6.50 Class
The Mini 6.50 is very short for its intended use and is beamy being nearly half as wide as it is long. Its width carries to the stern, allowing the craft to plane as a fast motorboat does. Minis typically sail as fast, potentially reaching 25 knots. They have two connected rudders and a narrow steel or iron fin keel with a lead bulb at the end. The mast height is typically twice the Mini's length. They also have a retractable bowsprit that extends a spinnaker-genoa "kite" two or more meters beyond the bow. Mini's must be self-righting when capsized, and this is proved by pushing the end of the mast under water with the vessel's hatches open.
There are two divisions: production and prototype. Production boats use approved designs and comparatively conservative materials . 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.
By far, the most successful mini design is the commercially produced Pogo 2 designed by Jean-Marie Finot of Groupe Finot (now Finot-Conq) in 1995. In 2010, California's Open Sailing USA began building the Pogo 2, under license, giving hope for substantial mini racing in the Western Hemisphere. Though considered "accessible" as an ocean racing class, a new Pogo 2 costs upwards of $50,000 (USD).
Read more about this topic: Mini Transat 6.50
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