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Mini boats, maxi sport

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The famous Mini-Transat has just begun, but it has already shown that in 20-25 knots of wind any mistake can be fatal. Of the 81 competitors, two lost their mast. They will stop at La Coruña where they will have 72 hours to mend their Minis and then they will be able to continue the race. On the list of less serious mishaps are a torn halyard and a keel caught in fishing gear. Italian skipper Luca Sabiu was the least fortunate. Last night, for an as yet undisclosed reason, he activated his emergency beacon while north of La Coruña. A Spanish military helicopter flew to his aid. The sailor is now safe.

The Mini-Transat is a 4,050-meter offshore racing sailboat regatta. The race consists of two stages. The first, which is 1,350 miles long, will last seven to 10 days. Participants leave La Rochelle and arrive in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The second leg starts from Las Palmas in early November. Racers will take 15-20 days to finish at Le Marina in Martinique, French West Indies.

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