The Transat 650 is without doubt one of the most challenging ocean races. Raced in 6.5 metre yachts single handed from La Rochelle, France to Salvador da Bahia in Brazil. A 4,300 mile trip taking around 30 days. The Transat 650 race, previously known as the Mini Transat, was first run in 1977 and has been held bi-annually ever since. Conceived as a relatively affordable single-handed ocean race, it has become a breeding ground for successful ocean racers, including Ellen MacArthur, Loick Peyron and Brian Thompson. Although originally run from Cornwall, in 1984 the French took it over and have since dominated the event despite an increasing number of international competitors.
The race is unique in that external support is banned, so unlike other races no outside weather routing or technical help is allowed. This forces competitors to be more self-reliant. Competitors usually hand steer for about twenty hours a day, only leaving the helm to eat, rest and navigate.
Mini Transat 2009 
