J.M. Rieupeyrout photo
Class History
At 21.5 feet, the Mini 6.5 Meter is a supercharged small keelboat that is over canvassed, sports a mast almost twice its length, and has been clocked in excess of 20 knots. The active circuit culminates every two years in the Mini Transat, a solo 4,000-mile battle from France to Brazil. With 70-plus boats on the starting line, competitors range from professional to amateur. All compete for the personal challenge and to test mental limits. The Mini is a development class designed to a box rule. Proto (one off) boats feature carbon sandwich construction and canting/sliding keels and daggerboards. Production boats or 'Series' are simpler, featuring aluminum spars and fixed keels.
Boat Specifications
Length: 6.5 m (21.5 ft)
Beam: 3.0 m (10 ft)
Draft: 2.0 m (6.5 ft)
Rig Height: 14.0 m (46 ft) bottom of keel
Freeboard: 0.75 m. (2.4 ft)
Main boom: Can't project aft of transom
Ballast: Maximum 400 kg (882 lb) water or lead bulb: not more than 450 mm 17.7 in X 450 mm (17.7 8 in) in cross section