Another round bow! The "sharp ends" probably have a lot to worry about... Etienne Bertrand, the architect well known in the Mini world for having made several Proto before designing the Ofcet 6.50, has just announced the launch of a new Mini of series: the Vector 6.5.
The round bows are popular since the IDBmarine shipyard has already announced in September the launch of the Maxi 6.50, a standard Mini based on David Raison's design ( see our article on Maxi 6.50 ). For his part, Etienne Bertrand had already launched (but without advertising) his Vector 6.5 project on an order from the Yacht Service shipyard.
A construction site capable of large volumes
Yacht Service is a Polish shipyard known for its subcontracting in particular for X-Yacht, Brente, or the Eagle, a kind of 14-metre Dragon. This shipyard has put a foot in the Mini by building protos 894 and 931 which finished 5 e of the Mini 2017. But he realized that he was better suited to mass production than prototyping. Hence the order from Etienne Bertrand for a production Mini.
A scow for performance and comfort
As with the Ofcet 6.5, Etienne Bertrand considers that a production Mini must be competitive, but also comfortable to cruise with. Just like the Coco of the time. So for the design of the Vector 6.5, he worked on the idea of a scow (the big round bows), whose qualities are now validated: power, volume, road stability.
A construction in progress
The shipyard has started and the hull mould is now built. The will of the shipyard is to produce the best boat at the best price. Thus the Vector 6.5 will be built with the best materials available on the market. The rigging will be supplied by AG+, who has collaborated to optimize the geometry of the slotted rigging. It will be fitted with Harken fittings, with 2 possible positions for the mainsail track: either a circular track (which is favoured by the architect), or a conventional stern track.
The first boat will be launched in April 2018 and 3 copies have already been ordered (n°3 will be delivered in early June). This mini will be declared Mini of series for the next Mini 2019 (more than 10 specimens built).
An attractive price
The price is very competitive: 39,000 euros HT for a finished boat (rigged boat with deck fittings without sails or electronics). By way of comparison, the Ofcet 6.50 is available at 44,000 euros HT. The shipyard is working on commercial packs (Trailer pack + conformateur, Electricity pack with lead or lithium batteries, Pilot pack with NKE electronics).
