CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Twenty years ago, Brice Cunningham brought his extensive culinary knowledge to Charlottesville when he relocated to the city, became an American citizen, and played a role in starting three restaurants – Fleurie, Petit Pois, and Tempo. Now, he’s training to sail a 21-foot yacht solo across the Atlantic.
Next September, Cunningham will participate in the 2027 Mini Transat, a solo yacht race across the Atlantic in which participants navigate their way from the starting point in France to a destination usually located in the Caribbean, Central, or South America.
“It was started in the 70s by some crazy English people,” Cunningham joked.
While the British began the tradition, French sailors adopted a passion for the challenge and kept the race going moving the starting location to the Continent.
“It piqued the interest of the French sailors,” Cunningham said. “It’s quite a prominent status.”
The race is demanding.
“It’s not that popular because, (as) I’m just figuring out, it’s not that easy,” said Cunningham.
The route will take him from the starting point in La Rochelle, France to a provisional stop in the Canary Islands off the western coast of Africa, to this year’s finish in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. The participants not only need to set a course and navigate their way singlehandedly for multiple days across open ocean but also make sure they are stocked with the necessary supplies to make the voyage. Food, medicine, and equipment all must be packed on to the boat securely but efficiently to give the craft a chance of finishing ahead of others in the race.
The challenge also tests the participants’ physical endurance.
“Recuperate is a big word because we don’t really sleep much,” Cunningham said.
Navigators will break for 15-to-20-minute power naps to let their bodies recover, but the trip requires constant vigilance.
“You can do a lot of little siestas. but you have to put your head out and check around yourself where you’re going,” he said.
Cunningham is already in the midst of training in France in La Trinite’-sur-Mer more than a year ahead of next year’s race.
Cunningham’s interest in sailing began when he was 11 living in Tahiti after his mother was stationed there as a school administrator. His parents enrolled him and his younger brother in sailing club.
“We start sailing out there and we never really stopped and then we came back to France and sailed a little more and raised the rank up and up,” he said.
He first heard of the Transat being in the presence of “top-notch” French sailors but decided a career in cooking was more straightforward than one in sailing. His father worked as a restaurant manager and Brice also was attracted to the world of restaurants and food. Cunningham’s success in the culinary arts kept him separated from his childhood passion, though he mentioned his brother stuck with sailing. Eventually, though, he decided to hearken back to his days in Tahiti and make an effort to participate in the Transat that he had heard from the French sailors in his youth.
“I said, ‘Man, maybe I could have [done that],'” he said. “So, now it’s the point, it’s on my bucket list. I got to do it.”
Cunningham mentioned he still has a long way to go before the Transat next September. Before he can participate in the main event, there are qualifying races including a 1000-mile solo handed race from La Rochelle to Ireland and back. The challenge of training and preparation has also proven to be a test for Cunningham.
“Three, four months into it, I have to be honest, it’s a crazy humility lesson,” he said. “Oh man, it’s a daily reminder that you got to keep your head down, focus and learn and work because it’s not easy, man.”
Supporters can follow Brice’s progress, training updates, and race campaign on the Charlottesville Yacht Club website: charlottesvilleyachtclub.net. While Brice mentioned he has already learned and gained confidence from his training, he tries to keep it from going to his head.
“When you step out of a port, you have to stay humble and always keep in mind that the ocean is stronger than you are,” he said, “and never underestimate anything.”
