Mini Transat 2029Alone across the Atlantic on 6.50 metres
My name is Maximilien Japy.
I was born in 2004 and grew up in Ireland, where the water was never far away.
My first memories of sailing are from family holidays with my father. From there I attended Les Glénans, the renowned French sailing school, and by 15 I was sailing an RS700 on Galway Bay every chance I got away from boarding school. My first job was teaching others to sail, and I spent two years as an instructor. Today I sail a 49er with my brother.
Through all of it, one dream has never changed: to sail solo across an ocean, and one day around the world. The Mini Transat 2029 is where that begins.
I’m funding the first part of my campaign the way I know best, by building something. Alongside my business degree at ESSEC in Paris, I’ve launched a company making custom embroidered patches for sailing clubs, regattas and camps, and every order goes toward the boat. My goal is to buy a Mini by September 2027 and start training.
La Rochelle to Salvador de Bahia
Two legs, about 4,000 nautical miles, sailed alone. First south to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, then across the Atlantic and the Equator to Brazil.
What is the Mini Transat?
The Mini Transat is a solo race across the Atlantic on small offshore racing boats: the Mini 6.50, just 6.50 metres long. First held in 1977, it runs every two years. The 2029 edition starts from La Rochelle, stops in the Canary Islands, then crosses the Equator to finish in Brazil.
Skippers sail completely alone, with no outside assistance and no communication with their team or the outside world during the race.
It’s known as the first step in solo ocean racing, and many of today’s top offshore sailors started here. To reach the start line, every skipper has to qualify by racing a full calendar of Mini events and completing a long solo passage at sea.
The road to La Rochelle
Sailing a 49er has taught me a lot that carries over to the Mini. You learn to make decisions in a split second, to feel every change in wind and pressure, and to keep the boat on its feet when things go wrong at speed.
A 49er also never stops needing work. Between sessions there’s always something to fix: a worn line, a broken fitting, grip to replace, the rig to tune. I’ve learned to solve problems with the tools I have, and many of these skills will be useful on the Mini.
What I don’t have yet is the offshore side: sailing alone for days, managing sleep, navigating, reading the weather over long distances. That’s what the next three seasons are for.
The first step is buying a Mini by September 2027 and getting to know her. I want to train alongside other Mini sailors, as I believe the fastest way to learn is to sail next to people who are better than you. In 2028 I’ll race the full Mini calendar and complete the 1,000-mile solo passage needed to qualify. By 2029, I want to be ready to take on the Atlantic alone.
Testing
Buy a Mini by September and get her ready to race. Then test everything: short solo sails, night sailing, heavier weather and the first offshore miles, learning the boat inside out.
Qualifying
A full season on the Mini circuit, racing the classic events of the calendar, and completing the 1,000-mile solo passage needed to qualify.
- Lorient MiniLorient
- Mini en MaiLa Trinité-sur-Mer
- Pornichet SelectPornichet
- Trophée Marie-Agnès PéronDouarnenez
- Mini FastnetDouarnenez
- Mini AtlantiqueLes Sables-d’Olonne
- Qualifying passage1,000 miles · solo
Race day
Final preparation in the spring and summer, then the start from La Rochelle in the autumn.
Three ways to get on board
A Mini campaign costs a boat, sails, safety gear, race fees and a lot of travel. Every contribution goes straight into getting to the start line.
Order patches
I make custom embroidered patches for sailing clubs, regattas, schools and camps. Your members get a great patch, and every order funds the campaign.
Patch shop coming soon · ask for a quoteBecome a partner club
Your club's name travels with the campaign, in updates and on the boat, and your members follow a sailor from the community all the way to Brazil.
Get in touchSponsor the boat
Partnership packages for brands that want to be part of a three-year offshore story, with visibility on the boat, the sails and every update.
Request the partner deck