With a dream of crossing the Atlantic single-handed, in 2023 I finally took the initiative to quit my job and launch my Mini Transat campaign. At the start, I had no idea what I was signing up for. The race requires qualification — meaning two years of full-on, intense competition and a 1,000-nautical-mile passage to Ireland and back. On top of that, with a €200,000 budget to cover, the search for sponsors and running what felt like a small start-up quickly became a steep learning curve.