At 21.5 feet, the Mini 6.50 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.'
Harken part numbers link to Harken on-line store.
running backstay/checkstaystay
Two-part system: runner/checkstay combination controls mastbend and headstay tension
at two different points on the mast. The runner features 57 mm Black Magic® AirBlocks®,
while the checkstay uses a floating system of lightweight Micro blocks.
adjustable genoa lead cars
Recirculating Delrin® ball bearings allow genoa lead cars to easily adjust loaded sheets from
the safety of the cockpit. Low profile, lightweight Small Boat track and traveler car features
29 mm Carbo Ti-Lite control blocks to adjust tackle. A 40 mm Carbo Ti-Lite block on the car for
a fair lead.
6:1/24:1 mainsheet system
Features gross-trim/fine-tune system that sheets from the center of the cockpit.
Carbo blocks reduce weight by 30% and are 60% stronger. 57 mm Ti-Lite block attaches with
high-strength Spectra® line. Fore and aft/awthwartship configurations minimize twisting and
spread the load. The soft attachment always provides a fair lead.
Links:
Mini 6.50 Class: www.classemini.com/
U.S. Mini 6.50 Class: www.miniclassus.com/
Copyright© 2008 Harken, Inc. All rights reserved
If you would like to link to or reprint this article please contact Brownie Lewis
