Excerpt from the race summary by the skipper, Marco Corno. The owner, Aldo Fumagalli, was also on board.
“The preparation time for the boat was relatively limited. Indeed Minimole was launched on September 16, 2019 in La Rochelle.
The boat’s owner, Aldo Fumagalli was entering the transatlantic race for the first time, but from the outset he made wise choices that would later prove to be a winner: the boat, its equipment and the selection of the crew.
Minimole is equipped with racing rigging: carbon mast, increased mainsail. The purchase of a large Parasailor will prove to be an excellent way to achieve good speeds in downwind conditions.
The owner is recruiting an experienced sailor with extensive offshore racing experience, Patrick Philippon, to prepare his boat. He will meticulously take care of the boat’s tuning, safety and final adjustments.
From the start in La Rochelle, the objective is clear: to be competitive in the multihull category. The NEEL 47 was one of the smallest multihulls registered in the ARC+.
Minimole will complete her first 350 miles as she leaves the port of La Rochelle in complete serenity with downwind conditions and speeds of up to 20 knots.
I was immediately confident at the helm of Minimole: the boat exudes safety and stability.
When we arrived in Galicia, we fine-tuned the settings with a clearly stated race objective and we optimised the boat’s potential, which we know is high. We receive the Parasailor (255 m2 sail) with circumspection from the start. It will later turn out that we will revise our judgement on this sail and that we will be very satisfied with it.
The day of the start of the Rally finally arrives in Las Palmas.
This first stage will be sustained, the crew and the boat are on “the front foot” and a 1st place finish in Cape Verde confirms the performance of the boat and the motivation and enthusiasm of the crew. During the stopover, the crew are once again dedicated to preparing and optimising the boat for the 2nd leg, which will present new wind and sea conditions.
The new start is given on November 21, 2019 from Mindelo.
We were strategic and cautious on this 2nd leg. It was conclusive, since we arrived 1st of the Rally, in all categories combined, happy and proud!”