Mini
Eight Swiss sailors have qualified for the 2025 edition of the Mini Transat. Here’s a closer look at three of them, all of whom have great ambitions.
You’d have to dive into an ocean of statistics to be sure. But in any sailor’s or journalist’s memory, eight Swiss entrants in the Mini Transat is a record. They’re not just candidates, they’re well and truly qualified for this initiatory race, which starts in Les Sables-d’Olonne on September 21. With a VendĂ©e Globe-style parade for around a hundred adventurers and future great racers. It’s sure to be a great time. There won’t be as many people as at the VendĂ©e Globe, that’s for sure,” comments Felix Oberle, who is back in the Proto class after a superb 4th place in the Series in 2023. But leaving the channel is a mythical event, and the people of Sablais are passionate about ocean racing. We saw it again with the welcome given to all those who finished the VendĂ©e.
The Vaud native is one of the leaders of this incredible “Swiss team”, which has become infatuated with this event that has seen some of the greatest names in the sport pass through its doors, and which has given rise to many vocations. On January 31, the organizers published the list of qualifiers for the 25 th edition. It’s always an important step to receive this confirmation,” continues Felix Oberle. It’s just the beginning of the final stretch to the start. There’s still so much to be done and prepared before we can set off in good conditions. The great thing about this race is the diversity of the projects. And that’s also true of the Swiss projects. Each one has a different story, different ambitions, but a common passion for the sea.
Felix Oberle belongs to the family of those who don’t just come to compete. His previous campaign (excellent 4th in the Serie) and his preparatory races in 2024 on his Prototype give him a certain ambition. The desire to do well is there,” says the skipper of Big Bounce, a great boat that has already won the race twice. He knows the recipe, so it’s up to me to do the same! No, more simply, I want to enjoy myself as much as possible at sea, and if everything goes well, I’ll be delighted with a place on the podium. It’s not just going to depend on us, though, as there are also certain technological aspects to this prototype class that come into play. If some foil boats can exploit their full potential, there simply won’t be a match. But that’s far from a certainty, and the weather conditions over the course of a transatlantic race can throw up some surprises. It promises to be exciting.
Mathis Bourgnon is another Swiss ace in the proto class, where engineers and Professor Sunflower rub shoulders. We’ve already qualified,” he laughs. Now we just need to prepare well and find the money to develop the best possible project. My first objective is not to get into too much debt. My second is to find partners, because you can never have too many. Above all, I have a vision that goes beyond the Mini Transat, as I’d like to attempt a single-handed Mini North Atlantic record crossing on the way back. Rather than putting the boat on a cargo ship, wouldn’t that be nicer?
JOSHUA SCHOPFER IS ON A ROLL, SLAMMING PODIUMS IN THE SERIES. ©G. Di Fazio
Nurtured by Yvan, a father who was both a sailor and an insatiable adventurer, Mathis Bourgnon is preparing for some hectic months in 2025 as he becomes a father for the first time. “A great joy! A little shrimp is due this spring,” he laughs. A new Bourgnon generation too. My father doesn’t really like being called papi already! It’s a crazy story, because my father was conceived on the Atlantic. It was the same for me. And for my future child it was the same in the Azores, an archipelago on the Atlantic, during the stopover of the Les Sables-Les Açores race, which took place in the summer of 2024.” The love affair between the Bourgnons and the Atlantic could well continue, as Mathis’ uncle Laurent and Yvan have both shone in this legendary race over the decades. 30 years ago, Yvan made a dazzling debut by winning in Fort-de-France. On the podium, in 3rd place, a certain Bernard Stamm, also a youngster, showed his blond, tousled angel face. I’ve been influenced by the exploits of Swiss sailors ever since I was a child,” says Stamm, who divides his time between Rolle and Concarneau, where he works on his prototype Liliwip with his father’s support. We’ve got a big winter refit coming up, with a keel change. I’ll be back on the water in April to race as many miles
miles of racing to validate as many options as possible. My ambitions will depend to some extent on my budget and the arrival of sponsors. There’s plenty of room on the hull and sails!
Always well placed in the preparatory races, Mathis Bourgnon will undoubtedly be one of the great movers and shakers in the prototype category. Both the sailor and the boat have already demonstrated their ability to perform well downwind. At this speed, I’m very fast,” confirms Mathis. These are conditions we should find quite often on the course, especially on the second leg between the Canaries and Guadeloupe.”
This promised land that has made generations of sailors dream is also the one that attracts Joshua Schopfer. After a solid training on the lake and in the SNG sailing team, this pure talent from Geneva made a remarkable debut in the Mini class in 2024. Podium finishes in every race he took part in with Mingulay, this Raison design in the shape of a Magnum ice cream. A sort of lethal weapon in the Series class, which should enable this great fan of Tintin’s adventures to write his own album. There’s density in the Serie and I’m not putting too much pressure on myself,” he says. I want to keep learning and keep sailing cleanly. I’m only at the beginning of the offshore adventure and I’m remaining modest. My goal? Top 10. And probably a bit more if agreement. His demonstration and victory on the return leg from Les Sables to the Azores, the big event of last season, have left their mark on the minds of his fellow competitors, who will be keeping a close eye on this Swiss, yet another, who has no hang-ups. You can be raised on freshwater and still perform well at sea,” he likes to point out. We saw it again in the last VendĂ©e with the performances of Justine Mettraux and Alan Roura. Two ambassadors who cut their teeth together, in 2013, on the Mini Transat.
The Swiss qualify
Prototype :
Felix Oberle (Big Bounce)
BenoĂźt Alt (Ader Solution)
Mathis Bourgnon (Liliwip)
Martial Cuendet (Paris Texas)
Series:
Joshua Schopfer (Mingulay)
Cyril Coulot (Phileas Fogg)
Nicolas Schmid (Mantay)
Waiting list (9th ):
Alicia de Pfyffer (Wallabys)
