Flying fever
Mini 6.50 rules on rigs do not create
You liked the way the last-generation Imoca 60s reduced sailing weight and gained power by relying on foils? You will love the new Mini 650s which now explore the field of flight. In France two teams (Arkema and
SEAir), both with different approaches and objectives, have begun to fly their pocket rockets. Other ‘pilotes’ and other designers have plans up their sleeves, some of which we may see before the start of the 2017 Mini Transat on 1 October in La Rochelle. It is still not always easy to fly for extended periods, especially in heavy seas under autopilot but, unlike their Imoca cousins which lift out a little at speed, our Minis are now taking off and flying well and truly clear of the water. For the first time ballasted oceanic monohulls have left the Archimedean state. Guillaume Verdier, in collaboration
with VPLP Design, designed the latest Imocas Safran II, Banque Populaire, Gitana, Saint Michel Virbac, Hugo Boss and No Way Back. None of these boats is
30 SEAHORSE
capable of flying, and this was not the aim of the foils. One reason, says the designer, is that the current one-design Imoca mast is not strong enough, and it would not survive the loads generated by a 60-footer supported entirely on its appendages. ‘We are not allowed to make a stronger
Imoca mast,’ Verdier continues, ‘so we design foils capable of carrying a fraction of the boat’s displacement, but not the total displacement. It would be too risky.’ If one modern Imoca 60 stands out,
it’s Hugo Boss, because Alex Thomson wanted something stronger than his rivals. Particularly with its narrower hull, Hugo Boss gave the impression of being lighter – in reality it is heavier than the other boats. And if it looks lighter when sailing it is because its foils create greater lift due to larger and flatter profiles. But this approach was not without risk.
‘Alex raced the Vendée keeping a close eye on the strain gauges on Hugo Boss’s rig, reflecting mast compression and dynamic changes in rig load,’ adds Guillaume.
limits of this sort, and consequently do not put any restraints on a tendency to full flight. Because the small size of these boats allows for more risk taking by the skippers, designers and builders (sometimes it is the same man who wears all three hats), because they can be built (we’re not exag- gerating) in one’s garden or garage, because this is a true open class rule, the Mini 6.50 has a fabulous history as a tech- nological laboratory for ocean racing. And one more big step was taken with a rule change after the last Mini Transat… Until 2015 boats could not exceed 3m
in width (including appendages). This con- straint proved very restrictive, even prohib- itive, for boats that were already paving the way towards foiling. The mini no888 of Swiss sailor Simon Koster, designed by Mer Forte (the
engineering firm of Michel
Desjoyeaux), carried under the hull inward-oriented L-shaped foils. ‘It worked OK when reaching in heavy air,’ says Koster. ‘The stern of the boat never took
FRED AUGENDRE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
