Two Irish sailors will start the Mini-Transat 2025 from Les Sables-d’Olonne on Sunday (September 21st), joining 90 competitors in one of sailing’s toughest solo races.
Gráinne Costigan, from Sutton, will race Sea Fever, aiming to become the first Irish woman to complete the event. “I want to show what’s possible and inspire others,” she said in an interview with Afloat.ie.
Mark O’Connor, 26, from Dublin, hopes to be the youngest Irish sailor to cross the Atlantic alone. “I’m excited to get racing after four years of preparation,” he said.
The race covers 4,050 nautical miles in two legs: first to Santa Cruz de La Palma in the Canaries, then across the Atlantic to Guadeloupe. Skippers sail 6.5-metre boats with no satellite weather or routing software, relying on paper charts and marine radio.
Costigan, based in Barcelona, has been balancing training, sponsorship and work. Her boat is a 2013 design that has performed strongly in recent mixed-fleet events. O’Connor, living in France, sails a newer scow-bow model and has trained against leading offshore racers.
The first leg is expected to take about a week, with competitors facing shifting winds and strong Biscay seas. The Mini-Transat is seen as a proving ground for sailors hoping to progress in ocean racing.
The start is scheduled for 2:30 pm Irish time on Sunday.
