The Mallorcan Aina Bauza presents her oceanic project at the Barcelona Boat Show.

The Mallorcan sailor Aina Bauza has participated in the Barcelona Boat Show, where she presented her project to become the first Balearic woman to solo cross the Atlantic, participating in the Mini Transat 2023.

Her presence at the stand of the FNOB with her Mini ‘Redo,’ a small boat of just 6.5 meters in length, which lacks any comfort on board and with which the sailor aspires to participate in the Mini Transat, has generated great excitement, attracting many people interested in getting to know the athlete, her boat, and her project firsthand.

“Many people related to sailing, sponsors, and also anonymous individuals who follow me through the press and social media have come by, showing me their full support,” said Bauza, who has been at the Mini Base Barcelona for a few weeks training and refining the boat in preparation for her oceanic dream in 2023.

“I will be here until April, training to improve different maneuvers and perfecting the boat to make it more efficient,” explains Bauza, who last September managed to accumulate and reach 1,000 solo miles and 1,500 in races, a requirement set by the Mini Transat organization to be eligible to participate.

“This year I have sailed almost 4,000 miles from April to September 2022, participating in races non-stop to reach the required miles and improve. After April 2023, I will continue participating in races to achieve an even higher level. There is still a lot of work to do if I really want to compete, not just finish the Mini Transat,” she declared.

The Mini Transat

With 4,000 miles of distance divided into two stages (Les Sables d’Olonne-La Palma and La Palma-Guadeloupe), the Mini Transat is one of the world’s most demanding transoceanic races. Specifically, it is the oceanic category race with the smallest boats, 6.5 meters in length and 3 in width, without any comfort inside and without the possibility of using electronic charts or external communication, beyond a daily weather report provided by radio by the organization.

If successful, Bauza will follow in the footsteps of Balearic sailors like Nacho Postigo, Hugo Ramón, José Linares, or Felip Moll, becoming the first female born in the Balearic Islands to accomplish this demanding challenge.

Bauza has an extensive record as a sailor at the Club de Vela del Port d’Andratx in classes such as Optimist, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial, and ILCA 6. She is part of the Spanish sailing team and recently finished fourth in the Offshore World Championship alongside Guillermo Altadill.