AGAINST THE WIND

ST. BARTH SAILOR’S MIGUEL DANET’S MULTIPLE AG2R CAMPAIGNS

St. Barths native Miguel Danet inherited his love of the ocean from his parents—sailing and exploring around St. Barths and other surrounding islands since he was 8 years old. His zeal for the wind on the water became fully evident in 2008 and again in 2018 when Miguel competed in the prestigious French AG2R Transatlantic sailing race, which begins in Concarneau, France (Brittany)

and finishes in St. Barths. A transatlantic crossing is a remarkable feat; a race of one is another adventure altogether.

TOGETHER WITH HIS FRIEND AND PROFESSIONAL SAILOR ERIC PERON, Miguel earned third place in his first La Transat AG2R La Mondiale in 2008. Eager to compete again, he signed up in 2018 to do it with Damien Cloarec on his same boat, the Macaron French Pastries, a Figaro 2. This year, Miguel is back with Eric and training for the upcoming 2020 and 2022 Transat AG2R races on L’Egoiste, a brand-new Beneteau Figaro 3.

The AG2R Mondiale began in 1992 and is a 3,800-nauticalmile course typically held in late April, taking three weeks or so to complete. The record finish time is held by Thomas Ruyant and Adrien Hardy in 2018, who completed the race in 18 days, 11 hours, 48 minutes and 22 seconds. For this year’s race, which departs on April 19 from Concarneau, the expectation is for boats to be into St. Barths around May 12.

To prepare for this year’s race, veterans Miguel and Eric are practicing as much as possible, including competing in this past fall’s Tour de Bretagne where they raced together for the first time on their boat, L’Egoiste (seen pictured here), the new Beneteau Figaro 3. They also competed in the F18 Championships in Martinique in January and will spend most of February training in France. Given this is not their first Transat AG2R race, the two are exceptionally knowledgeable and ready for the toughest parts, which Miguel identifies as the first 24–48 hours, which he says can be exceptionally chilly in April and particularly daunting between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., especially if there is no moon. For Miguel, the most important thing to remember during the race is to respect the sea and realize, as he says, “You are on a 30-foot boat in the middle of the ocean.” As a result, Miguel is responsible for staying on top of the weather and constantly monitoring the wind so the boat can be in the most optimal position. To endure the long hours on the water, the two men must also take care of themselves— sleep, eat and stay hydrated. For Miguel it has never been about the result but rather about the learning experience at large. As he notes, “I keep learning every day and it is like a dream to be able to sail with a professional sailor like Eric.” Of course, having the island’s support is also powerful; “The Dream Team Peron/ Danet” is how they are known in St. Barths. And as he notes, the welcome home with the island cheering them on from both the dock and various speedboats along their flank is the best part of all. For a man who makes sailing his livelihood and the ocean his office (Miguel owns and operates St. Barth Sailor, a local charter operation), the opportunity to compete and be part of the Transat is simply a dream come true. We wish him the best of luck.

LEARN MORE www.stbarthsailor.com/ag2r-race

For Miguel, the most important thing to remember during the race is to respect the sea and realize, as he says, “You are on a 30-foot boat in the middle of the ocean.”