Mini-Transat qualification: Peter Sorowka started: One man, one boat, 1,000 nautical miles

Wedel-based start-up founder Peter Sorowka is on his way to his 1,000 nautical mile qualification for the Mini-Transat 2025. The 36-year-old father of three cast off the lines in Wedel's home harbour on Tuesday and officially launched his project at the Kugelbake in Cuxhaven on Wednesday night on his Mini "Kolibri". With a promising wind and weather forecast from meteorologist and router Sebstian Wache, Sorowka set off on his course, which will take him via the Isle of May and Bass Rock off Edinburgh and back along the Danish west coast in a triangle through the North Sea. It will be travelling single-handed for around a week before returning to its port of departure and destination. The prospects are favourable: a lot of room-sheet and half-wind sailing, little cross. "Sebastian Wache said the wind could hardly be better," Sorowka said happily at the start.

The Mini-Transat candidate will also be supported in his endeavour by friend and mentor Jan Heinze. The entrepreneur from Hamburg contested the Mini-Transat in 2015 and subsequently published his highly acclaimed book "Atlantikfieber - Ein Mann, ein Boot, ein Ziel". Sorowka and Heinze have already competed in two-handed regattas together and know each other well. "Jan is my coach, my shore crew. He has given me so many good things and thoughts along the way," said Sorowka. Heinze's best quote for the current adventure is this: "Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." Translated, this means something like: "Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."

The fact that the nautical miles in Sorowka's qualifying races are not counted from Wedel, but only from Cuxhaven, is due to the strict mini-rules. Sailing on rivers, in this case the Elbe, is not accepted by the class association. "They are strict, downright bourgeois," says Sorowka with a smile, "Kugelbake counts - the Kugelbake off Cuxhaven counts." Sorowka emerged from the Elbe in "impressive light under Code Zero". The opening section to Helgoland, whose lighthouse flashes the soloist could already see in the early hours of the morning, was a delight. "The best spinnaker sailing," commented Sorowka, highly motivated. In addition to the required distance, Sorowka has to take two position fixes with the sextant during his trip - another requirement of the rules for mini-transat candidates. Anyone who completes the 1,000 nautical miles will have them in their qualification account for five years. Participation in mini regattas is also required. "Unfortunately, starts in races such as the Silverrudder or the Vegvisir race don't count," says Sorowka, who, as a demanding entrepreneur and family man, still has three years to complete his journey.