/ 
Etienne Bertrand is a naval architect who specialized in Mini design. After a few prototypes, some of which he participated in the Mini, he designed the Ofcet 6.50 in 2014, a production Mini. For 2018, he proposes a new standard Mini, the Vector 6.5 which is currently under construction. Contacted by Bateaux.com, he explains his vision on the design of scow type hulls.
Why did you design a round bow for the Vector 6.5?
Today it is certain, the future is in the round bows. This creates a much more stable boat. She's going fast and comfortable and she wets less than the pointed bows. It's a moderate boat, because the faster you go, the more logically it wets!
As an indication, the wetted surface becomes lower than that of an Ofcet from 14° of deposit, and the RM is 28% higher at 20°. The RM at 20° is similar to that of my proto 802
Heated, the hull remains on the axis, without any misalignment. This greatly reduces drag because everything is aligned. On boats with a pointed hull, there is always an angle of a few degrees to the heel.
Will the scow be the fastest?
It doesn't have to be, because while scows have higher speeds at certain speeds, they also have weak points. Especially in all VMG paces (upwind and downwind). In these paces, they don't do better than a pointed bow, but they don't do any worse either! The same goes for the light airs, which is not the strong point of the scow.
On the other hand, the round bows are much more comfortable and much more stable. This way you can speed serenely. And above all, you can hold these high speeds for longer with less strain on the skipper.
To be competitive, you need a very good quality of construction?
The Yacht Service shipyard that ordered the boat from me knows how to work cleanly at very competitive rates. They will use the best materials for the Vector 6.5. Thus the hull will be made of infusion laminated polyester glass with a lightened foam core. The deck and structure will be made of infusion laminated glass polyester sandwich with a SAN foam core.
And for the rigging and fittings, we've called on the best. The rigging comes from AG+, a slotted rig with boomerang spreaders. The fittings will be entirely Harken. I also worked with sailboats to refine the overall geometry of the rigging.
