Increasingly efficient

What a difficult equation to always optimize the prototypes by looking for a compromise between the weights' loss, the reliability, the budget and time before launching and respect the qualifications calendar. The leitmotiv is anyway: Losing weight!

The architects

Real laboratories, and at low-cost, the Mini 6,50 interest the renown architects and reveal some unknown ones… Therefore, it is not rare to discover units designed by their own skippers or to appreciate the work of regrouping sailors. We, of course, appreciate the work of architects practice as the duets Finot-Conq (that designed winners boats - 6,50 and 60 feet), Bouvet-Petit, Lucas-Raison, and of course Lombard, Dejeanty, Owen Clarke. There are as well the famous "mini sailors" personal designs as Pierre Rolland, Samuel Manuard and Sébastien Magnen. Considering the Series boats we can quote the remarquable Pierre Rolland’s Pogo 1, Finot-Conq's Pogo 2, Jean-Pierre Magnen’s Super calin, Manuard's Tip Top, Lombard’s Zero...

The mast...

The 6,50 are since for long time experimental boats. Therefore, the first carbon mast was launched on Yves Parlier’s' monohull, at the Mini Transat 6,50 1987. Since then those mast were forbidden. In 2005 they came back. This will be the greatest innovation of the 15th edition compared to the 2001 and 2003 The Charente-Maritime/BahiaTransat 6,50’s. Over sailed, lighter and lighter, faster and faster races machines, this mast gives boats real possibilities. Why? The carbon mast reduces the pitching movement and helps the boats to ride on sea. Therefore, 1kg less in the mast means 3kg less in the ballast located 2 meters below the floating line. Please note too the rigs quality that clearly improved, as well as exotic fibers used to fix the mast etc. The only problem is the price of all such innovations!

Appendices ...

Like anything in contact with water, you need to reduce the resistance of the boat is progress in the water by optimizing the quality of the elements in contact with it. In brief, work on the design of the appendices (keel, rudders, fins) is important and saves tenths of knots. A detail that becomes no longer one after several weeks of course! Also, some have worked with engineers in order to optimize the hydrodynamic boat profiles to have less resistance in water, a better comfort helm and a better reactivity of the boat. And if keels are swinging keels for many years on lots of prototypes, do you know that it is now possible to advance or retreat the keel longitudinally to improve the attitude of the boat upwind or downwind?

Manufacturing processes...

Weight gain is the actual leitmotiv and manufacturing processes are obviously highly monitored. If for series boats laminate - glass-polyester is the given reference to its mastery, ease of work and cost control it, is the carbon epoxy sandwich which is preferred for the construction of prototypes. It was a logical choice because the carbon has become, over the years, the panacea that offers rigidity, strength and lightness. Thus, carbon is now available in all forms from the mast to the hull, through the rudders, bulkheads as well as the drift, the bowsprit, boom ... The goal is obviously to provide the lightest hull with a weight maximum possible weight efficient concentrated in the bulb of the keel.