History

The British professional conveyor, Bob Salmon, created The Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6,50, previously known as Mini Transat. The man loved racing but couldn't bare the excess of financial and technical expenses he observed during the OSTAR in 1976. He decided, then, to create a race that was supposed to be affordable for every budget and to prevent the abuses, the boats couldn't be over 6,50 meters long. The first two editions organised in 1977 and 1979 reflected that spirit of simplicity and modesty: an official departure from England and then the sailors were free to declare or not their arrival to Antilles. Years after years The Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6,50 became a major race and always defended the essence of the race.  Still reachable for all budgets, it became an unavoidable step to skippers that aspire to a professional solo-racing career. The most famous sailors have lined up for The Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6,50.

On the 8th of October 1977, Bob Salmon is the happiest man. He won is beat. He starts with 23 other sailors the Mini Transat. He leaves from Penzance (UK) to Antigua via Tenerife (Canaries Islands). At this time, no escort boats. No welcome comity. No press. The missed Daniel Gilard, first winner with 38 days (before Kasmiez Jaworski and Halvard Mabire) tells in his book "Petit Dauphin sur la peau du diable" (Editions Juliard): " We took the risk to be drawn, to be burned by the sun, to cross the Atlantic to win a bone. Even a scrawny dog won't have done that. None of us would have done that for money, even for a lot of money. But we did it for the beauty, because we love sailing and nice boats… We all accepted. I believe that loving the Ocean is that. ". They were 23 to leave; they will be 19 to cross the arrival line in Tenerife. A class was born. This "seas' nuts" will share their experiences. Their lives were 5 to 6 weeks long. Fear, bravery, joy to win… If there is one Vendée Globe winner for instance, all the sailors win their Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6,50.

Two years after, they were 32 to leave including three experienced ones: Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, Daniel Gilard, and Bob Salmon. Youngsters participated too as Lionel Péan and Loïck Peyron, but an American won, Northon Smith before VDH and Gilard. VDH still confesses his love for the race: " If I don't consider the around the World races, I don't' know any better race than this one. There are as many winners as sailors at the races' start. If I consider the sportive aspect, I'd rather win a Transat 6,50 than a Route du Rhum!"
1981. " Irene " did a trick to the skippers They were 25 to leave that year. The extra tropical storm moved to France and Europe and decimates the boats during the first leg. Jacques Peignon ended the race and won it before Vincent Levy and Eric Lecotelley. But the true hero - against his will - was Steve Callaghan, the Canadian skipper. Two days after he left Canaries, his boats sunk. He spends then 56 days on a life raft eating fishes before he grounded to Antilles.
Competitors record in 1983... 42 boats urged to Penzance Port for the last time. But this time, the rules changed. From now on, the double crews are accepted. A formula that pleases the skippers. They represent a third of the fleet. The boats also are seriously improved (speed, materials etc.). The amateurs' spirit is injured but still alive. Stéphane Poughon is the fastest. He beats Northon Smith record with 18 hours less.

In 1985, the races' organisation is now led by the French with Jean-Luc Garnier as a leader. The route is modified. The race starts in Brest. After Tenerifes' stopover, Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe is the arrival port. This is the innovations' year. The Coco, sailing class boats appears. But the next winner, Yves Parlier goes further and constructs his own prototype. When he ties to Brest Port, people thought he was mad. His mast was made of carbon; it was the first one ever. The shrouds were made of Kevlar. The rudder heads were also made of carbon and transom was made of Kevlar/carbon: " I prepared it in the heat on a surface in Jura and transported in on my wife's' Peugeot 205 roofstop. What an expedition…" Yves won the first leg, but because of an unclear route next to the coast he is fined with 12 hours. The second leg to Fort-de-France was a formality. He ended 69 hours before the second and won at the general classification. " The Transat was clearly the point I was waiting for my career. I have proved my advanced on the other in terms of weather forecast. It mainly gave me self-confidence for solo racing. "

The 1987 podium is a main one. Gilles Chiorri before Laurent Bourgnon and Isabelle Autissier. Isabelle arrives first at Tenerife's stopover. The oldest of the Bourgnon’s brothers, on a Coco, does the same at Fort-de-France. Chiorri is still, the only Transat 6,50' winner that didn't win a leg. The race’s rhythm was frenetic. Parliers' record is exploded of 38 hours and Gilles, gentleman winner, sailed at the average speed of 5,52 knots."

In 1989, the Transat leaves for the second time from Concarneau. There is something new: only the class boats will be allowed to be couple crewed. Philippe Vicariot, future famous "figariste" arrives less than 29 days after the start.

New participation's record in 1991. There will be 68 skippers leaving Douarnenez. If Damien Grimont wins, the curiosity comes from the 4th… Winner of the second leg, it is Michel Desjoyeaux. Since then, he won the Vendée Globe, the Route du Rhum, and the Transat Anglaise: " "(…)these boats are real experimental laboratories. I, personally, that year tried things like the swivelling keel and spinnaker pole. Nowadays, all the boats are equipped that way. This transat is almost an obligatory race in a career "

Uproar in 1993! The departure from Brest is hard. The weather obliged the race’s organisers to cancel the first leg and to convey all the boats to the stopover Madera. The second leg is the fastest ever (Madera-Saint Martin). Thierry Dubois wins on a prototype at almost 8 knots of average speed. Vancutsen wins the series boat’s category.

What Laurent couldn't do, Yvan Bourgnon did in 1995. When he arrived, he was preceding Thierry Fagnent with 1 hour and 17 minutes, the tiniest gap in the history of the race. At the third rank, a young skipper: Bernard Stamm. Yvan Bourgnon remembers: "you are alone with the Ocean. There, you do not have any radio vacation. You cannot call Mom. If you wish to know what you are able of, this is your race. When you end it - even more when you win it! - You can have huge projects. The transat keeps being my best memory!"

1997 and 1999 Transats are Sébastien Magnen's ones. He is the only skipper that won the Transat 6,50 twice. In 1997, a young British discovers the race, it is Ellen MacArthur: "It is the race that gave me the will to race. I will never forget it."

2001 is also a special year with the change of race’s manager Grand Pavois Organisation inaugurates the Transat 6,50 Charente-Maritime/Bahia and a new route: Fort Boyard-Lanzarte- Salvador de Bahia. This year is the year of Yannick Bestavens' performance. He imposed himself in the end of each leg. "A Transat Charente-Maritime/Bahias' victory doesn't' make you a star for the audience but clearly helps to be know by the professionals. It is a very hard transat. It is long and exhausting… You race in tough conditions, without weather forecast. You are alone with yourself."

This sensation, Armel Tripon discovers it in 2003. The French skipper perfectly managed his race. The favourites, the American Jonathan McKee and Samuel Manuard, dismast close to the arrival and are forced to abandon.

Corentin Douguet, 2 + 1 = 1st in 2005. Since the beginning of the season, Corentin imposes his rhythm to the rest of the fleet. He wins the main races of Classe Mini. A few minutes after the start, he passes the Conseil Général buoy first and arrives 6 days later at Lanzarote still 1st. During the second leg, he keeps the pressure but Alex Pella arrives first. Corentin naturally wins the race before the Spanish Alex Pella and Stanislas Maslard. Peter Laureyssens wins the two legs for the series boats category before Ronan Deshayes and Bruno Sottovia.

He ran behind the victory for several editions... Yves Le Blévec is going to be the hero of the 2007 edition and will pass the finish line not knowing if he was first, second or third. He knew he was well ranked but a BLU blackout for several days deprives him of ratings and weather. He prevails to Fabien Desprès and David Sineau ahead Isabelle Joschke who won in Funchal (Madeira - Portugal). For series, Hervé Piveteau wins in Salvador de Bahia and the General classification before, Gérard Marin Julia and David Krizek. (For the record, Stéphane Le Diraison won the first stage.)