Estonian solo sailor Anna-Liisa Talts has qualified for the 2025 Mini Transat with her boat Nolita. The Mini Transat is a single-handed ocean race that takes place every odd year and is considered the crown jewel of the Classe Mini circuit. 

"There are 90 boats in the race," said Talts. "This is the maximum limit from a safety perspective. This year, unfortunately, only five percent of those on the list are women," she added.

Competitors in the Mini Transat have to prepare their own boats. "During the preparation you have to learn all the skills and operations for yourself," said Talts.

"I often say that it's not really a sailing competition. It's a competition about preparation –  eating, sleeping and managing yourself. It's an internal struggle for survival as a human being," explained former solo sailor Ülar Mark.

"You sleep for 20 minutes because that's the amount of time you have when if you look at the horizon and there are no boats there, then in 20 minutes, usually no boat beyond the horizon can reach you. In everyday life, people try to take naps for longer than that."

"I just like the sea and the wind so much," Talts said when asked why she wants to take on a challenge like this.

Talts is also into climbing, which is a very popular sport among sailors. "It's stretching and strength training too," she said.

In theory, Talts' boat is practically unsinkable because as contains all kinds of buoyant materials. "The worst that can happen would be a fire. Unfortunately, this season we have had one incident like that, where a boat just burnt down," Talts said.

"In terms of the sailing world, my project is on a rather minimal budget. The total cost over two years, including the boat, is about €100,000," Talts said. "Racing boats are not that cheap either."

Talts says she enjoys sailing in stormy seas. "That's the time when your complete attention is focused on a specific task. You need to survive in that moment. Accidents at sea tend to happen in the most beautiful weather conditions because that's when people get careless," Talts said.

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