The countdown is on for the start of the 2025 Mini Transat across the Atlantic in which legendary Mallorcan sailor Hugo Ramón is going to further cement his place in local and international sailing history. In 2005, Hugo became the youngest person in history to complete the Mini Transat. When he crossed the finish line he had just turned 20 but he had begun qualifying and preparing for the regatta aged just 17.
Now he is in the final phase of preparing for his fourth Mini Transat. To mark the 20th anniversary of his original feat, he will be the only Mallorcan competing this year, one of the two Spanish sailors with three Mini Transats under their belts and one of just five sailors in the world to have completed four Minis. This will be when he crosses the finish line on board his yacht VerdHugo - a production boat to give him more competition in the category.
25 days of solo racing While the 90-strong Mini Transat fleet does not set sail from La Rochelle until September 21, a week after Hugo’s 40th birthday, and ends in the Caribbean after some 25 days of solo sailing, he still has plenty of work to do. Despite having already qualified to compete by having sailed 1,000 nautical miles single-handed, nonstop and accumulated at least 1,500 nautical miles by participating in Mini Regattas, he still has one solo regatta to compete in Barcelona. He also intends to break the solo round-Mallorca record in April while continuing to tweak VerdHugo which is up on the hard in the STP shipyard.
But for Hugo, who sits on the board of directors at the Real Club Náutico, returning to his nautical roots with the Mini Transat is much more than the 20th anniversary. He completed the Round the World Race 2012, which he wanted to start in Palma, and was declared World Champion in the J80 category that very same year. He has also been involved with various Olympic projects and teams.
12-year project “I want to test myself again, to challenge myself and see how far I can still push myself; this project has been on my mind for the past 12 years. I have been going over and over the project all the time, every single little aspect and detail. All those competing obviously have similar series vessels, mine is a Baltic 68 Ranger, and I’ve customised it to just how I want her,” Hugo said.
But he was also quick to stress that with experience and age, his overall outlook has changed over the past year. “I’ve always been full on, throwing myself into every project, challenge and regatta. My mind’s always been racing with ideas and plans. For the most part this latest Mini project has been presided over by me - from preparing the yacht to getting sponsors, more of which will obviously be welcome, communications, public relations, you name it. Yes, I’ve had, and have great support from STP, the yacht club, the local yachting industry at large and of course my family, but at the end of the day it’s me and it’s only going to be me in the yacht out on the Atlantic,” he said.
Different mindset “But I am approaching this anniversary with a different mindset. Like I said, after more that 20 years, nearly all my life running around, addicted to the sea, committing myself over 100% to everything while trying to do numerous things at once, I’ve decided to step back a bit, to look after my mind and my body while also enjoying the people around me more - life in general I guess.
“I aim to be tougher when I reach the start line both mentally and physically. After all I’m be 40, not just turning 20 like the first time I competed. My objective as a result of my new approach is to not only to put in a better performance but to be able to compete better, make the most of the very short rest/sleep breaks and enjoy the experience to the max. I want to soak up the true essence of the regatta, it’s been a long and tough 20-plus years and it’s a very strange sensation sailing solo, being alone. Although in my category, the fleet is much more compact and the competitors are never that far away, so there’s very little time for slacking. It’s like being a boxer and throwing a good punch, you just hope the closest competitor doesn’t respond with a sucker punch and cancels out your advantage, so you’re sailing on a knife edge,” Hugo explained.
“And as far as I am concerned, the yacht is more or less perfect and I’m not planning on making any more major changes. From now on in, it’s about tactics, planning, the sails, making sure all the little bits and pieces are right and that I’ll be able to get the best and maximum response from the yacht, because my aim, what I want to see when I cross the finish line, is what kind of person I have become over the years. Whether I will be racing the Mini when I’m 60 remains to be seen, but through my change in attitude to life and how I care for my mind and body, I expect this to stand me well moving forward in all walks of my life. I hope after this mind and body voyage I will have found a balance after decades of pushing myself on the high seas around the world.
Inspiration “Initially I was going to base myself and train in La Rochelle but I decided to stay here in Palma, with my team, on home soil in order to prepare even better,” he added. But this voyage is not just about Hugo. As a result of his achievements and his character, Hugo has become an inspiration for hundreds of youngsters over the years and the 2025 crossing will be filmed again so that, on his return, he can share his experience in schools and with the yachting community in general.
“I love being able to share my experiences, especially with those who may share the same dream but are never able to realise it or may be a little scared to take their first step onto a yacht. So there’s much more to this project than racing and coming first. I consider myself the eyes of the sea for those who are stuck on land. I want to help open their eyes to the ocean, to share the emotions of sailing, racing, coping with being alone and overcoming challenges many people may never face or have been afraid to confront. So, this year I also want to complete my book and we’re going to filming a spectacular documentary of the crossing which I want to share with the general public, in particular children. If I can inspire just one person, then I’ll be more than happy,” Hugo said. There is still time to sponsor!
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