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Mini Transat 6.50

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Development
DesignerVarious
Year1976
Builder(s)Various
Boat
Crew1 or 2
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Mini Transat 6.50 also known by a number of alternatives Mini, Class Mini, Transat 650 is a development measurement controlled offshore sailing primarily used for racing in the Mini Transat Race hence the name.

Background

History

The Classe Mini conceiver around the Mini Transat race is run bi-annually and first took place in 1977. The race is a solo transatlantic yacht race. The class rules focus on this event and encourage development while controlling both costs and design and fitout safety requirements. The size of the boat allows for more experimentation in design without the costs of larger classes.

Class Association

The class association is an owner led organization that administers the rules and co-ordinates a series of single and double handed events for the class. In response to the perceived challenge of sailing small high-performance boats the class has created rigorous trials, equipment, and inspection requirements to add promote safety. The mini Transat class is largely French in its makeup but the class has tried to encourage international entries.

  • Note the width of the sterns Note the width of the sterns
  • Typical cockpit Typical cockpit
  • Pogo Pogo
  • - -
  • 2011 Mini Transat Winner 2011 Mini Transat Winner
  • 2011 Mini Transat Winner 2011 Mini Transat Winner

Development

Mini Transat Race Design Influence

Due to the downwind nature of the racing across the Atlantic Ocean designs tend to be beamy, being nearly half as wide as it is long. The wide flat stern is designed to promote planing similar to a surfboard. As a consequence of the wide beam twin rudders are pretty much standard so that one rudder remains in the water when heeled.

Canting Keels

The class led the way with canting keels – due to their small size there is a design requirement for them to be self-righting when capsized.

Scow Hull Form

The constraint of the box rule led to the introduction of the Scow hull form when David Raison's Mini used the hull shape to win 2011 victory, which may in fact, revolutionize open ocean racing if not sailing altogether. This design trend has now influenced the design of both the Class40 and IMOCA 60 class.

Foiling

The Magnum began an even more radical 'semi-flying' scow that uses a host of design tricks, including wings/foils and a telescopic canting keel, a retractable bowsprit and an Asymmetrical spinnaker, has been designed in France. This has led on to the launch of a fully foiling boats with a production foiling mini transat from pogo being launched in 2020.

Division

There are two divisions:

Prototype

The prototype division is more liberal with respect to dimensions, such as keel depth and mast height, and it allows for advanced technology such as "canting" keels and carbon-fibre masts. The prototype class is approximately 7% faster.

Series (Production)

Production boats use approved designs and comparatively conservative materials.

Design Builder Builder Nat Designer Years No. Built Notes Ref.
Coco Archambault (Vienne)  France Philippe Harlé 1985 - 2000s 105
Super Calin 6.50 Magnan  France Jean-Pierre Magnan 1997
Naus Disegno Contrario  France Zancope 2000
Mistral 6.50 AMC Marine  France Joubert & Nivelt 2002
Pogo 1 Pogo Structures (Finistère)  France Pierre Rolland 1994-2002 125
Pogo 2 Pogo Structures (Finistère)
or California's Open Sailing (USA)		  France Jean-Marie Finot 2003
Pogo 3 Pogo Structures (Finistère)  France Guillaume Verdier 2014
Pogo Foiler Pogo Structures (Finistère)  France Guillaume Verdier 2019 Onwards
Dingo 1 Marée Haute (Finistère)  France Pierre Rolland 2004
Tip Top 650 Voiliers Bepox  France Sam Manuard Yacht Design 2005
Estarellas Zéro Mos Composites  Spain Marc Lombard
Nacira 650 FR Boating  France Alexis Muratet 2007-2012 18
Azimut Ginto Azimut  Italy Sébastien Magnen 2007
Dingo 2 (or D²) Marée Haute (Finistère)  France Pierre Rolland 2008
RG 650 RioTecna  Argentina G Yacht Design 2011
Argo 650 Andrés Durán Yachting S.L  Spain Marc Lombard 2012
Ofcet 6.50 chantier ofcet (Charente-Maritime)  France Etienne Bertrand 2014 17
Maxi 6.50 IDB Marine (Finistère)  France David Raison 2018 - Onwards
Vector 6.5 Yacht Service Poland  Poland Etienne Bertrand 2018 - Onwards Scow

References

  1. "Classe Mini".
  2. Raison, David (November 18, 2010). "Vidéo à la Hune" (Video) (in French). Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  3. Boyd, James (September 19, 2015). "The semi-flying Mini scow". The Daily Sail. France. Retrieved March 5, 2016. We look at Simon Koster's new weapon, penned by Michel Desjoyeaux's design firm Mer Forte
  4. "Class Rules".
  5. "Pogo 1".
  6. "Pogo 2".
  7. "Pogo 3".
  8. "Pogo Foiler".
  9. "Argo. El nuevo minitransa".
  10. "Idbmarine chantier de construction navale de Bretagne en Finistère à Trégunc près de Concarneau".
  11. "Vector 6.5".
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