Presentation

Presentation

What is the Classe Mini?

Octobre, 8th 1977, Penzance (United Kingdom), 24 21 feet saling boats sail off with only one skipper aboard to Antigua via Tenerife (Canary islands)...

The smallest offshore racing boats were born and so was their favourite race: the Mini Transat. Every odd year, they would meet on their favourite playground: the Atlantic Ocean.

Every year, French sailors are getting more and more numerous.

The or-ganization has thus finally crossed the English Channel. In 1984, Jean-Luc Garnier, journalist passionately fond of these mini «racing boats» took over Brit Bob Salmon who wished to quit after having organized four editions. «Voiles 6,50» an unprofit making association affiliated to the French Sailing Federation has then been created and organized the Mini-Fastnet, an annual race leaving Brittany to the Irish Rock and back. A new birth was given to the Minis.

In 1985, the Mini Transat started and arrived in France, from Brest to Pointe-à-Pître with a stopover in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Counterpart of the Mini-Fastnet in the Mediterranean sea, the Mini Max was created in1986. In 1988 a new race has come to supplement the calendar, the «Transgascogne» starting from Port Bourgenay. In 1991, Dominic Bourgeois and Loïc Ponceau have created the «Challenge Mini» so that skippers can meet every year.

In 1994, «Voiles 6,50» has been divided in two different structures, sepa-rating the Race Organization (Cap Transat) and the sporting management (Classe Mini). The same year, the Italians who were getting more and more numerous, have created their own class, in association with the French Classe Mini that keeps all the responsibility regarding the rules.

In 1998, Cap Transat did not wish to organize anymore the Mini Transat. The Classe Mini has then delegated the organization of its main event to independent organizers answering a bid and committing themselves in respecting the specicification defined by the Classe Mini.  

This procedure is now used with all the different organizers.

There has been a little revolution in 2001. The Mini Transat made an infidelity to the Caribbean islands after 12 arrivals, and crossed the equator line for the first time to arrive in Salvador de Bahia (Brazil). 

Nowadays, the Classe Mini gathers an average of 300 members, most of them competitors coming from all kind of professions, from the carpenter to the engineer, the nurse to the steward, the journalist to the professional skipper.

The Classe Mini is above all the association of all the persons fond of these wonderful little boats who want to share the great surfs, the budget problems, the days waiting for the wind and all the moments of happiness that the Ocean gives us.

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The Board of Administrators

How does it work?

The board of administrators is made of 11 volunteers, most of them competitors or former competitors.

Members elect them during the General Assembly. With the passing of the years, this council tries to make the Minis safer without losing the attractive and inovative side of the boats.

To achieve that, rules are modified to answer the questions asked during the General Assembly as well as during the entire year.

The Board of Administrators contributes to the dynamics of the Classe in France as much as in foreign countries. Every year, the races program is getting more and more important to make a coherent calendar but also to hustle the habits and attract new competitors.

 

The administrators of the Classe Mini in 2024

The Bureau

President : Romain BIGOT

Vice-Président : Mathieu GOBET

Secretary : Victoire MARTINET

Treasurer: Antoine PERRIN

HR :  Timothée VILLAIN-AMIRAT 

The members

Hélène CLOUET - Thomas de DINECHIN - Mathilde de LA GICLAIS - Léo DEBIESSE - Enora FEREZOU - Gaël LEDOUX -  Hubert MARECHAL - Jean MARRE

 

Substiture

Anne LIARDET

The Committees

Classe Mini Board of directors is divided into 5 committees since 2021. These are constituted by affinities. Each administrator chooses the committee(s) in which he/she wishes to commit. The President and the Vice-president are automatically in all the committees.

 

The Technical committee proposes the changes of rules. It also is the only one authorized to interpret the texts.

Members of the 2024 technical committee are:  Timothée Villain-Amirat (leader), Léo Debiesse, Gaël Ledoux, Anne Liardet, Jean Marre, Hubert Maréchal, Antoine Perrin, Mathieu Gobet, Romain Bigot
Consulting: Joël Gâté, Gianluca GUELFI

Qualifying committee ensures the follow-up and the evaluation of the qualification courses. It also decides on the requests regarding the qualifications of the members.

Members of the 2024 qualification committee are: Hélène Clouet(leader), Mathilde de La Giclais, Léo Debiesse, Enora Ferezou, Anne Liardet, Victoire Martinet, Mathieu Gobet, Romain Bigot

The races committee is in charge of the development of the races calendar for the following year and communication with the differnet organizers. It also establishes the agreements with the organizers.

Members of the 2024 races committee are :  Jean Marre (leadser), Hélène Clouet, Thomas de Dinechin, Mathilde de La Giclais, Anne Liardet Hubert Maréchal, Mathieu Gobet, Romain Bigot

The Communication committee establishes a communication plan towards the members and/or others.

Members of the 2024 communication committe are: Victoire Martinet (leader), Mathilde de La Giclais, Enora Ferezou, Jean Marre, Mathieu Gobet, Romain Bigot

The sustainable development committee centralises, analyses the various ideas for associating our activity and respect for the environment.

Members of the 2024 Sustainable Development committee :Gaël Ledoux (responsable), Thomas de Dinechin, Enora Ferezou, Jean Marre, Timothée Villain-Amirat, Mathieu Gobet, Romain Bigot