Mini Mini

Some of you may have heard of (or seen) the very fast Open 7.50, a high-tech OD designed by the Finot-Conq group (winners of the 4 last Vendée Globes, if that race rings a bell…). To keep things simple, let's just say that this series has a huge success among the speed enthusiasts - most of the ORMA trimaran skippers sail the Open 7.50 in events such as the Spi Ouest France (a bit like your Key West week, with ODs and handicap series, and generally 500 boats lined up).

Well, another class is starting to get a lot of attention these days: the Open 6.50 (7.50 follow-up, yes, you guessed right), all-carbon mini racer launched at the end of 2003, is now developping a real calendar of 10 regattas, and proves to be a total hit when it comes to thrills. The planing hull of the 650 bears two rudders in typical Open 60 style - of course, y'all have noticed that this day-boat ressembled the Vendée monohulls a lot in terms of hull shapes. But if you allow this little digression, the 6.50 is called "Open" despite the fact that it's a strict one-design. The name is only there to remind you of the bigger boats, I guess. Well so much for that.

Speaking of construction, the 6.50 boasts an original feature, since the hull and its internal structure are oven cured (120°C) all at the same time : this one-shot process allows for a better stifness without any extra weight. In terms of appendages, the fixed keel (all carbon fin) carries a 185-kilo bulb, for a draft of 2 metres (can be lifted up for transport purposes). The rotating mast is in carbon too, made by Stabmast, a company run by Cristophe Auguin - who, if I may point this out, won the 1997 Vendée and the BOC Challenge twice.

Aboard, four persons can take place but under 20 knots of wind, a crew of three is better. Very lively, the 6.50 is a pleasure at the helm, and as Jean-Marie Finot pointed out, a step towards his old dream : "planing even if sailing upwind". With its big gennaker up (44 square metres at the end of a 2.4 metres bowsprit), the thing reached 16 knots in 13 knots of wind on the day I was aboard - very pleasant day thank you. Beam reaching, the Open 6.50 is very powerful yet you steer it with 2 fingers on the tiller. A beefed-up dinghy, extremely well built (the bare carbon just looks great, no paint needed). - Jocelyn Bleriot, courseaularge.com

More info on the www.open650.com website and also www.finot.com

3/9/05