In 2005, Mallorcan yacht skipper Hugo Ramón became the youngest person in history to complete the Mini Transat across the Atlantic -when he crossed the finish line he had just turned 20 but he began qualifying and preparing for the regatta aged just 17.
Now he has just started qualifying and getting the first sea miles for what will be his fourth Mini Transat in 2025 to mark the 20th anniversary of his original feat. He is already extremely excited, although he has to qualify to be at the start. To qualify for the Mini Transat, skippers must sail 1,000 nautical miles single-handed, non-stop and accumulate at least 1,500 nautical miles by participating in Mini Regattas.
For current races, there are 84 places, so it really is a case of first come-first served and Hugo said that the level of competition has been getting tougher and tougher over the years.
“I raced in my first qualifier in Minorca last week, it was the first time we properly had the boat in the water, and it was much tougher than I expected. I didn’t sleep for 27 hours, I couldn’t, the competition was so tense, the fleet was all so close, you couldn’t afford to let go of the tiller for a second. I led for most of the race but in the end had to settle for second, but it was great to be back out racing again,” Hugo said at the Real Club Náutico, where he sits on the board of directors.
But for Hugo, 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 was also involved with various Olympic projects and teams. But after years of competing and racing, he decided that he needed to earn a living, so he became a professional superyacht skipper.
“It was a great experience, we sailed the world. The owner was great and the money was good but I began to get a little tired of it all, it was not the sailing I grew up with. I started to miss getting soaking wet, carrying out repairs on the high seas and of course the competitive side of it all.
“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.
“In a way I’ve based her to a certain extent on my previous Mini yachts and tried to place as much as possible in the same positions above and below deck. For example, during the night in the Minorca regatta, I didn’t use my head light, I knew where everything was by instinct, despite it being some 12 years since my last Mini; it all came back. So I’ve managed to get to her pretty much how I want and I’ve been able to finance it all myself and build her with the help of my father, who has been working with me on the boat every day in exchange for a beer and an anchovy sandwich, and of course STP.
“STP Shipyard Palma is the sponsor of this project and the shipyard has been fully behind this project since the start. It was where I developed and prepared the boat over the past eight months for the first qualifying race last week.
“If I had had to have paid for the space on the hard, the containers and all the lifting gear etc. I don’t think I would have been able to have funded it on my own. That said, now I’ve ploughed all my savings into this, I’m broke again, just like I was first time around. But my boss is understanding and he’s fine with me taking time off to train and compete.
“However, while VerdHugo is nearly 97 percent ready and how I had envisaged in my mind, a sponsor to help me improve her performance even more and the quality of the limited technology on board would certainly not go amiss,” Hugo said.
For this edition, Hugo has chosen a production boat, as he believes that there’s more competition in this category.
He bought a hull, a deck and a keel, which are the minimum requirements to sail in the production class, and from there spent more than eight months at STP Shipyard Palma building and tailoring his boat for eight to fourteen hours a day, six or seven days a week.
Last week, the boat hit the water for the first time and after a few emotional words of thanks to everyone involved in the project, Hugo set sail for Minorca to race in the first qualifier.
In order to take part in the Mini Transat, VerdHugo has to cover a certain number of miles in the Mini class. This first event in Minorca automatically authorised sailors to compete in the following races before the big crossing in 2025.
Throughout the eight months of preparation, STP Shipyard Palma was keen to support Hugo Ramón for many a reason. These include it being a local project that has flourished with modesty and great work, Hugo being a role model in the sailing world thanks to his career, and the nostalgia of wanting to remember the origins of sailing and racing.
To do so, the yard hauled out the boat and provided a container to work on the hardstanding, meaning that Hugo could work in comfortable conditions and set in motion all the ideas that have been in his head for years. “So this year, there will be two more qualifying regattas in the Med and then next year we’ll be battling it out in the Atlantic; then we’ll see who gets to be on the starting line.
“There will be entrants who failed to qualify for this year’s race, so some of those will spill over. Plus, as I have said, the standards are very high, so qualifying is going to be tough. But I’m more than up for it and so is the boat.
Inspiration
“I was surprised how strong and fast she was in Minorca and think her catamaran design helps. Well, it has its pros and cons, but apart from the huge noise she makes when the waves hit, she is more than ready now and I still have some fine tuning to get done but that will come as I sail and race her more,” Hugo explained.
He also admitted that he’s not just doing this for himself.
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 on to a yacht. So there’s much more to this project than racing and, who knows, coming first.
“But, to be honest, win or not, I just want to be able to put in a performance I can be proud of, especially after all of the preparation and because of all of my family, friends and members of the Mallorcan nautical sector who have lent me a hand,” Hugo said.
“One has to take into account that the Mini Transat, which starts in France and now ends in the Caribbean, involves some 25 days of solo sailing. The first stint normally takes about nine days down to the Canaries and then it’s across the Atlantic. The route used to be longer but now it’s slightly shorter, plus the yachts are travelling at speeds much faster than when I first started, so the race is a few days shorter.
“In accordance with the rules, we have no external assistance and no contact with land - no phones allowed. We do have a stripped down GPS system, which is more for safety reasons and auto pilot so we can sleep some 20 minutes a day.
“So, before we set sail, we have to very carefully do our best to plot our route, taking into account the weather forecasts at the time, and that will more than likely change once we get out to sea, plus any other potential dangers or obstacles we may encounter, and upload that information to the GPS system. So, in earnest, once we’re out there, destiny is in the hands of all the sailors, or the gods when it comes to the weather,” Hugo stressed.
“Now it’s all about fine tuning the boat, hopefully being able to raise some extra funds to upgrade her performance and getting those sea miles under my belt to be at the start line,” he added.
At this year's Palma Superyacht Village, Hugo Ramón and VerdHugo will be visiting the STP Shipyard Palma stand to chat about the process so far and the next steps up to the Mini Transat 2025.