Att surfa fram över Atlantdyningar i en Mini när solen går upp över Bretagne är en mäktig upplevelse! Med 78 kvadrat assymetrisk spinnaker och under ett ton i vikt är det ingenting mer än bettet i rodren som tyder på att båten är i vattnet. Det känns som att flyga eller åka den finaste pudersnö.
Precis i gryningen kom jag upp i brunnen efter en timmes sömn. Båten sjunger av välmående och fart. Vattnet sprutar och efter 100 sjömil har vi fem konkurrenter inom 500 meter. Jag tar över rodret och vi gör två snabba gippar och dånar vidare. Den känslan sitter kvar länge i kropp och själ. För att inte tala om alla fantastiska karaktärer i och kring Miniscenen. Några exempel nedan:
David ‘NKE Einstein’
Lång och gänglig med långt tunt hår. David ser riktigt fransk ut och är som en el/nke-pappa åt alla soloseglare. Otroligt passionerad och hjälpsam springer han runt mellan båtarna för att försäkra sig om att instrument och autopilot fungerar som det ska. Han är väldigt noggrann och verkar aldrig stressad fast alla ringer honom angående elstrul hela tiden. Han kommer in i de trängsta utrymmena på nolltid. Han har ett personbästa på runt två sekunder från stående i Ulfs sittbrunn till liggande runt roderkvadranten där piloten är fäst under durken. Ingen annan kommer under 15 sekunder utan att slå sig fördärvad. När det är långhelg tar David med sig frun på en liten cruisingtrip runt Fastnet Rock. Båten lär vara fylld med franskt rödvin. Davids passion i livet verkar vara att se till att alla soloseglare får det trivsamt ute till havs.
Ulf Brändström
Mycket gladlynt, ödmjuk och självironisk norrlänning med känsla för effektiv Ministuvning till havs. Gärna allt i samma väska. Verktyg, linor, säkerhetsutrustning, seglingsföreskrifter, frystorkat och annat smått och gott. Dessutom mycket driven och skicklig kappseglare, båtbyggare och sjöman. En riktigt bra kamrat att ha med sig till havs.
Kanadensaren Nathan Baron
Sympatisk, försiktig och väldigt noggrann kille. Lösblads motsats skulle man kunna säga. Hemma i Kanada hade han gjort en tjock pärm med alla seglingsföreskrifter, waypoints, foton på sjökorten och skärmdumpar från Google Earth. Sedan ändrade tävlingsledningen banan ganska radikalt sent kvällen innan start. När Lösblad och jag gick till kojs och hörde vi Nathan sitta i brunnen och mata in waypoints manuellt. Pip pip pip. När vi gick och la oss vid midnatt hade han redan suttit bänkad i två timmar. Eftersom Nathan, som de flesta andra i klassen, har god självironi kunde han fnittra tillsammans med oss när vi gav honom glada tillrop i natten. 
Och ni som känner mig vet att Nathan och jag har klara likheter. Så jag kände verkligen igen mig. Nathan hade laddat båten med en kanadensisk OS-seglare i Tornado. Enligt Nathans eftersnack var OS-seglaren helt livsfarlig eftersom han började exekvera allt direkt utan eftertanke. Och på en överriggad havsbåt med kilometer tamp är det ofta en fördel att prata igenom manövrarna. Det var kanske inte en optimal gast för den ganska försiktige Nathan.
Corentin the Pro
Med enda uppgift att se till att den senaste Naciran, 810, vann serieklassen gjorde han sitt jobb. Tidigare vinnare av Mini Transat 2005, topplaceringar i Solitaire du Figaro och nu skeppare för en M34 i Tour de France à la Voiles 2011. Även Youtubekändis tack vare cool segling i Figaro 2…
[youtube z_ExqQ80T5g 560]
Corentin är otroligt lugn och mjuk på land. När vi frågade honom efter racet om han vann sa han bara; Yes, with ten minutes, but we made a few mistakes… En kul grej är att Corentin vill ta med sig familjen och segla i Stockholms skärgård i sommar. Nån som har en båt att hyra ut?
Racet
Vi gjorde en säker start i andra led vid lovartsflaggen. Slog direkt till babord och seglade sedan i fri vind det första, korta, kryssbenet. De första 30 sjömilen runt Ile de Groix seglade vi mycket bra och gjorde det mesta rätt. Strax norr om Ile de Groix låg vi bland
de tio första i serieklassen och hade känning på ledarbåtarna. Kändes verkligen bra att vara däruppe trots att Nacirans svagaste bog är kryss.
Sen kom ett väntat väderskifte där vi positionerat oss bra till höger i banan för att möta det nya vädret och nordan. Vinden dojade helt och motsjön och strömmen var minst sagt skvalpig. Nacirans extremt smala och tunna köl gjorde att vi ‘stallade’ helt ett antal gånger och det tog tid att få driv i båten. Samtidigt var det rapportering på VHF:en på franska och det började bli dags att fylla på energidepåerna. VHF:en smattrade av franskan när tävlingsledningen ropade upp båtnumren för en positioneringen. Vinden började snurra och Ulf exekverade några frenetiska segelbyten i högt lösbladstempo. Code 0, medium spin, lätt spin och tillbaks till code 0. Vi fick inte riktigt upp drivet. Plötsligt kom Ulfs kompis Bruce åkande med stora spinnen i lovart om oss i sin Pogo 2. J-vlar! Upp med lätta spinnen igen samtidigt som jag försökte rapportera bäring och distans till nästa märke på franska över VHF:en. Hade jag haft koll på nästa märke hade jag ändå haft svårt att få fram det på franska i det läget. Efter några tafatta försök att förklara situationen för seglingsledningen, och alla andra båtar, slutade det med att jag fick fram att vi låg nära ‘quatre cent quatre vingt trois’. ‘Bonne soirée’ sa tävlingsledningen och kopplade förmodligen ner för en god middag. Där tappade vi tätkänningen och det kändes som att vi låg sist. Klockan hann bli 2130 så jag gick ner och värmde på första målet mat, förutom den croissant vi fick till frukost, för dagen. Lösbladet seglade vidare. Och gjorde det bra! Han är inte lika mat- och energikänslig som jag.
Med frystorkat i magen seglade vi sedan riktigt bra hela natten. Stjärnhimlen lös och delfinerna kom och gick. Det var många som blev omseglade av SWE-772 både i lovart och lä. Riktigt många faktiskt. Förmodligen en kombination av energiintaget och Nacirans
undanvindsegenskaper. 
En del av båtarna hade inte på sina lanternor men vi såg deras instrument och pannlampor. Det blev ett antal tighta situationer i den mörka natten när 74 båtar vände 180 grader runt Jument de Glenan i ett samlat fält. En båt seglade tyvärr rakt upp på Ile de Groix mitt i natten och tappade såväl mast som köl. Vi såg räddningshelikoptern komma ut men som tur var blev det inga personskador.
De sista 50 sjömilen seglade vi nästan hela tiden med stora spinnakern. Vi seglade bra och samarbetet ombord fungerade strålande. Och vi hade väldigt kul! Jag och Lösblad. I totalen slutade vi preliminärt 24 av 54 bland seriebåtarna. Det tyckte vi var helt okej. Slutresultaten bör komma upp på Classe Mini närsomhelst.
Nu hejar vi fram Ulf i Pornichet Select som startar på lördag. 300 sjömil solo. Tar han sig runt hela varvet så är han klar för Mini Transat 2011. Go out and get them Ulf!
Foto: Team Hoffstedt och Littoral Ouest.
Ett stycke god morgonläsning. Tack för det!
Comment by markus — 2011-04-29 @ 06:40
“Helt okey” – ni är för blygsamma! I det startfältet så är redan mitt i fältet dvs 27:a mycket bra!
Ulf skulle nog behöva dig med för att inte “gå torrt” på vätska och energi under Mini Transat. Ta stora tuschpennan och skriv “Ät höjd OCH mat” på ruffskottet 😉
Comment by Erik Barkefors — 2011-04-29 @ 20:02
Kul som fan att läsa om era bedrifter!! Tack Jesper 😉
Comment by Leino — 2011-04-30 @ 11:22
Att få ta del av det här är otroligt roligt!! Kanonbra skrivet. Bladet kämpar på med sitt solorace. Ligger skapligt till tror jag, runt 40:e plats totalt bland proto och serie nu vid lunchtid, även om det är svårt att få en bra överblick. Nu väntar andra natten!!
Comment by Krister Gustafsson — 2011-05-01 @ 16:38
Snyggt jobbat! Fantastiskt kul att läsa om era bedrifter.
Comment by Ola Danielson — 2011-05-02 @ 21:56
Verkligen bra kört, Beppi! Grattis till bägge! Mkt bra och underhållande skrivet ock!
Sheet in – Hike out!
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