The Boat

A Transat 650 yacht is a 21-foot sailing boat, purpose-built for a downwind speed-run over the Atlantic. Hover over the illustration below for more information.

In the spirit of the very first Transat 650, the boats have been created to be a cost-effective alternative to the big ocean-racing classes.

Today there are two classes competing in the ‘Classe Mini’: A selection of approved ‘Series’ designs and a more extreme ‘Prototype’ class. The latter has become a designer’s playground for the big racing yachts like the Open60s or the Volvo70s.

This means that most of sailing’s greatest developments have first been tested “small-scale” during the Transat 650. To this day the class continues to push the boundaries of technology with innovations like ultra-light carbon fibre constructions or wing-masts.

Whilst designed for the Transat 650, Minis have also become one of the most active offshore classes: Over 7800 nautical miles worth of double-handed and crewed races are organised regularly by the French Classe Mini in France, England, Spain and Italy.

Illustration of a Mini

  • Sails

    Mini Transat boats are allowed to carry a maximum of 8 sails, tailored to a range of different conditions. This usually includes a mainsail, reefable jib, trysail, stormsail, a code zero and three spinnakers.

  • Daggerboards

    As the keel is angled to windward two asymmetric daggerboards are needed to prevent the boat from drifting sideways. Only one will be used at a time while the other one is pulled out of the water.

  • Cabin & Cockpit

    The cabin of a Mini is only about 4m² big, which is why most of the time is spent in the cockpit.
    All sails, food and gear are stacked down below, making a small space even smaller.
    Most skippers only use the cabin to sleep in, to prepare food and navigate.

  • Rudders

    As a Mini is extremely wide, it needs two rudders to retain steerage. One ruder regularly comes out of the water.
    Minis are equipped with a very capable auto pilot to steer the boat while the skipper is sleeping or changing sails.

  • Keel

    A lead bulb at the bottom of the keel keeps the boat upright. In a mini the bulb contains almost half the weight of the boat, making them very stable. Often the prototypes have a pendulum keel allowing them to further shift it to windward to balance the boat.

  • Statistics

    These statistics come from a typical prototype that competed in the 2007 Mini Transat:
    Length: 6.5m
    Width: 3m
    Draft: 2m
    Waterballast: 371kg
    Displacement: 672kg
    Keel: Lead
    Hull: Carbon Epoxy
    Mainsail: 28m²
    Solent: 17m²
    Spinnaker: Up to 90m²

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