mini transat yacht

Vector 6.5 Mini Racer

• October 5th, 2022

Upon seeing the apparently brand new boat, I immediately took out my cell phone and called a number: “Could this be your new boat?”, I asked the guy at the other end. “Yepp, she is it!”, confirmed the voice of a young man. If I´d see it to make an article, I went on asking. No problem, assured the man and a day later – sunny sky with dramatic autumn clouds – we met in person. The guy is Hendrick Decker, a tall, blond, energetic, always brightly smiling young lad – the prototype of a surfer´s guys, I shall say.

His new boat: A Vector Mini 6.50 racer. Brand new, freshly imported from the yard and parked at the marina , by chance, right next to GEKKO. I was there to fix her on the trailer to make her transport-ready for getting her ack to our yard for completing the last tasks before finally handing her over to her new owners. How lucky am I, have I thought, having this brand new racing boat right next to me. Happy that Hendrick found some time to show me around, I was keen on inspecting how a Classe Mini 6.50 racing boat arrives when newly built.

The Scow-bowed Mini racer

The Vector 6.5 is the latest generation series production Classe Mini 6.50 racer. The boat has been designed by Frenchman Etienne Bertrand in 2017, entering that year´s edition of the Mini Transat race as a prototype, finishing off at an impressive second place. The boat displays latest downwind running optimized hull with an impressive scow bow.

Hendrick smiles brightly as he places a half-emptied bottle of Coce on the trailer: “Yesterday´s regatta celebration went a bit off …”, he smiled half excusatory: “45 knots of wind and a 3 meter wave, it was fun.” Hendrick is a thoroughbred racer. Sailing since he was a small kid, his father´s big cruising boat in a yard´s shed just a few hundred meters away. Hendrick sails races since ever, his old boat, PLAYGIRL, being a used Vector Mini racer, sold months ago: “I am happy to having finally received the new boat”, he reveals: PLAYGIRL 2 is about to be re-located to a shed he rented nearby for finishing.

As a Class Mini boat, the box rule of the class dictate measurements and appearance: At 21 feet length the boat must have a minimum freeboard of .75 centimeters and a maximum draft of 2 meters. The rule also dictates, that the mast could not be taller than 12 meters.

Deep down, still strapped to the improvised trailer, lies the keel. That’s a solid piece of metal: Cast iron fin and a lead T-bulb. Hendrick smiles as I touch the keel: “I am wondering of switching from series boat to prototype”, Hendrick says: “There´s much more possible on these boats, like a canting keel for example.”

Improvements for planning

Nevertheless, even with “only” a series production boat, his new vector 6.5 Mini has some nice improvements over his past boat . He shows a little but interesting detail: The trailing edges of his rudder blades still not “tuned” (like I did on my own boat , he points to a small fin.

This is new, for example, in this latest version. When planning, it´s the front side of the rudder blade right here where it cuts into the water, where a small wave is created. This wave constantly grabs a firm hold onto the boat´s stern, thus creating some drag that costs speed.

The designer of this boat came up with a small horizontal insert that kind of separates the wet downside of the blades from the stern and is meant to divert the water coming up from the blade to shoot away aft. I find this detail is a great example of what we are talking about here: A serious racing machine meant to wind races. In total, what might be the real net gain of having those small “breaker fins” versus not having them? A hundredth of a knot? But it is the sum of all improvements, every gram spared, every bit of drag reduced, tat makes the difference over hundreds of miles sailed – and hence, the win. Or the loss.

A little big boat

Hendrik climbs on the trailer and into the boat´s cockpit, I follow. The boat is a “Mini” in the closest sense of the word indeed. Six and a half meters is pretty short. Nevertheless, the cockpit itself does not feel all too small, I shall say.

With a width of three meters the Mini is half a meter wider than my old First 27 SE which had a beam of 2.54 m. Even her cockpit felt nice and roomy. I look to the bow and contemplate the enormous area the boat´s deck covers: Since it is a scow bow-boat, it bears much more volume than, let´s say a comparable J-Boat that is much thinner.

In essence, the Classe Mini-boats is a pure downwind-optimized class. These racing machines are meant to easily take off and start planning mode very early. Upwind sailing capabilities, Hendrik confirms this, are “pretty adventurous”, as he names it. I shall say, these boats are made for reaching points of sail and those alone. Like a giant surf board made to glide above the water.

The hull including mast, standing and running rigging, is around 50.000 Euros ex VAT. This is a surprisingly low price, I wonder, since the boat is made with infusion technology and 3D core foam. High tech materials and production methods. Yet, Hendrik needs at least the same budget again to be spent on sails, deck gear and financing his Mini Transat campaign: “I work hard for coming up with all the money, but a sponsor taking on at least a part, naturally, would be great of course!”

Totally costumizeble

And such a future sponsor will get a pretty darn good skipper: Hendrik is a keen regatta sailor and – at least for the Baltic Sea, there is seldom a race he misses. “We will see”, he says and shoots out a winning smile: “There´s plenty of time. I am going to customize the boat to my needs over winter. For that, I´ve rented a shed where the boat will be transferred to.” Hendrik places himself on the port side at the helm.

The Vector 6.5 can be bought ”naked”. Skilled boat builders and sailors like Hendrik can now decide where to put the winches, where to put the cleats and all gear. In this, the boat can be tailor-fit to the needs of the skipper´s very own body. Again, how much time can be saved by a winch that does not require to change seating position when working on the lever? A thousandth of a second? Yet, how many times over does a skipper have to fine trim the sails … multiplied by the thousands of miles in a Mini Transat race. A lot of gain.

The boat will receive a central winch on the dodger and two Genoa-winches on the coaming. The mainsheet traveler has already been mounted by the yard, but according to the wishes of Hendrik. “On the old boat the traveler was positioned right in front of the entryway down, which was always a hustle having to go around the mainsheet when working the piano, now it´s much better.” Again, these subtle changes adding to the formula of winning a race or not.

Series boat versus prototype

“Still, a prototype would be even cooler”, he says. Why?, I ask: Just having a carbon made boat won´t make so much difference, or will it? “Well, just being admitted into the starting field with a series boat is a gamble. There are much more applicants than places. With a prototype, your starting place is almost safe”, Hendrik says. Secondly, he explains, the carbon-made Mini 6.5 is much light which directly translates into speed.

“Plus”, he says with a glow in his eyes, you can play around with many much, much cooler things: “Like you get a taller mast, ergo more sails area. Like the canting keel, which give you more power on the tougher points of sails. Or just take the whole topic of foils: This is something I would find absolutely amazing to have a foiling Mini!” He opens the entry to the boat´s interior and invites me to check it out.

Welcome to the inside

The Vector 6.5 comes with a slightly overhang dodger that also has a mini-wave breaker. “This is also new in regard to the former version. I hope that the amount of spray water in foul weather is at least reduced”, he smiles: I know very well by myself how nasty even the tiny Baltic Sea can get at times …

My first look into the inners of the Vector 6.5 is accompanied by a “Wooow!” The boat is just huge! And here I can clearly see what the huge deck area promised: The volume created inside is just amazing. The “saloon”, if one could call it this way, is even bigger than the counterpart on my old First 27 SE. The nice yellow-ish light that shines through the 3D-foam core creates a wonderful atmosphere. No need for any Top Coat-paint.

The Vector 6.5 has three watertight foam-filled chambers which, if the boat flips, gets struck by a reef or has a leak . “It shall swim safely on the water even when filled to the brim by the Ocean.”, he smiles. I love the forward compartment of the boat, directly in the bow: The scow-bow allows for huge volume underneath – I´d say any King-size bed in hotel rooms could hardly be offering more area.

Hendrik shows some of the parts he bought: “I decided to get me some cool stuff, like those constrictor-clutches. They are not only cool looking but also much more kind to the material.” Hi plan is to relocate the boat in the coming weeks to start working over winter: Having her clear and ready to begin his regatta-season in 2023 on spot.

Hendrik´s fundraising campaign

“Still a long way to go”, say Hendrik who is well aware of the current situation: With a looming recession and news of crisis everywhere, inflation like a bad vortex beginning to pull more and more companies in, raising a budget to support his way to the Mini Transat gets even harder. “But I am confident that I can come up with a solution here.” He smiles. There´s no turning back, the boat is bought and for Hendrik it´s not if but how he will hoist his sails next year.

This cool young dedicated man! We say Goodbye and whilst we shake hands Hendrik promises me to take me with him in his brand new PLAYGIRL 2 when ready to sail next spring. Hoping that he will find a way to raise the budget needed to support his dreams of competing at Mini Transat, we part. I drive away and see him climbing onto his boat again in my driving mirror: Surely, he is going to work for an hour or two on his boat to fit some parts. How cool must it be to be young again, I think to myself, and being so close to make a dream come true !

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Conclusions from the Mini Transat

• 22 November 2021

A record number of entries, a staggered re-start on the first stage, a volcanic eruption in the Canaries, unprecedented comebacks, unsettled trade winds, yes each  Mini Transat  is unique, but  this 2021 edition will long be remembered  for a whole gamut of reasons. It also was a great race won conclusively by  Pierre Le Roy  in the prototype division and  Hugo Dhallenne  in the series. Tip & Shaft takes stock of the sport and the technical stuff on this 23rd Mini.

Some 28 years after his first Mini, Wednesday’s finish of Pierre Meilhat, father of Paul and one of the 15 returning racers of field of 90 marked the final finish of this Mini Transat EuroChef 2021. After leaving Les Sables d’Olonne on September 27, the race saw  84 of the 90 competitors have their dreams come true . This Mini Transat followed the general trend of the 2021 season, with  a very low number of retirements : three in series and three in prototypes to be precise.

The weather was particularly good between Santa Cruz de la Palma and Saint-François, Guadeloupe on a second stage that race director Denis Hugues describes as  “more tactical than physical” . The stop in Galicia by the great majority of the competitors during the first stage to dodge a strong gale also had a big positive effect on the reliability of the fleet. Even if this stop caused a little controversy ( read our article ),  the unprecedented 24-hour for repairs  granted by the jury to a large part of the fleet “did not ultimately upset the sporting ethos of this edition,” confirms Jean Lorre, president of the Mini 6.50 class. “The whole Mini family is back together in Guadeloupe and any  bad memories of this stage are behind us .”

Without the redress  Melwin Fink , one of the few competitors who did not stop during the first stage, would have put his name on the race history in series race but he finished 18 hours and 19 minutes behind Hugo Dhallenne, overall winner. The young German, 22nd in the second stage at Saint-François, finally finished 3rd overall.

Risk required

This second stage revealed  some unexpected names  (Loïc Blin, 3rd in series, Arnaud Biston, 6th on his old Manuard 2005 design) but also saw the hopes of many fancied competitors dashed.  Those who played the direct rhumb line course paid a price . Were these routings written in the road-books of the routers? “We knew that the trade winds were very disturbed but this is not the first time that the South has paid,” explains Christian Dumard, weather advisor for the organization. “All the pre-start routings took them down to between 12 and 14 degrees of latitude, some even up at 10 degrees. After that, you had to have the courage of your convictions to go there.” This option, which paid off, in fact  lengthened the course considerably : Pierre Le Roy, the big winner in the prototype, thus covered 3,280 miles while the rhumb line was measured at only 2,500!

Some who found themselves stuck in the north and dropping on the standings bailed out of the situation in time, like Léo Debiesse who saved his 6th place in the series on the leg to Saint-François (4th overall).  The best readjustment south obviously goes to Hugo Dhallenne  who crossed the entire fleet after 7 days of racing to go sout. After being 27th during the first days, he won into Guadeloupe with impressive speed.

“He made his gains after a big mistake at the start, but when he understood his mistake, he was able to rectify it and get back into it, and it paid.  It’s strong, it’s the good racers who know how to do that” , confided the router Jean-Yves Bernot in Tip & Shaft # 290. “Usually in the Mini, you play on your making gybe.  Hugo had the audacity and the talent to readjust . The scows make it possible to do that more easily, even if, obviously, all the boats were very close”, analysis David Raison, the designer of the Maxi 650.

Double successes for the Raison designs

The victory of Hugo Dhallenne who dominated the pre-season in the series fleet (and finished second in the first stage) is also  a win for the Maxi 650 , a first for the IDB Marine yard. With a Maxi650, a Vector650 (Alberto Riva) and a Pogo3 (Melwin Fink) on the series podium,  the constructors’ game was very close . “In 2019, Ambrogio Beccaria had the edge by driving the boat fast in the breeze. This year, everyone could keep up with the pace and we can see that the boats are very close”, confirms Erwan Tymen, technical manager of the Structures shipyard, builder of the Pogo.

The Maxi 650’s production series victory comes on top of TeamWork’s  proto win , the last of the Maximums to be built last year. After 2017 and 2019 (865 sailed by Ian Lipinski then François Jambou),  this is the third time that the Raison design has won . This is an unprecedented treble in the history of the Mini, “one for the the most versatile and always well-run scow”, notes Etienne Bertrand, designer of the Vector (series).

Pierre Le Roy’s unchallenged victory also sounds like that of  commitment and preparation , as his runner-up Fabio Muzzolini explained at the finish: “To win a Mini Transat, you first have to carry out a project and Hugo (Pierre?) Did it superbly well. He also managed his boat very well. For the anecdote, we are neighbors in Brittany. Every day during the preparation, I was therefore able to check what he was doing . I knew it wouldn’t be easy to beat him. ”

“The foiling boats are complicated to manage solo”

Big loser on this Mini Transat,  Tanguy Bouroullec , who won the first stage on his foiler designed by Guillaume Verdier and still finished third (in the stage and overall) in Saint-François, after two fourth places in 2017 and 2019. The medium conditions of this edition seemed favorable for his foiler. “I had a bad memory of the southern route from before and so I did not go down far enough. I had between 8 and 13 knots of wind the whole race.  It takes 15 knots to get foiling  and I pushed it as I could. My bowsprit broke twice,” the skipper told Tip & Shaft.

However,  is the future of foilers called into question in the Mini?  “Two handed in the pre-season, it’s very efficient but solo, it’s still very complicated to manage. You have to be able to go simply,” said Ambroggio Beccaria the winner of the Mini in 2019 and who has raced a lot with Tanguy. “ They will win one day, but on the scale of a Mini project this is the ascent by the North face . And then, the costs are difficult to justify” analyzes David Raison who was consulted for a foiler but declined.

On the other hand  Raison has already three orders for evolutions of the Maximum , currently under construction, and considers that two or three other serious projects could join them. Many series competitors once they reached their destination, expressed their aim to move to the prototype class. This augurs well for renewed vitality for series boats and confirms the good health of the Mini class.

Photo: Vincent Olivaud / Mini Transat EuroChef

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Mojito 6.50 on Test: Mini Transat Dominator Tweaked

Rupert holmes sails the mojito 6.50; an impressively fast pocket cruiser with a lot of interior volume..

The Mojito 6.50

When David Raison won the Mini Transat race in his radical scow-bow prototype TeamWork Evolution he demonstrated the potential speed and seaworthiness of this hull shape. At the same time, many sailors from a cruising background wondered what such a shape could do for accommodation volume.

The Mojito 6.50 is the answer – it’s a fast cruising boat based on a development of Raison’s original hull shape, tweaked to produce IDB Marine’s Maxi 650. This design took an impressive five of the top nine places in the series division of Mini Transat’s 2021 race .

The Mojito is a capable fast mini cruiser or weekender that’s easy to look after, while offering loads of fun and a lot more accommodation that other boats of its length. As well as the scow bow there are almost full length chines, vertical topsides and twin rudders. This is topped by a chunky, but not obtrusive or unsightly, coachroof that provides a lot more space inside than the original version and gives an almost all-round view of the outside world.

The deck layout has been deliberately simplified to make this an easy boat to sail, without miles of string. However, it still offers a large degree of efficiency compared to most cruising yachts.

The carbon rig of the original design is replaced by a more economic and practical Sparcraft aluminium spar, without a backstay. Similarly, the massive articulating bowsprit of a racing Mini has been replaced with a simple retractable carbon tube. This sits in a recessed groove on the foredeck and is typical of the many neat touches on this boat.

On the other hand it retains the race boat’s transom mounted mainsheet traveller and deck layout with three Carver Compact 45 winches, plus a hanked on slab reefing headsail. On our test boat this was supplied with a decent bag that allows the sail to the left on deck ready for use, just as easily as for a roller furling sail. It therefore doesn’t have to be removed and stowed below deck at the end of every trip.

A common drawback with smaller boats is that when sailing shorthanded you are limited to relatively low specification autopilots. However, in common with racing Minis, this boat has quadrants below deck that allows a top-notch system to be fitted.

A generous 3m beam means the cockpit has the feel of that of a much larger yacht, yet it’s an easy step up onto the side decks to go forward. Despite the large coachroof, these have plenty of width and the lower shrouds are taken to the cabin sides, so movement forward is unrestricted. There’s a decent toerail of around 1.5 inches height, very good moulded nonslip and coachroof handrails.

On the downside, our test boat was fitted with shorter 18 inch stanchions. While they are within regulation for both the RCD and racing on a boat of this size, I’d prefer to see full height 24 inch stanchions, which would give a greater feeling of security.

A big locker under the cockpit has space for fenders, warps, ground tackle and even a small dinghy . The hydraulic lifting keel has a 400kg bulb, giving shallow draught for cruising, with the ability to dry out using optional beaching legs.

The form stability of this boat is so great that the moment you step on board it has the feeling of a much larger yacht – unlike most 21 footers it doesn’t immediately lurch when you step on the side deck. However, the ease of pushing off the dock is a welcome reminder that this boat weighs only 1,200kg.

One of the delights of sailing a small boat, even one this powerful, is how easy everything is. We popped the mainsail up within the confines of the La Rochelle’s Port les Minimes marina and hoisted the masthead A2 spinnaker immediately outside the harbour entrance.

At this stage there was no more than 4-6 knots of wind, yet our boat speed on a broad reach was soon touching 5 knots, as the apparent windspeed built thanks to our own acceleration. Even in the many holes in the fitful offshore breeze we never stopped and acceleration in any gusts was brisk. This all but eliminated any concerns about the range of the Torqeedo Cruise 2.0 electric outboard on the transom.

As the afternoon wind started to fill in we were soon reaching off towards Ile de Ré at 6 to 7 knots. It was absolutely effortless sailing with the pilot steering and no worries about its ability to cope in gusts. This boat’s massive form stability means it does not respond to gusts in the way lesser vessels react. Heel only increases very marginally, the tiller remains light, and weather helm builds very, very slowly. Add to that a decent below deck pilot and you have a boat that’s very easy to sail without being physically tiring.

A continuing trend in the Mini class has been for the boom to get progressively lower. The same is also true of the foot and clew of spinnakers. This makes it difficult to see past the kite, and those accustomed to larger boats may find the boom in the way.

However, these are not intrinsic problems with this boat. A discussion with a sail maker could raise both the aft end of the boom (with a higher clew for the mainsail) and create a higher clued spinnaker that it’s easier to see underneath.

What about upwind speed? This is where smaller boats with their inevitably short waterline lengths often suffer. Beating in 6-8 knots of true wind we maintained 5.5 knots boatspeed, with flashes of 6 knots in the stronger puffs.

Of course, speed alone is only half the equation when sailing to windward – tacking angles are just as important. This is another area in which this boat scores highly – despite the light conditions we repeatedly tacked through 80 degrees. As a result we were faster up wind than several 1980s 36-38ft cruiser-racers.

It’s a shame that we were not able to test the boat in much stronger winds. However a couple of my colleagues from French sailing magazines had been out two days earlier in 25 knots, with stronger gusts. The boat was comfortable upwind with a reef in the main and the slab reef in the jib. Downwind with a kite up they notched up speeds well into the teens, again under good control.

Below decks is a very interesting open plan interior with a large properly rectangular double bunk forward. Overall, it’s a bright and appealing space with a folding two leaf table that will seat six and a basic galley around the keel box. The companionway is offset to port, which means those sitting around the starboard side of the saloon table aren’t in the way of anyone wanting to get in or out of the boat.

Unlike most boats of this size the saloon doesn’t feel claustrophobic with four people and there’s impressive stowage. The wide beam gives space for deep bins outside of the settees and the forward double berth that will easily swallow a dozen kit bags or sail bags.

There are also two generously proportioned quarter berths, meaning four people can be accommodated comfortably without using the saloon settees. Sitting headroom is ample, but for some the biggest downside is the lack of an enclosed heads compartment. Instead, a chemical toilet can be stowed behind the companionway steps and slid forward for use when necessary.

In many ways this is entirely in keeping with the builder’s plan to create a modern day Muscadet or Coco. These 21ft mini offshore yachts from the 1960s and 1980s respectively now have a cult-like following in France, while the former played a big part in the democratisation of sailing in the country as Eric Tabarly rose to fame.

This article first appeared in the July 2022 issue of Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting magazine .

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