Cindy Brin, the first Saint Barth to take part in the Transat Paprec

This Saturday, October 12, Cindy Brin sets sail for France. As usual, the Saint-Barth Yacht Club instructor is supervising a group of young sailors from the island to take part in a regatta: the Opti Cup. But this time, at the end of the competition, the coach continues on her own, heading for Port-la-Forêt. Three days and one night at sea, to choose who will cross the Atlantic with her for the 17th edition of the Transat Paprec. I'm always urging the kids to realize their dreams and projects," says Cindy Brin. When I told them I had one too, they said: 'Go for it, Cindy, get out there and make it happen. "The instructor is adamant that taking part in the transatlantic race from Concarneau to Saint-Barth "is the project of a lifetime". "It's always been one of my dreams, but I've never had the opportunity because it's so expensive," confides the 27-year-old native of the island. But this year, the Collectivité has released a budget of 200,000 euros to support Cindy Brin in making this project a reality.

A project financed by the Collectivité
Cindy Brin was in Concarneau at the start of the 2023 edition, with David Blanchard, President of the Sports Affairs Commission, at her side. "It would be nice to have someone from Saint-Barth on this transatlantic race," he says. Cindy Brin reacts immediately: "It would be so nice, but it won't be me because it's too expensive. "The elected representative then launched discussions with the organizers, the Collectivité and the Saint-Barth Yacht Club, to ensure that "the kids who race with her are not left out in the cold". In the budget of 200,000 euros voted by the Collectivité, an amount corresponds to the remuneration of an instructor to replace her during her participation in the competition.

"If you have the money, I'll leave tomorrow".
That's all Cindy needed. "If you've got the money, I'm leaving tomorrow," retorts the sailing instructor. With the departure scheduled for April 20, 2025, she has less than a year to prepare. While waiting to train on a Figaro Beneteau, the one-design sailboat used for this race, the athlete embarks on physical and mental preparation. With five training sessions a week, Cindy works on her physique, but above all her endurance. It stings," she says behind her tinted glasses. After all, when you have to move the sails, it's heavy, and you have to do it several times a day for each maneuver. "Not to mention the hard work of maintaining sleep. On the boat, the sailors will take turns every two hours, doing two-hour shifts. "That's not a lot of sleep in the night, at the moment, I can't manage it," slips the instructor. But the skipper isn't worried: "With a bit of desire, you can achieve anything.

An unknown boat
On the other hand, what occupies her mind more is cohabitation with a stranger in the restricted space of the sailboat. "Leaving with someone I don't know can be quite frustrating, in the sense that I have a very strong character," Cindy Brin concedes. Unlike on the boat, where sailors can do their utmost to ensure that the equipment is ready, "the human side is always more complicated". In Port-la-Forêt, the competitor will be testing the collaboration with different sailors, but her own abilities will also be scrutinized. For the moment, she's a complete unknown," explains David Blanchard. They're going to test her a bit, and then sell her to the best, or not. "As Cindy laughingly reminds us: "My specialty is the Optimist. Nothing to do with a one-design sailboat on foils, which can reach speeds of up to 20 knots. "I can't wait to try this boat out, because I've never sailed on it before," she enthuses. Starting this month, the skipper will be able to get to grips with this boat, typical of major regattas, before returning to France to train in January.

"I'm not here to pick up buoys", she says.
Cindy Brin becomes the first woman from Saint-Barth to enter this transatlantic race, which has become mixed since the last edition in 2023. "Until I've crossed the finish line I won't realize," evacuates the instructor, who is still aiming for a podium finish. "I'm not here to collect buoys," she sums up with her natural bluntness. For Cindy Brin, this transatlantic race only makes sense because the finish is on her island. Before reaching the port of Gustavia, the local girl will be greeted by the usual procession of boats. Among them will surely be a few Optimists, with her pupils on board to watch her realize her dream.