What to remember from La Boulangère Mini Transat

Contested in a single leg, between the Canary Islands and Guadeloupe, the 25th edition of La Boulangère Mini Transat was won by Mathis Bourgnon in the Proto division and Paul Cousin in the Series division. Sailorz draws up the balance sheet with architect David Raison, Julie Simon, a participant in the Mini Transat 2021 in the Series division, Pierre Le Roy, winner in the Proto division the same year, Romain Bigot and Mathilde de La Giclais, respectively president and vice-president of the Mini 6.50 Class. 

First notable fact of this 2025 edition: following the cancellation of the first leg due to weather conditions, everything was decided on the second act, between Santa Cruz de La Palma (Canary Islands) and Saint-François (Guadeloupe). “In terms of the scenario, this changes everything because depending on the gaps observed on Leg 1, you don’t start the rest of the race in the same state of mind,“ analyzes Julie Simon. “The sailors who had started well may have been disappointed by this interruption. Conversely, those who suffered damage were able to regain all their chances, because the counters were reset. In any case, it had the merit of clarifying things: the first to arrive in Guadeloupe won the event.”

Pierre Le Roy moderates: “In any case, it’s always Leg 2 that proves decisive. For many, playing on such a large playing field for so long is new. However, it’s true that having only one leg can increase the stress level and push sailors to attack more to make a difference. This was undoubtedly the case for Benoît Marie, who couldn’t start building a lead on the first leg [he was clearly leading when the cancellation was announced, Editor’s note].”

Considered the ultra-favorite in the Proto division before the start on his foil-equipped proto Nicomatic-Petit Bateau, the latter held his position for a long time, notably breaking the Mini 6.50 24-hour record (352.6 miles, at an average of 14.69 knots). “When Benoît accelerated in the trade winds, we thought it could be very hard for the others,” says Romain Bigot. “We knew that failure was the only thing that could prevent him from winning. Unfortunately for him, that’s what happened.” Broken foil well, water ingress, unusable bowsprit: the skipper was not spared problems on his innovative and powerful Manuard design.“This takes nothing away from his talent and the qualities of his boat,” insists David Raison. “What he is undertaking with Caroline Boule is the North Face of Everest, a technically very complex project to carry. It didn’t take much more to succeed.” After his victory in 2013, also in the Proto division, the sailor did not repeat the feat twelve years later.

His misfortune was the happiness of Mathis Bourgnon (Assomast), whose remarkable performance is highlighted by our experts. Firstly because the 28-year-old Swiss managed to hang on aboard his 2017 Etienne Bertrand design to keep pace with Nicomatic-Petit Bateau, then by demonstrating opportunism to overtake Benoît Marie at the very end of the race and win… 30 years to the day after his father, Yvan, won!

“Benoît struggled, but it became impossible to resist. He nonetheless demonstrated great sportsmanship,” praises Mathilde de La Giclais. “Mathis’s victory demonstrates that you can win with a small budget and a more ‘roots’ project. That’s also the beauty of the Mini.” Julie Simon adds: “I was pleasantly surprised by the average speeds maintained by Mathis throughout the course. By putting more intensity than the others, by never letting up, he created the opportunity to win.“After four consecutive victories for David Raison-designed protos on the Mini Transat, the architect must this time settle for third place, achieved by Alexandre Demange (DMG Mori Sailing Academy 2), behind a Vector design and a Manuard design. “When we saw Benoît slow down, we strongly believed in the victory. Unfortunately, Alexandre took a southerly option that did not prove to be profitable. He came back well later, but not enough to win,” comments David Raison.

The misfortunes suffered by Benoît Marie prevented the first victory of a foiler on the Mini Transat, but according to our specialists, this is only a matter of time. “The debate about whether they go faster is closed,” asserts Pierre Le Roy. “We can see that the concept works offshore for long periods. It is now a question of reliability. When such new things arrive, it takes time to test them; we saw it in other classes like the Imoca. It’s longer in Mini, because projects have less budget and fewer skippers are sailing on foilers.”

Paul Cousin (AFP-Biocombustibles), Quentin Mocudet (Saveurs et Délices), Amaury Guérin (Groupe Satov): in the Series division, the podium was expected; the headliners of the pre-season races delivered. “In terms of strategy, there were fewer knots in the brain to tie than in recent editions,” notes Julie Simon. “The first stretch to Cape Verde, in light wind, was essential. It was necessary to position oneself well before heading due west and starting a kind of long straight line. Some wanted to dive south and that didn’t really work for them.”Romain Bigot agrees: “The game was less open than other years, with a very compact fleet. It was more an exercise in speed, small adjustments and, at the end, managing the squalls which were sometimes very violent.” Paul Cousin was therefore the most effective. “He is an undeniable winner. Despite the pressure from his competitors, he managed to increase his lead at each checkpoint, to finish 75 miles ahead of the second place. Paul is a hard worker, his level of commitment is extreme. He leaves nothing to chance,” explains Mathilde de La Giclais.

The fight to complete the podium was intense, and it was finally Quentin Mocudet who took second place, less than an hour ahead of Amaury Guérin, third despite a slow start from the Canaries, then losing his precious maxi spinnaker. “Quentin was a contender for the podium, he sailed a great race and gave his all to keep up with the guys behind him; he fulfilled his contract, that’s great!” admires Romain Bigot.

In the Series division, the domination of the Maxi 650, a Raison design, was overwhelming, as the top ten in the ranking all sailed this boat. “We made a big statement!” smiles David Raison, understandably delighted with such hegemony. Maxi 650s had won in 2021 with Hugo Dhallenne and in 2023 with Federico Waksman, but it’s a huge leap to occupy the entire top 10. It’s nice for the boat and the shipyard [Idbmarine]. Another piece of good news: I have no reports of major damage.”How to explain this supremacy? “The series has been widely distributed and the best racers have turned to the Maxi 650s. The result is a favorable group dynamic that raises everyone’s level,” replies the architect. “Furthermore, the conditions were favorable to the Maxis on the course, with pressure, but not too much either. Other types of boats are fast in those cases, but they are more difficult to manage over the long term.” Julie Simon corroborates: “In the trade winds, the stability of this scow is remarkable; it allows for better rest management and therefore better race management.”

While the winners are naturally highlighted, our experts finally want to salute all the sailors at the start and finish of the Mini Transat who, due to its concept based on very limited communication means, leaves a deep mark on those who take part. “Everyone lives their adventure and comes away with stars in their eyes,” confirms Romain Bigot. “We must maintain this spirit and this race as it is. It transforms people, it’s beautiful to see.”