO - Proto

58 - 318 - Goyat Michel - FRA - BLEIZIG - Série 24

59 - 488 - Croisel Bruno - FRA - PULCO - Série 25

60 - 75 - Fisseux Patrice - FRA - BELLOT BULENBACH & ASSOCIES - Proto

61 - 340 - Bourrié Eric - FRA - TAQUET MAX - Série 25

62 - 475 - Bouillard Philippe - FRA - MONDIAL ASSISTANCE - Série 27

63 - 78 - Bluy Xavier - FRA - SMETS - Proto

64 - 509 - Hajnsek Kristian - SLO - ADRIA MOBIL - Proto

65 - 284 - Delplace Yann - FRA - VILLE DE NICE - Proto

66 - 510 - Mihelin Andraz - SLO - ADRIA MOBIL - Proto

67 - 498 - Le Carrou David - FRA - LE TREPORT TIRARD & BURGAUD - P/S -
28

68 - 507 - Lefèbvre David - FRA - KNAUF VENDEE ESPOIRS OCEANS -
Série - 29

69 - 403 - Sanchis Mari Juan Carlos - ESP - SPASMOS - Proto

Sue Pelling/Yachting World, 8 September 2005