Hugo Ramon is already getting ready to compete in the 2025 edition of the Mini Transat. This is one of the toughest races on the high seas, which involves crossing the Atlantic single-handedly from France to the Caribbean with a stopover in the Canary Islands and without assistance or communication.

This will be his fourth Mini Transat, after in 2005 having become the youngest person in history to complete this race. And that was when Hugo - a captain by profession - caught the Transat bug. Now he's found the right time, with more resources and financial support, to work on a better yacht and fulfil the many ideas he's been humming over for the past few years.

Another reason behind Hugo's desire to make this crossing again is to mark the twenty years since his first transatlantic and (he won't mind us saying!) to celebrate his fortieth birthday. What's more, he tells us that it was a way to head back to his roots and remember the challenge of racing after years of living comfortably as a superyacht captain.

For this edition, Hugo has chosen a production boat, as he believes that there's more competition in this category. He bought a hull, a deck and a keel, which are the minimum requirements to sail in the production class, and from there spent more than eight months at STP Shipyard Palma building and tailoring his boat for a whopping eight to fourteen hours a day, six or seven days a week.

Last week, the boat hit the water for the first time and after a few emotional words of thanks to everyone involved in the project, Hugo set sail for Menorca to race in the first qualifier.

In order to take part in the Mini Transat, VerdHugo has to cover a certain number of miles in the Mini class. This first event in Menorca automatically authorises sailors to compete in the following races before the big crossing in 2025.

Throughout the eight months of preparation, STP Shipyard Palma was keen to support Hugo Ramón for many a reason. These include it being a local project that has flourished with modesty and great work, Hugo being a role model in the sailing world thanks to his career, and the nostalgia of wanting to remember the origins of sailing and racing. To do so, the yard hauled out the boat and provided a container to work on the hardstanding, meaning that Hugo could work in comfortable conditions and set in motion all the ideas that have been in his head for years.

At this year's Palma Superyacht Village, Hugo Ramón and VerdHugo will be visiting the STP Shipyard Palma stand to chat about the process so far and the next steps up to the Mini Transat 2025.