Caroline Boule and Benoît Marie Set to Start the Mini Fastnet

The duo will take the start of the Mini Fastnet on Sunday. Following a mixed start to the season aboard the Mini 6.50 prototype Nicomatic – Petit Bateau, Caroline Boule and Benoît Marie are aiming to get their campaign back on track offshore, on a course perfectly suited to the bluewater capabilities of their flying yacht.

Offshore racing is rarely plain sailing. It is a mechanical, technical, mental and physical sport, and many factors need to align to achieve success. The start of the season for sailor Caroline Boule, racing alongside Benoît Marie, has not quite lived up to expectations. Caroline first had to find her sea legs again after more than a year away from competition and the birth of her son, while the team also had to fine-tune the flying Mini 6.50 following an extensive winter refit and a highly demanding 2025 season for Benoît.

“Offshore racing is hard. It requires a very high level of expertise across many different areas,” explains Benoît. “Even though things haven’t gone exactly as planned, Caroline, who is returning to racing this year, has made great progress and is regaining confidence both in the boat and in her own abilities. The first three races were primarily preparation events, and our goal has always been to be fully ready again for the Mini Atlantique, which Caroline will race in July. That remains our focus, and the Mini Fastnet, which we are sailing double-handed, will help us move in that direction.”

Defending champion of one of the major events on the Mini 6.50 circuit, Benoît is preparing to contest his seventh Mini Fastnet. Covering around 600 nautical miles, with a frequently challenging outbound leg to the iconic Fastnet Rock lighthouse – the southernmost point of Ireland – followed by a direct return to Douarnenez, the Mini Fastnet offers the 66 competing teams a truly exceptional course.

“I love the Mini Fastnet,” Benoît continues. “My two passions in this sport are boat technology and travel, and this race combines both perfectly. Sailing from the magnificent Bay of Douarnenez, passing the Isles of Scilly and then Ireland, is simply magical. There are also iconic landmarks such as the Chenal du Four, the Ponant Islands and Ushant. Rounding Fastnet Rock is always a highly anticipated moment. The light and colours are different every time. There’s something strange about it, almost Hitchcockian.”

For now, the weather forecast appears favourable for the foiling prototype Nicomatic – Petit Bateau, which needs room and wind to unleash its full potential. Meanwhile, Caroline has used the few days between the MAP Trophy and Sunday’s start to rest and prepare the boat as thoroughly as possible in order to perform at her best.

SKAW SAILING's 2026 program:

Launch of SKAW A in Lorient – early July

Mini Fastnet in June, starting on June 14 from Douarnenez, double-handed race (Caroline Boule and Benoît Marie)

Mini Atlantique, formerly Les Sables–Azores–Les Sables (SAS), starting on July 22 from Les Sables-d’Olonne(Caroline Boule)

Cannes Yachting Festival with SKAW A – September

Caroline Boule : Born in Warsaw in February 1998 and raised in Poland, Caroline Boule began sailing at a very young age, notably in the 49er and Laser Radial classes. 
She continued her studies in the United Kingdom at Imperial College London, where she specialized in materials science and nuclear engineering, while joining the university's sailing team.
After graduating in 2020, she moved to France to begin a PhD at École Polytechnique while developing racing projects.
Caroline made a name for herself by building and sailing her own mini foiling sailboat, “Bill,” in the Mini 6.50 class, an innovative vessel capable of “flying” above the water thanks to its foils.
She competed in the 2023 Mini Transat aboard this prototype, finishing 20th.
In July 2024, she broke the 24-hour record in the Mini 6.50 solo category, covering 322.7 nautical miles and becoming the first woman to set this record in all categories in this class.

Benoît Marie : A professional skipper and French engineer born in 1987, he is passionate about innovation in sailing, particularly flying sailboats (foilers).
He made a name for himself by winning the 2013 Mini Transat, a solo transatlantic race on a Mini 6.50, on his first attempt.
Since then, he has competed in numerous high-performance sailing competitions, including Moth International, Class A, Class C, ETF26, and Ultime—categories where boats “fly” above the water thanks to foils.
He is also a specialist in the technical development of hulls and sails, designing and optimizing cutting-edge projects (such as the Nicomatic-Petit Bateau prototype).
In 2025, he achieved remarkable performances, notably breaking records for distance covered on a Mini 6.50 in 24 hours during the Mini Transat.

Caroline and Benoît’s partners in the Mini 6.50:

Title sponsors: Nicomatic and Petit Bateau

Partners: Incert, Xelians, CMAA, CFNEWS MEDIA GROUP, SEEMO, Saint Germain Audit, Goiot, Volotea, Volkswagen Lorient

Technical partners: Karver, Madintec, Nautix, Forward WIP, Cyclops Marine, Multiplast, North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT)