To read Pip’s previous entry, click here.

Monday 21 June 2011

Thursday was a big day for me; the dream became reality. I received official confirmation that I have a place in the 2011 mini transat.

On Thursday, the organising committee of the race announced that they would allow another 12 boats into the race, bring the total of entries to 84.

Prior to then I had been number six on the waiting list, believing that I would make it in as others would drop out closer to the event, but still without that certainty of a confirmed entry.

Now I can shout about it, and I am.

There are only two British entries to this prestigious ocean race, and I am very very proud to be one of them, along with Dan Dytch who will race in the prototype class.

I still haven’t stopped smiling. This is it and I am so proud to have got into the race from such a late start.

The mini transat has always been a prestigious and popular race, and true to form this year it is more popular than ever. The competition has been unbelievably fierce just to get an entry into the event and on the water it will be tougher still.

As testament to the events importance and popularity all 84 places are now full. Classe mini have encouraged those who are not going to make it to cancel their entries early but despite having five people drop out, the waiting list is currently still nine strong with even more hopefuls waiting for a dropout place before the start.

It was a huge effort to qualify in the way that I did. I pushed myself, my boat, my van and a lot of friends and family to the limit to finish the first three races of the season and it paid off.

WE ARE IN!

There are 97 days to go and I am on a serious mission to pull it all together and make the best effort at this race campaign I can.

It is time to shape up the boat and myself, organise a mini refit, get my new sails made, raise the rest of my costs to get the boat to the line and back from Brazil, then start my routing and navigation preparations.

I am so excited, it is hard to focus, I have been running round in circles picking up things and putting them down, struggling to work out what to do when and get it into a sensible order.

I need a slap round the face or a stern school teacher to put me on the right path, there is no time for faffing; the race to the start line is well and truly on.