2006

One regata buoyant of energy, with 72 participants in the last edition of 2005 and 11 different nationalities. For already 30 years it comes being summoned every two years, having attracted the most adventurous spirits of all the countries of the world, and of all the ages. “To only confront the Atlantic for more than 4,000 miles in a rind of nut of 6.5 meters of length, it is always a good memory” commented Daniel Gilard, first winner of this regata transatlantic.

One is a race without attendance, in boats of only 6.5 meters and with unique scale in the Canary Islands. The first stage acts as selective filter of participants, since when arriving at Lime Port in Lanzarote, some solitaires in worse physical, moral or technical form, can resign and return to their houses without deshonor or shame.

Any person can participate. It is a fascinating class in which to man and women of all the ages participate, from the 20 years of Hugo Ramon, to the 60 years of Bernad Morin. Of all the English, Irish, Swiss, Spanish and Italian mainly French nationalities although, Austrian, of Singapore, of Slovenia. There are them dream about winning, but other many simply feel satisfied with being able to participate, and to live the adventure on their life. For, a challenge, for others, the opportunity to take good palmarés. The possibility of enjoying surfs to 15 knots alone, of embelesar themselves with shining nights starred in half of the anything, of confronting formed seas, and of falling in the calm of the intertropical zone.

 
Transat 6.50 already has become a step forced for all the talents of regata on the high seas. In order to obtain estatus like regatista of height, Transat 6.50 has become an almost necessary phase, through that they have passed sailors as important as Ellen MacArthur, Michel Desjoyeaux, Isabelle Autissier, Sébastien Josse, Catherine Chabaud, Anne Liardet, Karen Leibovici, Yves Parlier, Jean-Light Van Den Heede, Thierry Dubois, Loïck and Bruno Peyron, Yvan ET Laurent Bourgnon, Patrice Carpentier, Thomas Coville, Jacques Caraës, Lionel Lemonchois, Light Bartissol, Halvard Mabire, Lionel Péan, Didier Munduteguy, Benoît Parnaudeau, Marc Thiercelin. 

Transat 6.50 offers two lists in which to be able to participate, for boats of series like `the Coco', or `super calin' or famous `Pogo', or for prototypes where `the technological advances cook' that years later we will be able to see in the VOR and great lengths like the sailboats of Vendée Globe, and other transoceanic races. Marc Lombard naval designer comments: “All the great curricula begin by a Transat 6.50 is like sailor or naval designer. As they are small boats, the budget also is it, which allows certain degree of madness in the design and the work putting. In this regata the carbon masts, the adjustable booms, the double rudders, the pendular keels, the riggings with shrouds in kevlar, the asymmetric lateral drifts were released. Advances that nowadays have become indispensable elements in the great monsters of 70 VOR or Vendée Globe 60 feet, that need benefits in fitted and speed with lifting winds or of the traverse. What better research laboratory in which to try the innovations and new ideas, that one regata with great reputation and boats of 6.50 with low costs”

Transat 6.50 takes as much warlike surface as a sailboat of cruise of series of a length of 12 meters, but instead of weighing approximately the 8 tons of these, it only moves about 1,000 kilos. Imagínese the sensations!

With 50 m2 in fitted and more than 100 m2 with lifting winds. Powerful candles for more and more light helmets. The weight is concentrated mainly in the bulb and the flat antidrifts improve. They increase the surface of candles, and the wet surfaces are reduced, everything a challenge for the speed. “To create a boat for Transat 6.50 it is like passing the examination of “selectivity” of a naval designer. A naval architect who only concentrates itself in great the 60 feet, would remain with many things to know, would be an incomplete designer”

The meteo throughout the route of 4,250 miles is varied. The trip demands much more that the search of the alíseos. During the first stage, the Bay of Biscay is crossed, always a challenge that can produce the worse nightmares if the time does not accompany.

When the South West blows hard, evil subject!  But soon Finisterre comes and the impressive Stake from Bars, in `coast gives morte'. In its marine bottoms, the continental plateau repair quickly until almost the surface and therefore is not rare to have to sail more in exciting seas of `', while you observe the navigation of great `parade' of freighters or as it kills the always present fishing fleet in the zone.

From the Fisterra end they appear the lifting winds that they will take to us until the Canary Islands. It is necessary to avoid to nail the prow in the waves and to take care of the material since they lack many miles to do. The alíseos of the Northeast throughout the Moroccan coasts will take until first of the islands of the Canary archipelago; Lanzarote can give the welcome us with an insane and sometimes unpredictable wind. 

Course to the Cape Verde Islands way of the Equator we will let ourselves take by the Alíseos that can blow with force 6. Around the Senegal and to 500 kilometers of its coasts we will find Cabo Green, and soon course to the full Dolldrums of stormy clouds, and where the wind usually is erratic, of any part or simply not to make formal appearance. This zone of transition between the alíseos of the North hemisphere and those of the South hemisphere is a true wind chaos. In this band of some tens of miles of well-known width like the Zone of Convergencia Intertropical (ITCZ), it is possible to find all type of meteorological situations, from the most exasperating calm to a tropical storm with authentic water showers raining and revolving winds of 40 knots.

To pass the ITCZ with good rate can mark to the difference between the victory or the defeat. Soon the alíseos come from the South-east that become stabilized and fortify at the most we move towards the Southwest. After crossing the Equator, we must make the South until reaching the coasts of Brazil in which winds can surprise us cruzados, sand banks of very little openwork, innumerable boats of task without no type of signaling and finally the arrival to the bay of all the saints in Salvador.