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NZ designed Mini 650 kitset and South pacific Mini circuit.


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FYI

 

From Scuttlebutt Europe #1918 - 11 September

 

Production Boats: In The Line Of Sight!

There will be 49 series boats to leave for The Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6,50 on Sunday. With forty-nine sailors from eleven different nationalities, which transatlantic can claim to be as international? If the majority are French of course - 30 - the Italians come second with six citizens. There are then two Spanish, two English, two Australians, two Germans and finally a Portuguese skipper, a New Zealander, one Swiss, a Dutchman and a South African ... and only two women among 47 men.

 

Question! What is the common point between the 2003, 2005 and 2007 The Charente-Maritime / Bahia Transat 6.50 production boat? Answer! In all three years a Pogo 2 was victorious. But now Pierre Rolland has arrived in the circuit with the D2, designed by himself. And suddenly, the horizon started to be vague for the Pogo 2.

 

For Pierre Rolland (D2 Maree Haute) is a serious business. Outstanding sailor, talented naval architect, he lines up for the fifth time. "My mini has positive aspects as I hoped. However, it is better than I thought in certain conditions and it has some weaknesses... That I will not reveal, of course."

 

Everyone has been noticing that D2 is fast in light wind. Very fast. Faster than his competitors but Pierre Rolland says: "There are 30 Pogo 2 to start and I'm alone. However, it is a big part of the success to win such a long race. You win it thanks to good options and choices. And this time, with 30 other, there will be many of them that will find a good path."

 

He could also be the one, but Pierre is no prognosis, and only says: "The favourite is the Portuguese Francisco Lobato. To prevail in a Transat, you need the sailor and the boat. And some involved in the race are sailors, but do not go fast. Others go faster, but are not sailors. Francisco is a sailor and he is fast. Moreover, he does not spend his whole time at the VHF. Except from bad luck or bad options, he will be very, very difficult to beat."

 

Production boats records: La Charente-Maritime - Funchal: 6 days 10 hours 18 minutes 08 seconds by Stephane Le Diraison in 2007

 

Funchal - Bahia:

19 days 14 hours 39 min. by Herve Piveteau in 2007

 

La Charente - Maritime / Bahia:

26 days 04 h 31 min 17 sec - race best - by Herve Piveteau in 2007.

 

www.transat650.org

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2 definite, 2 more @ 95%, Lots of activity, a number of people doing homework and looking at partnerships, 2 or 3 off sailing and uncontactable who have asked to be in.

 

So as of today lets say 2 definite, 2 more almost definite and probably another 4-5 still wanting to be in the game.

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the first finishers are in on leg 1 of the transat, the 1150 mile leg was completed in 6 days and 21 mins for the winning mini 754. The most incredible thing is that second on line was a series mini only 2hours behind. these are very impressive times for the leg that is about the same length as auckland to fiji or noumea, and an average speeds in the mid to high 7knot range for the leading boats, an the highest daily run was around 275miles not bad for 6.5mtrs

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With less than 200 to go for the front runners the first boats will be in overnight.

An interesting insight to the chin verses no chin debate is that whilst Thomas Ruyant with Fabre France got the sling shot out of the doldrums the chine boats have been catching him at a knot or so faster. Great day runs 260 - 270+ miles which is damb near a 10 hour coastal, not bad for solo and 6.5 mtrs

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From another forum:

 

Just a few words about Alessandro Di Benedetto.

 

In 2002 he crossed the atlantic ocean on a 20 ft. sport boat (actually, a beach cat), from Gran Canaria to Guadalupe (2700 n.m. on the orthodromic route).

 

In 2006, he thought he needed a bigger pond, to cross with his 20 footer, so he sailed from Yokohama to S. Francisco, non-stop and without assistance (4480 n.m. on the orthodrome).

 

Still, the world is too small for this guy, so he needed to do the whole circumnavigation, south of the 3 capes: certainly, non-stop and without assistance. A "Vendee Globe" with a 22’ “mega-yacht”. So he bought a mini 6.50 (n. 165, a Rolland proto launched in 1997) and modified it in order to create room for the necessary provisions (10 months), and to increase floatability and stability, and to reduce the negative momentum of the capsized boat as well (he knows he is going to turn upside-down several times) and strengthened the hull with some kevlar.

 

The goal is to complete the route in less than 6 months: since he couldn’t compete with Desjoyeaux’s Foncia, his target are Alain Maignan (he performed his private "Vendee Globe" with a Jeanneau Sun Rise in 185 days) and, of course, RKJ, who sailed the route with the 32’ Swahili (look, such a large a boat for one man only ...).

 

He started from Les Sables d’Olonne on Monday, 10/26.

 

What’s next?

 

Site: http://www.alessandrodibenedetto.net

 

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alessandro ... etto/show/

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Hi there. :D

 

A very interesting read.

 

What is the latest update on this class?

 

I have read all 24 pages of this excellent thread and it seems that all the passion and verve of this "uba" class has died to just a couple of blokes and 2-3 boats. It also appears that most people were all just "hot air".

 

Is there a web site i can visit for the local class?

 

Also it appears, reading through this thread, that the controversial "creative suffering" (and did they suffer!) may have been very accurate in his rather controversial comments (3 boats in 12 months & cheaper options) on page 5. And the instigator of the thread was never really interested along with many others.

 

Why is it that kiwi sailors struggle to get classes / fleets beyound 5 -10 boats?

 

We kiwi sailors can learn a lot from the actions that resulted from all the comment in this thread.

 

have a great day.

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