This
week the new members of the Artemis Offshore Academy have made it down for the
first block of training. There are four full-time sailors; Ed, Jack and Mark
will all be heading off to France soon to campaign the Figaros, while Nikki is
in charge of the Mini 6.50 which will be in the UK for a few months before also
heading off to France.
On
top of this there are 5 part-time sailors; Sam, Robin, Alex and Dyfrig, who
between them have use of two Figaros, in order to do a double-handed campaign,
and me, the only sailor working for the Academy.
In
order for me to gain experience racing on my chosen solo offshore circuit, the
Classe Mini, I am going to be working alongside Nikki as she attempts to
qualify for the 2013 Mini Transat. I hope to do as many double-handed events
with Nikki as is possible, whilst training in the boat over weekends and
learning what I can from any external coaches drafted in to help.
Campaigning
the Mini with the Academy is an entirely different ball game to signing up to a
year's Figaro training, it is very much down
to the Mini sailor to make things happen, seeking out the training situation in
France, structuring your own race calendar and training programme and deciding
what needs to be done to the boat and when. Even transporting the boat is
pretty much entirely down to the sailor, with the gain of a towing license
leaving the option to drive or sail the boat to where it needs to be. Although we
have the fantastic team behind us back at HQ, there is no preperateur to help
get the boat through jauge (measurement checks before an event), pack it up
when your done sailing or do all the boring jobs for you. The Artemis Mini
sailor is very much self sufficient both on and off the water, attending events pretty much on your own
before heading out on to the circuit where there are none of the racing mod
cons to help you- just a chart and your VHF radio.
I
think that is what attracted me most to the Mini, the freedom that comes with
it and the need to take charge thus determining the outcome of your own campaign.
It’s pretty good practice for when the time comes to get your own boat, where
unless you had hit the jack-pot, every last detail is suddenly down to you to
act upon. The Mini class is exceptionally friendly sailing community with sailors
helping each other, sharing knowledge and experience with us English newbies. I
got a great insight into the Mini World when I was in Les Sables d'olonne for
the finish of the Les Sables - Les Azores - Les Sables race.
I
am now looking forward to a busy year and am keen to get the most out of it as
I can. Next year I hope to embark on my very own Mini campaign, working towards
the 2015 Transat. The background knowledge and experience I acquire this year
should give me a solid stepping stone needed to make it happen.
