30 replies to this topic

[Open Sailing]

Dear all,

This is it! We will have a fleet racing to Hawaii next summer!

So far, we have 5 boats who are willing to participate and we (Open Sailing) will do our best to make these boats and their owners ready for the start. Out of these 5 boats, there are 2 protos and 3 production boats. I really hope we will have more boats joining us for the race and if you are interested, please contact me at jerome at opensailingusa dot com

Our Transpac will either be part of the Transpac from Los Angeles OR we will simply organize our own race.

Before the race (up to a month), Open Sailing will provide slips to the racers in Los Angeles for free. We also have a very inexpensive way to launch your boats and install your mast (about $100 all up). Until your trailer is shipped to Hawaii, we can also offer free storage (with our without the boat on the trailer). For those of you who have experienced racing from out of town, we want to help because it is not easy and very often expensive. We want to make sure you are taken care of once you get here.

If you are from out of town, we have boat towing specialists (one of them actually won a recent Star World Championship ;-) who can tow your boat (on trailer) for $1.30 per mile. You can always find cheaper, but since there are pros, everything is covered and you'll know it will be done correctly.

We are also going to work on the best shipping solution of your trailers to be shipped to Hawaii and have the boats and trailers shipped back. This year, I was charged $3500 which is definitely not that bad....but you can always sail back if you'd like ;-)

Open Sailing Hawaii is also going to be involved regarding hospitality and logistics after the finish. We will be most likely working with Waikiki Yacht Club and have our boats at their docks. For those of you who haven't been there, since means 50 feet away from the bar for your Mai-Tai after the finish!

Logistics in Hawaii is also going to be coordinated by Open Sailing Hawaii. Because it is an island, there's not much we can do about how much it cost to haul your boat out. However, we can probably dismasts all the boats at the YC for free, then motor to the boat yard to get the boats out. This is what I have done this year. It worked well. With a fleet of boat, we will work a fleet discount at the yard. These guys are pro but they also can set any price they want because they are the only hauling boat yard on the island :-(

So, since we have 5 boats (and honestly, pretty sure we will be another 3-4 boats soon), please contact us via the forum or my email to join us!!!

Cheers

Jerome

[dinghydock]

Way to go on the organization Jerome! I hope more people sign up for the race!

[lstsailr]

cool idea, will they be racing doublehanded?

[haligonian winterr]

Well if anyone needs delivery/race crew.......

HW

[Open Sailing]

Singlehanded is what the owners want to do :-) and it's going to be a kick ass race. I can't wait !!! My wife is not super thrilled about it but she said ok since she gets to fly to Hawaii for the 3rd time in a row!!!! He he he!

Jerome

[40Plus]

Singlehanded is what the owners want to do :-) and it's going to be a kick ass race. I can't wait !!! My wife is not super thrilled about it but she said ok since she gets to fly to Hawaii for the 3rd time in a row!!!! He he he!

Jerome

What Rules will apply? What will the communication requirements be?

[killapenguin]

Jerome this is great! Christin and I are looking forward to your return!

Open Sailing Hawaii will be happy to support the Mini fleet and help coordinate hospitality/logistics for the group when they get to the Hawaii side of the pond.

And to the Mini sailors, if you want to keep your boat here in Hawaii for a month or two, there are a couple of great "distance" races you might consider. Early August is the Kauai Channel Race which runs from either Ko Olina or Kaneohe over to Nawiliwili, Kauai. Labor Day there is a race from Lahaina, Maui to Waikiki. These would be a total blast with 2 or 3 on the boat (the extra crew being most helpful for the upwind deliveries across the channel)...

These are both mostly downwind races. Normal years you'll see 20-25 knots and 8+ foot seas. Light years are 10-15, heavy years are 35+ knots with 12-14 foot seas. The Mini would rock on these races.

Joseph

[Open Sailing]

What Rules will apply? What will the communication requirements be?

It is a little early to answer. By "What rules will apply?", what do you mean? PHRF? Mini Class Rules? Offshore?
As soon as we hear from the Transpac organization, we will definitely move forward a lot better with the rules. If Transpac allows us to race, then we will most likely have to follow their racing rules. As far as safety rules are concerned, we will of course comply with their rules but may also reinforce internally additional Mini Safety Rules.
If Transpac is not comfortable in adding a Mini Fleet to the race, then we will create the NOR and SI in all respect of the Mini Rules. This being said, we will probably be flexible and have rules where all Mini racers will be comfortable. After all, this will be the first Mini race in the USA.

For communication, also a little too soon to answer this now but Sat Phone and / or SSB receivers are options that we can use for communication.

Thank you,

Jerome

[BalticBandit]

What Rules will apply? What will the communication requirements be?

It is a little early to answer. By "What rules will apply?", what do you mean? PHRF? Mini Class Rules? Offshore?
As soon as we hear from the Transpac organization, we will definitely move forward a lot better with the rules. If Transpac allows us to race, then we will most likely have to follow their racing rules. As far as safety rules are concerned, we will of course comply with their rules but may also reinforce internally additional Mini Safety Rules.
If Transpac is not comfortable in adding a Mini Fleet to the race, then we will create the NOR and SI in all respect of the Mini Rules. This being said, we will probably be flexible and have rules where all Mini racers will be comfortable. After all, this will be the first Mini race in the USA.

For communication, also a little too soon to answer this now but Sat Phone and / or SSB receivers are options that we can use for communication.

Thank you,

Jerome

Well one thing to consider is that if you allow for upload Comms, you might be able to get some sponsorship.

[ronnie_simpson]

outstanding work, Jerome. Now to try to figure out how to do this race...

[184]

I didn't make the Single Handed Trans PAC this year so I'm going to try to make this race!

Great work Jerome thanks!

[mrpelicano]

Jerome -

This is excellent news indeed. But just a couple of corrections:

1. Minis have raced as a class in the Bermuda 1-2 Race the last two times, if memory serves.

2. The West Coast Mini Race, from Victoria, BC to San Francisco, CA was held a few years ago (2008 I think). While only 2 boats ended up starting, it was still a very competitive race, as the participants will attest.

A lot of effort has been spent over the last 8-9 years trying to organise a Mini race from California to Hawaii, either under the auspices of the SHTP, Pacific Cup and TransPac, but it looks like you have the best shot at success this time around, and I wish you total success. It will be a great achievement for development of the Mini class in North America.

Best,

MrP

[Open Sailing]

Jerome -
This is excellent news indeed. But just a couple of corrections:
1. Minis have raced as a class in the Bermuda 1-2 Race the last two times, if memory serves.
2. The West Coast Mini Race, from Victoria, BC to San Francisco, CA was held a few years ago (2008 I think). While only 2 boats ended up starting, it was still a very competitive race, as the participants will attest.
A lot of effort has been spent over the last 8-9 years trying to organise a Mini race from California to Hawaii, either under the auspices of the SHTP, Pacific Cup and TransPac, but it looks like you have the best shot at success this time around, and I wish you total success. It will be a great achievement for development of the Mini class in North America.
Best,
MrP

MrP,

Thanks a lot for the encouragements and the corrections. This is a group effort and I am sure we can get somewhere sooner than later. I have little hope that TP lets us race Singlehanded...altough, who knows, and to be honest with you, I'd rather put together a MINI TRANSPAC rather than being "another fleet" in the Transpac. The later would be a lot easier for us of course so we can focus on preparing the boats, the logistics and racing. However, having a race of our own would be something that nobody could take away from us and we could definitely grow the fleet if we can run this race every other year.
If some have not completely confirmed, I can already count 7 Minis who are willing to do the race. For some, it is 50/50 and we also have other racers who will probably make a decision by the end of the year.
It is a long way away, it is a lot of work....but this is also just the beginning!!

Thanks again, and if you have a Mini, please get in touch with us. We are creating an email list to let those interested what is coming next.

Cheers

Jerome
Pogo 2 USA 806

[PocketRocket]

Very cool Jerome- nice work on getting this organized!

For the record, my boat's still for sale... and I'm thinking about bringing it back to the states this fall. It's stil very competitive against the fleet in the states, and I'd be able to help someone get set up with it this coming spring...

[MT USA 670]

Jerome,

Contact me when the transpac guys get back to you. I dont want to be the first pesimistic person here but I have a feeling that they are not going to allow single handed boats (thats what the SHTP is for). I have talked to the race director in the past and am sure they will allow Minis to enter providing we have enough boats to make our own double handed class.

I (USA 670) am really only intrested in doing a double handed race using the transpac rules as my boat has been slightly modified and no longer fits into the series division (drilled a hole in the cabin top allow for lifiting).

I hope you get enough boats together to pull off your own race and I am really excited to see someone taking charge and leading the class forward.

Taylor

[kokopelli]

670, if all you did is drill a hole for lifting, you should still be class legal for series. Or just plug the hole and glass over for the race if you are worried. The french do a lot more to their boats and remain within the letter and spirit of the series rules.

Good luck.

[U20guy2]

Dear all,

This is it! We will have a fleet racing to Hawaii next summer!

So far, we have 5 boats who are willing to participate and we (Open Sailing) will do our best to make these boats and their owners ready for the start. Out of these 5 boats, there are 2 protos and 3 production boats. I really hope we will have more boats joining us for the race and if you are interested, please contact me at jerome at opensailingusa dot com

Our Transpac will either be part of the Transpac from Los Angeles OR we will simply organize our own race.

Before the race (up to a month), Open Sailing will provide slips to the racers in Los Angeles for free. We also have a very inexpensive way to launch your boats and install your mast (about $100 all up). Until your trailer is shipped to Hawaii, we can also offer free storage (with our without the boat on the trailer). For those of you who have experienced racing from out of town, we want to help because it is not easy and very often expensive. We want to make sure you are taken care of once you get here.

If you are from out of town, we have boat towing specialists (one of them actually won a recent Star World Championship ;-) who can tow your boat (on trailer) for $1.30 per mile. You can always find cheaper, but since there are pros, everything is covered and you'll know it will be done correctly.

We are also going to work on the best shipping solution of your trailers to be shipped to Hawaii and have the boats and trailers shipped back. This year, I was charged $3500 which is definitely not that bad....but you can always sail back if you'd like ;-)

Open Sailing Hawaii is also going to be involved regarding hospitality and logistics after the finish. We will be most likely working with Waikiki Yacht Club and have our boats at their docks. For those of you who haven't been there, since means 50 feet away from the bar for your Mai-Tai after the finish!

Logistics in Hawaii is also going to be coordinated by Open Sailing Hawaii. Because it is an island, there's not much we can do about how much it cost to haul your boat out. However, we can probably dismasts all the boats at the YC for free, then motor to the boat yard to get the boats out. This is what I have done this year. It worked well. With a fleet of boat, we will work a fleet discount at the yard. These guys are pro but they also can set any price they want because they are the only hauling boat yard on the island :-(

So, since we have 5 boats (and honestly, pretty sure we will be another 3-4 boats soon), please contact us via the forum or my email to join us!!!

Cheers

Jerome

;-) - that would be fun to watch Jerome!

I'm saving my clams for a 10.5 or maybe if I'm feeling flush a 12 ;-) - maybe spend two weeks cruising Croatia then have the boat packed up and shipped to its new home. With two little ones in daycare which ='s a very - Very hefty boat payment every month its going to be a few years but when the time comes the 10.5 is square in dead center of my ideal SF Bay and maybe Pac Cup or TransPac vision. Might also work well for the delta cruise with the kids ;-)

[oarsrfaster]

670, if all you did is drill a hole for lifting, you should still be class legal for series. Or just plug the hole and glass over for the race if you are worried. The french do a lot more to their boats and remain within the letter and spirit of the series rules.

Good luck.

I dont care about the lifting hole because I am not planning on sailing any mini races, but i am a full disclosure guy. I will say that my boat is within the spirit of the rules as the two plugs and fittings weigh more than the deck that was removed (yes, I weighed them aginst each other). I dont want to sound like an arrogant prick but I am sure I wont be turned away from this race for that small mod.

[ronnie_simpson]

i *may* be shipping an older proto back from France to sail in this race....

i do love sailing solo to hawaii and this race has a lot of appeal to me!! I hope to see a large and fun fleet of mini 6.50's sailing to hawaii next year! cheers to you jerome for your efforts in putting this race together!

-ronnie

[Open Sailing]

i *may* be shipping an older proto back from France to sail in this race....

i do love sailing solo to hawaii and this race has a lot of appeal to me!! I hope to see a large and fun fleet of mini 6.50's sailing to hawaii next year! cheers to you jerome for your efforts in putting this race together!

-ronnie

That's great news Ronnie. What don't you buy an old proto that's already in the USA? I am pretty sure some of these guys are looking at chartering. Saadiah, owner of new Pogo 2 USA 829 is not going to race much in 2013 and she is willing to charter her boat. You should get in touch with her.

[arthurleo]

Hi all,
I am now sailing a mini 709) in france, and planning to race the 2013 transat. It's a pity for few of us (froggys !) that the mini transpac is in 2013, but if there is another one in 2014, i ll definitly bring the boat there to take part !!!
By the time here is a litle video of my project : http://www.youtube.c...er/arthurleomcr
Feel free to follow my youtube channel, more videos to come !

[184]

Nice looking boat arthurleo. I don't think there will be a mini transpac in 2014 as it's planed to be an old year race i.e. 2013-2015-2017 but on even years there is always the SSS Single Handed Trans Pac out of San Francisco which Jerome raced in this year. The first mini to do so.

[Occams Razor]

Jerome, do you have a writeup of the experience? Seems to me the ULBD sleds do pretty darn well on the mostly DDW race- how's the mini stack up? Sorry if I missed an earlier review or maybe even front page article. A link in the right direction would be fine.

[184]

http://www.opensaili...om/News/?p=2621

Complete with video.

[Open Sailing]

The Mini Transpac is shaping up well with currently 6 entries. We are keeping our fingers crossed to see 8-10 boats at the start on July 6th heading to Hawaii!!
The Mini Transpac website is currently under construction.
Three Minis are already in Marina Del Rey. A fourth one will be launched late January. Practice will start in January 2013 by sailing out in Santa Monica Bay but also by participating to the Winter Series organized by PSSA (Pacific Singlehanded Sailing Association).
If you have a Mini, please bring it to Marina Del Rey and we will make sure you can be ready for the race!

Sincerely,

Jerome
Mini Transpac Organization
www.minitranspacrace.com

[Open Sailing]

Happening: 2013 MINI TRANSPAC website. Still a working progress!

For those of you Minis on the east, we know it is tough but come join us! Hawaii is a pretty cool place to sail to! I promise we will do the Bermuda 1-2 next year!!!

Jerome

[arker]

You will be more than welcome, but alone...Bermuda 1-2 is every 2 year.
Maybe you should have asked before...
Phil
Pogo 175

[Open Sailing]

You will be more than welcome, but alone...Bermuda 1-2 is every 2 year.
Maybe you should have asked before...
Phil
Pogo 175

Thanks Phil. You are right...although since this thread has been up since August 2012, it would be have been also helpful if someone had told us before :-(
The country is big and if one does the race to Hawaii one year, I don't see any reason why he/she couldn't do the B1-2 two years later.

Cheers and go luck for the race.

ps: saw the boat at the Toronto Boat Show. Looks good!

[pogen]

I see on S'butt that the Mini Transpac is renamed as the Mini 650 Pacific Challenge.   Legal or copyright issues? 

 

Phil seems to no longer be on the list!  

 

Hopefully there will be some FP love when the time comes.

[184]

Copyright issues. This Phil is just to busy with other stuff to get it together.

[Open Sailing]

I see on S'butt that the Mini Transpac is renamed as the Mini 650 Pacific Challenge.   Legal or copyright issues? 

 

Phil seems to no longer be on the list!  

 

Hopefully there will be some FP love when the time comes.

 

 

I see on S'butt that the Mini Transpac is renamed as the Mini 650 Pacific Challenge.   Legal or copyright issues? 

 

Phil seems to no longer be on the list!  

 

Hopefully there will be some FP love when the time comes.

Yes, the Transpac organization asked us to remove the word "Transpac" from any documents regarding our race. "Tranpsac" is trademarked. We like Mini 650 Pacific Challenge better anyways...and the way I see it, everybody I know is just "short cutting" the name of the race to "Mini Transpac"...there's not much we can do. Less than 3 months to go...I am back jogging in the morning again!