Solo sailor Mark O’Connor, a 25-year-old from Dublin, is pursuing his dream of racing in the Mini Transat. Currently residing in France, he has competed in two seasons on the Mini 6.50 circuit.
As Afloat reported earlier, O’Connor has qualified for the SAS race this summer. He left his job as an electronic engineer in January 2025 to focus exclusively on his sailing preparation.
The Mini Transat, established in 1977, is a challenging transatlantic race. It will begin on September 21, 2025, and features solo sailors in 6.50-metre boats.
The race consists of two stages: starting from Les Sables d'Olonne, with a stop in Santa Cruz de La Palma, and finishing in Saint-François, Guadeloupe. Participants will sail without external communication or assistance.
O’Connor is currently training in Lorient, Brittany, and aims to improve upon his 9th-place finish in 2024. He will also compete in the Mini Fastnet Race in June and the Trans Gasoyne Race in July.
He has wrapped his boat in the colours of Orbis Ireland and will represent the charity during the event. "This partnership offers them international visibility," said O’Connor.
O'Connor also has secured sponsorship from Radio Services based in Limerick.
Orbis Ireland focuses on vision restoration in developing countries and trained 30,000 medical staff in 2022.
O’Connor hopes to become the youngest Irish sailor to cross the Atlantic solo.
