Mini 6.50 newcomer: Jannes Lull wants to compete in the Mini Transat in 2027

The Mini 6.50 class is regarded as the nursery of offshore sailing. Many of the big professionals have gained offshore experience on the small racing machines, mostly in the Mini Transata race across the Atlantic that takes place every two years. Now 19-year-old Jannes Lull from Wiesbaden is venturing into this world, which is traditionally dominated by French sailors. We met him for an interview and talked about his plans.

Mr Lull, you come from a family of sailors and have a clear goal: you want to compete in the Mini Transat in 2027. When did this plan come about?

I've been travelling on the water since I was four years old, both on tall ships and with the Laser. In 2013, my uncle sailed the Mini Transat - I was seven or eight at the time and completely fascinated. I sat in front of the tracker every day and followed the route of the boats. That left its mark on me. After that, I followed Boris Herrmann and other professional sailors. Offshore sailing became my dream. Now I have my A-levels in the bag and can get started.

Why cross the Atlantic in solo racing mode?

If you want to sail professionally offshore, there's no getting round the Mini Transat. The regatta is the classic entry point - and is also accessible to newcomers who are not yet established. The boats are affordable and the market is not oversaturated, so you can sell them again later. I've also considered starting out in touring mode. But I want to really get into the scene. 30 days of competition in a 6.50 metre boat across the Atlantic - that fascinates me. At the same time, I want to push myself to my limits and persevere.

You've been preparing for months, but the launch in late summer 2027 is still a long way off. Is such a long lead time necessary?

Definitely, just for the qualification. You have to sail one thousand nautical miles single-handed. On top of that, you have to complete around 1,300 nautical miles in qualifying races. At the same time, the deadline is the end of 2026, by which time I have to have collected my miles. However, only the 60 boats with the most nautical miles in regattas make it onto the start list. I therefore assume that I need at least 4,000 nautical miles.

Sounds like a full calendar. How difficult is it to organise a campaign like this?

If you start from scratch with no budget and no experience, it's a rocky road. You have to do a lot of networking, exchange ideas with experienced sailors and look for sponsors. It's a lot of effort and quite frustrating. I must have sent out 700 emails. Maybe 10 per cent of them came back, most of them were rejections. You need a certain amount of perseverance.

Keyword networking: How would you describe the German mini-scene?

A purely German mini-scene hardly exists. It is very small. Only a few really sail regattas, and so far there are three of us for the Mini-Transat 2027: Tom Wehde, Carla Hénon-Steck and me. But there is an active WhatsApp group of German mini sailors with around 100 members - including alumni like Lennart Burke, who now sails Globe40. The international mini scene is very open overall. You can get in quickly. It's like a big circle of friends.

Read more about next-generation skipper Tom Wehde here:

• Mini-Transat: Inspired by Burke and Fink - Tom Wehde wins talent competition

How is the scene organised?

The Class association plays a central role: it determines safety precautions, organises parts of the Transat and publishes the regatta schedule. Their website also offers a marketplace for boats and a skipper exchange - for example, I met someone there with whom I sailed 1,000 nautical miles double-handed.

In addition, clubs organise other regattas, alone or in cooperation. There are training centres in Marseille, Barcelona, Rome, La Rochelle, Lorient and other cities - they work independently or are linked to clubs.

All these offers also come with costs. How do you finance this?

I try to finance as much as possible through sponsors. The Trans Ocean supports me with the registration fees. I pay the rest myself - which works because I can continue to work remotely in my current job.

What kind of sums are we talking about?

By the time the Mini Transat is launched, I expect to have spent around 50,000 euros - including the boat. Then there are sails and possible repairs, but these are difficult to estimate. Catering during the regattas will be provided by sponsors. For the registration fees, I reckon with around one euro per nautical mile: in 2026 that means around 5,000 euros. 2027 will be more expensive - the Mini Transat will cost significantly more.

From January you will be moving to the French Mediterranean coast. Why not move to the Atlantic?

There are various reasons for this. Overall, the density of sailors in the Atlantic is significantly higher than in the Mediterranean. It is correspondingly difficult to get into the regattas there because starting places are limited. I think it will be easier to collect enough nautical miles in the Mediterranean. Of course, the sailing conditions are different, but they are not much easier.

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But it's also for family reasons, isn't it?

Yes, my grandparents are from France. I can stay with them when I'm not sailing regattas. That makes the whole thing easier.

And you speak French?

Yes, fluently. That's why I don't see any major hurdles to establishing myself there. Everything is done in French: how it is reported, what the regatta organisers say, how information is provided. Not surprising when 80 per cent of the starters are French.

Marine conservation is important to you - you want to promote it as part of your campaign. How do you want to stand out from existing projects?

That's right. I'm collecting data for science - initially on microplastics, but I want to expand the spectrum later. I'm already supporting a project by Trans Ocean e.V. and Geomar, and further collaborations are conceivable. I am also an ambassador for the Surfrider Foundation Germany (as well as Ocean Race Europe winner Paul Meilhat, Red.). The organisation cooperates with schools in disadvantaged areas, whose pupils often have little contact with the oceans. The aim is to convey a fascination for them. The project is still in the test phase.

You are committed to reducing emissions in sailing. Isn't sailing emission-free anyway?

You'd think so. In competitive sport, it's easy to overlook how much you have to travel: training in the Caribbean, the trip from Paris to the training centre in Brittany, transporting the boat back to Europe by container ship. I want to avoid that as much as possible. My goal is to launch the most sustainable mini-campaign in 2027.

What would be a concrete solution for making the Mini Transat emission-free?

A transat round would make container ships superfluous - and save both costs and emissions.

You can find out more about Jannes Lull and his ambitions at here.