Did you know? #7: Boat numbers
Once built, each mini 6.50 gets assigned a unique boat number by Classe Mini which will stay with the boat for its whole “boat life”.
This has not always been the case. Up until about 1995 the boat numbers were reassigned on every Mini Transat.
Currently the latest boat number for a newly built boat is the 864 for a RG6.50 series boat. You can look those up for all registered boats here.
The boat number has to be carried on the hull (the bow), the mainsail and the solent (all the places marked with XXX on the image).
Having boat numbers on the hull is common in offshore classes (like the minis, class 40, open 60, mod 70, etc.) so that the boats can be easily identified by planes or helicopters. That’s why the boat number also has to be painted on the deck.
My boat number is the 732, in a fresh design for 2014:
Did you know? #6: How to avoid your Code0 from unfurling
Nowadays all Minis have the more or less the same sail wardrobe which contains one Code Zero (historically called Gennaker “Genak” by the french) which is used for going upwind in light winds and for reaching.
The rule of thumb for the Code 0 (a FR0 if for the experts) is that it should have roughly the same size as the main sail, so about 30sqm and it is being used on a furler.
One problem of furling sails though is that they tend to unfurl themselves when being set because there are no sheets wrapped around it.
The mini sailors have a simple trick for that: Velcro tape
The sailmaker sews 2-3 stripes around the clew: one side vertically, horizontally on the other.
Now when the sail is being furled it is sticks to itself which is holds up surprisingly well: even in choppy conditions going upwind the sail does not unfurl itself.
To unfurl it you simply pull the sheet and the velcro will give way.
Did you know? #5: A list of all Minis
At www.histoiredeshalfs.com you can find a beautifully maintained list of all minis ever built. Most boats are even listed with photos and races/skippers the boat participated in including the results.
You can find my mini (still with the old design of the hull) here.
Besides the Minis the site also features list of Figaro 1s and 2s, Class 40s, Open 60s and many more.
Did you know? #4: german mini transat participants
Since the start of the mini transat race (and its predecessor the “poor man’s race”) only 11 germans participated in the mini transat out of which only 9 finished the race.
Jörg Riechers (2009 dnf,2011 5th) and Henrik Masekowitz (2007 22nd, 2013 boat lost) both started twice and finished only once. Both had to abandon the races because of keel problems.
The best german result to date was Jörg Riechers’ 5th place in 2009 with his proto 753 mare.de.