Carlos Manera completes his first solo ocean race aboard the mini Varador 2000

The sailor claims to have “learned a lot” in the Mini Transat, but believes that now  he “needs a more evolved boat” to be able to compete for victory.

Carlos Manera has fulfilled his dream of crossing the Atlantic solo. His  first participation in the Mini Transat  regatta was a resounding success. Aboard the Mini Varador 2000, Manera covered the 4,050 miles of the race (divided into two stages) in 28 days, 13 hours, 2 minutes, and 29 seconds. Upon his arrival on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, Manera was emphatic: “The boat sailed perfectly, gave very few problems, held up very well, and I really enjoyed it, but now I need a winning boat.”

The Mini Transat that  Carlos Manera  used in this edition of the Mini Transat is a Nacira built in 2010. A very undeveloped boat compared to current models, with a rounded bow. Despite this disadvantage, Manera outperformed many theoretically superior Minis. “If it hadn’t been such an atypical and robust Mini Transat, I would have obtained a better result,” says the young athlete. Manera and many other sailors suffered until the end of the race due to the “erroneous” decision by the organizers not to fully compensate the hours that a good part of the fleet spent sheltering in Galicia due to a severe storm. “It’s unheard of,” comments Manera, “that you spend 36 hours moored in port and then the organizers only reward you for 24 hours.” This handicap, coupled with the strategic error committed during the second leg (he opted for the intermediate northern route waiting for the arrival of the trade winds while others sailed further south to catch them sooner), completely affected the final classification.

For Manera, the first leg between Les Sables d’Olonne and Santa Cruz de La Palma was much more technical, competitive, and fun. During this leg, one could compete against other sailors, compare oneself with rivals, and fight to improve one’s position. However, on the second leg, between La Palma and Guadeloupe, the battle was against oneself. Due to low weather pressure that broke the traditional trade winds of the season, the sailing was very difficult, but at the same time routine and dull. He couldn’t compare himself with anyone; he was fighting against himself, against loneliness, routines, and habits. This situation often provoked contradictory feelings: fear of not finishing, fear of breaking away, but towards the end, maximum motivation, energy, and making the most of the wind.

Carlos Manera has overcome his first solo Atlantic race with remarkable joy, not only for the result and the feat of finishing the race on the first attempt, but also for his excellent physical and mental preparation. “There are races,” he says, “that are much more physically demanding than the Mini Transat, which is tough, but is easily tolerated if you have the stamina that comes with physical preparation. On a mental level, however, it’s terrible, because it’s very difficult to maintain balance for so many hours of sailing, alone in the middle of the ocean. Sometimes,” he adds, “negative thoughts assail you and it’s difficult to regain a positive mood.” Despite everything, “I’ve learned a lot in every sense, and it’s better to have done it now than in two years. Now, I repeat, I need a modern and evolved boat, where I can apply everything I’ve learned in this Mini Transat and be able to compete for victory.”

Varador 2000 highly values ​​​​Manera’s performance

Carlos Manera’s performance in the 2021 Mini Transat is also highly valued by  Varador 2000  , his main sponsor. Xiqui Mas, the company’s executive director, believes that Manera “has far exceeded the expectations we had of him,” not only because of the final result and the fact that he overcame such a demanding event, “but also because of his commitment, his competitiveness, his perseverance, his effort, and his sportsmanship.”

According to Mas, Carlos Manera is “a young and mature person at the same time.” An athlete who embodies values ​​”that we value enormously at Varador 2000, which is why we are convinced we chose the right person or the right class.” In Mas’s opinion, the miniclass is special. “You have to see how the miners fight and compete with each other in the water and how they help each other and work as a team on land; it’s incredible.”

Varador 2000 has approached its participation in the Mini Transat regatta as a long-distance sporting project, starting with the 2021 edition and culminating in, or consolidating, the 2023 edition. “The challenge is very ambitious, but the trust placed in Carlos Manera makes us look to the future with optimism,” says Mas.