Mini Transat 6.50

50+ fleet of Mini Transat yachts making a pit stop at Lanzarote

When we arrived here in Arrecife (Marina Lanzarote) we knew the fleet of Mini Transat 6.50 were expected to the marina about the time we arrived (Oct 1st). Mini Transat is a bi-annual  one design race from Atlantic France to either Brazil or Caribbean making a pit stop at Madeira or the Canaries. The boats are 6.50 meters long, sailed solo, with strict rules allowing competition with realistic budgets to enter. Some say this is a mad race and over the years about ten sailors lives have been lost. Others claim this being the perfect recruiting opportunity for larger and more famous race events as VOR, Vendee Globe, etc. Among famous sailors who started their careers in Mini Transat 6.50 are Dame Ellen MacArthur and Bruno Peyron.
The 6.50 class is also a testbed for innovation in sailboat design. The boats, especially the “prototype class” is a really complex machinery. swing keel, twin rudders, dagger boards, ballast tanks and more halyards, sheet, trim lines you might imaging. Imagine managing this on your own…