One Girls Ocean Challenge

December 22, 2012
Woohoo!  The list is posted and OGOC is not last on the list.  There are lots of people with more racing to do than us to get qualified.  Maybe we don’t have to go all the way to Italy to get the last race in!
Diane

Dec 21, 2012

There is a post on the Classe Mini FB page saying they are announcing something today!!!  Stay tuned 🙂  !

Diane

To gain an entry spot into the 2013 Mini Transat race, a potential competitor must achieve two things.  It’s not as simple as just sending in an application form.  You have to complete 1000 nautical miles in the class races in France, as well as a 1000 nautical mile solo passage, non stop, on an approved route.  All of this needs to be accomplished within five years of your race year and in the boat you will do the race in.

For 2013 there are 80 spots in the Mini Transat race.  In some years, by the time registration has closed, there have been more than 140 applicants!  Then the race to complete the race requirements is on!  First competitors to complete their required 2000 miles will gain a spot.  If you’ve been following my race registration, you will know that back in November OGOC applied for one of the coveted DCQ spots.  A Derogation Calendrier de Qualification is basically a wildcard for non European boats attempting to complete their 2000 miles within their race year, once they arrive to France with their boat.  The wildcard gives the non European competitor an extension of time to get their miles in. This year there are ten of us who have applied for the coveted six spots.  Some have very little racing left to complete before gaining a wildcard, others haven’t found a boat yet.  So, whether a European or a non European race registrant, the Paris boat show is now closed and we are all waiting for Classe Mini to publish the full race registration list to see where everyone stands in the ranks of gaining a spot in the 2013 Mini Transat race.

But where do we stand in all of this confusion?  Well, thanks to all of the fantastic support from our partners, OGOC has completed the solo passage and half of the race miles in France, putting us ahead of at least half of the DCQ applicants.  Now we wait with great anticipation, for the list to be published!  I’ll share it as soon as it’s posted 🙂

Diane

December 13, 2012

One Girl’s Ocean Challenge has just received her first Christmas present!  Thank you !

This is the ICOM MA-500TR AIS transceiver.  Recent rule changes with Classe Mini means that our existing AIS no longer meets requirements.  This new unit from will make us completely compliant as well as provide us with fantastic and valuable information, including “collision risk management functions”.

For anyone who has listened to my wild and adventurous talks, you will recall that the one thing that scares me out there is hitting garbage or being hit by commercial traffic!  Although the use of an AIS doesn’t take away the requirement to maintain a proper lookout, it does give me a great chunk of information to use in my “are we going to have a problem” calculation.

Thank you ICOM Canada for becoming part of our little family at One Girl’s Ocean Challenge!

Diane

December 10, 2012
The Paris Boat Show is in full swing!  Classe Mini opened the registration on December 8th, at the boat show, and in the first hour 40 boats were registered.  This is a very popular event.  It really and truly is the breading ground for world class sailors, with more than half of this year’s Vendee Globe skippers having grown up in a mini.  Can’t wait to see the registration list!
Diane

December 8, 2012
TADA!  One registration form officially complete and submitted for the 2013 Mini Transat Race!  WOOHOO!  Registration closes on December 17th….Let’s see who else applies for a spot!

Diane

December 7, 2012
Still waiting for the Notice of Race to be published so I can send my entry form in to Classe Mini.  In the meantime, I’ve booked my flight back to Europe! Woohoo!  I’ll head back for training with the Artemis Offshore Academy, for February and March.  See you all at the Toronto International Boat Show in January!

Diane

December 6, 2012
The 2013 Mini Transat official Notice of Race will be published tomorrow, the 7th.  Registration opens tomorrow in Paris at the Boat Show.  Just picture it…..hundreds of keen little eager beavers all standing in the lineup to submit their applications.  It will be like Christmas morning!  I will be eagerly poised at my computer ready to print the form, complete the application, scan and hit SEND, joining the ranks with massive anticipation and excitement!
Diane

December 4, 2012

The DCQ list is in!  Classe Mini has published the list of names of the ten applicants for a DCQ position.  It’s going to be tight competition this year.  Although classe mini hasn’t published the miles each of the ten competitors has completed, we have done some homework and it looks like possibly two of the applicants already have all of their miles in, and other applicants have significant events completed.  This puts the pressure on to get qualified.  OGOC is changing the game plan to meet with the new circumstances.  We’re going to ITALY!  It’s imperative that we complete the first “B class” race of the season, which is in Italy.  Although this sounds very exotic, it also means that the cost of living, operations and logistics has also become more exotic…..oh wait, that’s expensive not exotic!  As always we will adapt and make it work, and make you proud.  See you at the Toronto Boat Show!
Diane

December 3, 2012
This is like waiting for Christmas morning! Anticipation, adrenaline, hope……anticipation….did I mention anticipation…..!!! We’re waiting for the DCQ list to be posted by classe mini.  It’s scheduled to be posted today, but we haven’t seen it yet…soon I’m sure!
Diane