Hugo Ramón Returns to Ocean Sailing

Sailor Hugo Ramón (Palma, 1985) has officially announced his return to ocean sailing after a nearly 12-year "break."

"The sea is my life, and I've never stopped feeling the call of the ocean," stated the Mallorcan athlete during the presentation of his project for the 2025 Mini Transat at the Real Club Náutico de Palma. This regatta consists of a 4,000-mile solo, unassisted, and non-communicative Atlantic crossing in six-and-a-half-meter boats.

Hugo Ramón will join the small and exclusive list of sailors who have participated in four editions of the Mini Transat, having been the youngest sailor to complete it for several years. "My first experience was in 2005. I started at 19 and became the youngest participant for quite some time until the sailor Violette Dorange surpassed me. I began that qualifying campaign at just 17, thinking I was mature, but obviously, I wasn't," explained the sailor from the Real Club Náutico de Palma in the promotional video for his new project, produced by audiovisual editor Ugo Fonollá, who served as an onboard reporter during the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race.

"After competing in three consecutive editions of the Mini Transat (2005, 2007, and 2009) and the Global Ocean Race (a two-person around-the-world race), I decided to take a break in 2012. The lack of sponsors and the desire to focus on other things, albeit still related to the sea and sailing, led me to step away from the solo racing circuit. However, throughout this time, I've never stopped feeling the ocean's call; it's a magnetism that's very hard for me to resist," confessed Hugo Ramón, who currently works as a superyacht captain and serves as the sailing officer on the board of directors at the Real Club Náutico de Palma.

The Mini Transat departs from the French town of Les Sables d’Olonne and finishes in the Caribbean after a stopover in the Canary Islands. The high demand for participation forces the organization to set very strict conditions for accepting entries. Despite his previous experience, Hugo and his boat (a Vector model named 'Verdhugo' competing in the production boat category) have undergone this process, which includes certifying 1,500 miles in races and another 1,000 in a single non-competitive stretch. During this preliminary phase, the Mallorcan sailor won the Massilia Cup a year ago, a demanding solo race between Marseille and northeast Corsica, and led the Mediterranean circuit in 2023 with 2,300 accumulated miles. "In my case, it's not necessary to validate the miles outside of the race because they are already credited from my first participation," he noted.

"The Mini Transat," Hugo Ramón explained today, "retains its essence; we are not allowed to communicate with the outside world or use electronic charts. All we have is a GPS with position and nautical charts. These restrictions make it very special and keep it connected to the old art of sailing. However, and this is something that also attracts me a lot, the boats have become very technological. The design of the 'minis' has advanced a lot since my last participation. They now have rounded bows that give them a lot of lift and a speed that was unthinkable 20 years ago."

Hugo faces the challenge "with the excitement of being among the best," but with a different personal perspective than in his previous projects: "My concept of sailing, and life in general, has also changed a lot. For me, a victory is not just crossing the finish line first, but having checked all the boxes that I consider essential, which determine the continuous improvement of a challenge as important as crossing the ocean at the boat's maximum performance. Even though the race hasn't even started yet, I feel like I'm winning because I've met the goals I set for myself and risen to my own standards. That said, there is still a year to go before departure, and many boxes left to check."