The Carlos Manera – Varador 2000 regatta team has been presented at Mataró Marina Barcelona and will compete in the next edition of the Mini Transat 2021 transoceanic regatta. The regatta, which is held solo with sailboats in the mini 6.5 class, will depart from Les Sables d’Olonne (French Brittany) on September 26, from where it will travel more than 4,000 miles to the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, with a stopover in Santa Cruz de la Palma (Canary Islands).
The Varador 2000 is participating for the first time in the Mini Transat 2021 ocean race with a boat skippered by the young Carlos Manera. The sailor has indicated that he feels ready to take on this challenge, since in recent months “I have learned a lot alongside great sailors such as Gerard Marín and Bruno García, true stars who have taught me many things I didn’t know about strategy, tactics, meteorology or on-board nutrition during a long solo crossing .” Manera has defined the project as “a dream come true” and has stated that in the future he would also like to participate in the Vendeé Globe or the Barcelona World Race. According to the athlete, the Mini Transat “is a challenge that I face with confidence, because I have prepared a lot mentally and psychologically, and I believe that I will come out of this competition having learned a lot . “
The project “is a commitment to youth and the training of future sailors ,” stated Josep Bernabeu, communications director for Varador 2000. A regatta like the Mini Transat “is not just an adventure, it’s a unique experience where the best are forged. You have to have a lot of mental strength to embark on a 6.5-meter sailboat and cross the Atlantic solo ,” he noted. According to Bernabeu, Varador 2000 has opted for Carlos Manera because he has “a very solid project and offers many guarantees for the future . “
Xiqui Mas, general manager of Varador 2000, closed the event by adding that Varador 2000 views its participation in the Mini Transat regatta as “a long-term sporting project, whose starting point is the 2021 edition and the goal or point of consolidation is 2023. The challenge is immense, but the trust placed in Carlos Manera makes us look to the future with optimism .” He considers Manera to be a “very mature person for his youth, with a lot of common sense and enough strength to overcome this great challenge and others . ”
Anna Corbella and Oriol Pujol, the top sporting directors of the Mini Barcelona Base, a leading center for this class in Spain, are convinced that Carlos Manera “will play a key role in the Mini Transat, as he is a very powerful and interesting athlete who gives his all to the competition.” Pujol has indicated that Manera will ultimately triumph, while Corbella has indicated “that he will thoroughly enjoy this immense challenge.” The Mini Barcelona Base, part of the FNOB (Barcelona Oceanic Navigation Foundation), is a training and technical development center that educates, trains, and provides services to future Mini 6.5 class ocean sailors.
The presentation was also attended by Agustí Martín, dean of the Barcelona School of Nautical Studies, who expressed his great satisfaction at having contributed to the training of Carlos Manera as a navigator. Manera studied at our faculty, where he graduated with a degree in Nautical Studies and Maritime Transport in 2020. Also in attendance were several navigators, members of the FNOB and the Club Nàutic Port de la Selva (where Manera has trained as a navigator), representatives of the Ports of the Generalitat (Catalan Ports), the Mataró City Council and the Maresme Regional Council, and various companies that are also financially collaborating with the project.
Following the presentation at Mataró Marina Barcelona, Manera and the Varador 2000-class mini-sailer have departed for Brittany, France, where they will participate in various training trials in the Atlantic during the months of May, June, and July, thus completing their fine-tuning before starting the Mini Transat in September.
