The Mini Transat or Open 6.50 is a modern and technical 21ft yacht, designed specifically for single handed offshore racing.
The 6.50 Transat began back in 1977 and has been held bi-annually since with interest, participation and coverage growing since. Each transatlantic race has been limited to 80 fiercely competitively challenged places.
The race began as a more affordable option to the up and coming offshore racer, but has progressed into what many professional sailors believe to be one of the most formidable and toughest races. And it has proven to be an excellent stepping stone for many of today’s elite racers.
Qualification involves completing in single and double handed offshore races and finishing a non-stop 1000 nautical mile set single handed passage. This leads up to the Transatlantic in September 2011, which is a 4300 nautical mile race and over 30 day at sea in two stages. Starting in La Rochelle, France down to the stop over at the Canary Islands off the West Spanish coast. From there following the trade winds to a waypoint of the Cape Verder island before crossing the famous doldrums before finishing in Salvador Brazil.
Personal Challenge
