Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
Saturday, 16 August 2025
ANS – Les Sables-d’Olonnes
Paris (Agenzia Fides) – 150 years after the first crossing of the Atlantic by the Salesian missionaries of Don Bosco to reach the archipelago of Guadeloupe (now part of the French Antilles, ed.), a sailboat named after Don Bosco will sail solo across the vast expanse of sea that separates the Old and New Worlds to collect donations for the missionaries who continue to evangelize the archipelago.The idea, reported the Salesian news agency ANS, was born to Aymeric le Renard, a 39-year-old married father of two children. A few months ago, he approached the Don Bosco Foundation in Paris to propose connecting the Salesian network with the “Mini Transat,” a famous solo race across the Atlantic, which starts this year on September 21st in Les Sables-d’Olonnes, France. The finish line is on the other side of the ocean. The race lasts a total of 25 days, covering 7,500 kilometers without contact with the mainland and without assistance.Aymeric’s wish was to sail and support initiatives for young people and their integration into society. He was fascinated by the initiatives of the Salesian missionaries in Guadeloupe. The religious family of the Salesians of Don Bosco readily agreed to this request, which many considered particularly symbolic, as 2025 also marks the 150th anniversary of the departure of the first missionaries.And so, this fall, among the 90 boats competing (they are small, identical sailboats measuring 6.5 meters in length), the “Don Bosco” will be one of them. Its sails are decorated with motifs reminiscent of the Saint and printed with the phrase “Believe in Young People” in five languages (French, English, Italian, German, and Arabic). The names of the Salesian foundations supporting the initiative are inscribed on the hull.The money raised will be used by the Guadeloupe-based organization “Lakou Bosco” to purchase an electric minibus with nine seats and a charging station, allowing young people from working-class neighborhoods and their parents to participate in educational and cultural initiatives in an environmentally friendly way.Many young people from French Salesian schools are also involved in the ocean crossing, including students from Saint Chély-d’Apcher, Ressins, and Gradignan, who will prepare meals for the skipper during his voyage. The Salesian Campus de Pouillé is donating fruit, while the young people from Don Bosco Liban are providing dried fruit.The Mini Transat was launched in 1977 and takes place every two years. It is a unique race in the world of ocean racing: a challenge where human commitment surpasses technology and each skipper pushes their limits in the face of the elements. Many famous skippers, such as Michel Desjoyeaux, Ellen MacArthur, and Loïck Peyron, took their first steps in this race. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 16/8/2025)
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