Finding a new use for an old Mini 6.50
Finding a second life for wrecks of pleasure boats is a major issue for the boating industry at the moment. When the boat hasn't even been finished, even more so... Skipper Gildas Mahé opted to reuse the hull of a Mini 6.50 in a slightly diverted manner. "I had this unfinished hull bought a long time ago. I thought it was a shame to make another wreck. I tried Armor Kite's boat last year and I liked it, because it's a bit of a mess! I wanted to try something new in my sport. So I started to modify the boat" explains the Figaro circuit regular.
A hull adapted for kitesurfing
Construction is nearing completion and testing will come quickly when the Figaro season allows it. "Armor Kite has cleared the field well. The 25 m² wing is bought from them. It's a bladed kite which is a compromise between safety and ease. We were able to save weight on the hull by lightening the structure because there is no keel, only V-shaped daggerboards. It remains a mini without porthole, with nothing inside. There is an escape hatch at the stern which also works when the boat is overturned, a watertight door, unsinkability. There's an interesting contribution from ocean racing in terms of safety" explains Gildas Mahé.
Discover the duo wing-ship before records
Entirely built with friends by the skipper, the craft remains a prototype. It doesn't fit into the administration's boxes. "When you apply for registration, it's difficult to answer questions about the mast. It's the same with the World Sailing rules with the obligation of a heading sail or the measurement of a halyard height in the Mini gauge," notes Gildas Mahé
The skipper is aiming for records with the dream of the Atlantic in his sights. "We're going to have to learn how to use the wing/boat duo. It's not an all-public boat for all sea conditions. It's a speed craft. Eventually, I'd like to try the Channel or Mediterranean records. And if a geo-finder solves the pilot's problem with wing management, allowing him to rest, I'd love to try the Atlantic record" he concludes. See you for the first trials!
