Scottish rising star makes impressive class debut in Mini Fastnet
Scottish sailor Rebecca Coles, 23, has achieved an impressive second-place finish in her debut Classe Mini offshore sailing race, the Mini Fastnet, alongside co-skipper Carlos Manera Pascual.
Sailing onboard n° 1081, XUCLA, the duo showcased skill and determination throughout the challenging 600-mile course.
Rising star Coles entered the Mini Fastnet Race with just one week’s notice before it departed from Douarnenez, France, on 8 June 2024. With little time to prepare and only a few delivery miles sailing on the boat, her podium result in a fleet of 85 is impressive.
Match racing against the top runners throughout the race, Coles and Pascual finished in three days, 17 hours, 12 minutes, and 30 seconds, with an average speed of 6.31 knots. Due to adverse weather, race directors opted for an alternate route less than 24 hours before the race, sending competitors southwards to the BXA buoy in the Bay of Biscay instead of the iconic Fastnet lighthouse off the coast of Ireland. The fleet was faced with a variety of challenging conditions, with a brisk downwind leg to the first mark before a slower upwind stint along France’s north-west coast in a dying breeze.
Coles’ performance in the Mini Fastnet marks a milestone in her burgeoning sailing career as she campaigns for a spot in the prestigious Mini Transat 2025. Notably, no woman has ever won the ‘Proto Class’ of the Mini Transat, a challenge Coles says she is determined to overcome.
“The Mini Fastnet Race was a fantastic opportunity for me to test myself against top young international sailors in the Classe Mini and prove that I have what it takes to launch my own campaign for a solo transatlantic race,” says Coles.
It “was challenging and dynamic, with strong winds, unstable sea state, last-minute course change, fierce tides, and very little sleep. But I stayed focused, and I am delighted with the result. I am now looking forward to finding sponsors to join me on an adventure of a lifetime – the Mini Transat in 2025.”
The Mini Transat is a gruelling 4,000-nautical-mile solo race from Les Sables-d’Olonne to Guadeloupe via the Canaries, which demands sailors to sleep in 20-minute intervals while pushing their boats to the limit around the clock. The ‘Protos’ are the cutting-edge development class of the Mini 6.5, featuring the latest foiling technology, enabling them to plane out of the water and reach speeds as high as 25 knots.
Despite her youth, Coles is an experienced offshore sailor with a transatlantic crossing and tens of thousands of nautical miles under her belt. Her extensive experience working as a professional sailor and on some of the best racing shore teams further underscores her capabilities and dedication to the sport.
As she prepares for the Mini Transat 2025, Coles is seeking sponsors to join her journey in making Mini Transat history.
Images courtesy of Manon Le Guen/Felicity Pearson.
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