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Leo Voornevelt : "it can bring the transat back to be the experimental class"

About the mini 650 change from alu to carbon masts

dimanche 16 décembre 2001 – Christophe Guigueno

In the french version of SeaSailSurf.com, you can read Sébastien Magnen, Pierre Rolland, Ollivier Bordeau and Denis Glehen’s answers about the possible change in the prototype division of the mini 650 class rules. This time, it is to Leo Voornevelt to answer to thoses question.

Leo followed the last Transat 650 Charente Maritime Bahia. As editor of the Unofficial Mini-Transat 650 site he well knows the mini world and especially the non french mini sailors.


1° Would you like to see carbon allowed in the Transat ?

Yes, in the proto class it can bring the transat back to be the experimental class for anything offshore. I know that the organisation is worried about costs and safety. Costs- keep the serie class cheap, let the proto class be expensive. Even a cheaper going good sailor will be listed high in the rankings. It is more then having the best boat. Before the start I made with a few MT sailors a possible top ten, 7th of them where ranked high, one dismasted and two were slower due to mental or technical lack of techniques.

They sailed in boats varying from the Magnen Nivelt to an older Roland. They only had one thing common, all where carbon boats. Safety- If a mast fails does then the skipper needs outside assistance ? Most of them will set up a juryrig and sail to a safe harbour. I have not the figures but i believe that in 1983 people needed outside assistance because of masts failling. But will they
fail that much ? Now you see a couple of Alu masts being sailed overboard. So alu is not the 100 % foolproof way to go to !!!

2° Which is the difference between Alu and Carbon ?
If you change from Alu to Carbon you can expect that the mast will be lighter, means more weight in the bulb or lighter boats. Now we do not know the kinetic effects of carbon on Mini T’s. But we see a lot of lightweight boats like the Melges racing with Carbon. And they do not break that much, even on longer deliveries. But they brake sometimes. Time will tell, so it is handy to make the decision as soon as one MT is finished so there is almost two years of testing. And with the stringent qualification now needed that must give the Classe enough material to decide to keep it allowed.

3° Can you make a carbon mast at home ?
Yes you can, i worked in a team that builded a composite airplane (commercial) in a shed you will not believe. But you must know what you do. Tempature and airmoist control, good laminators, good equipment and you must know some trick of the trades. I worked with some guys who did build carbon masts for small boats, the first efforts was that out of three mast one would brake. So it is more cost and time effective to order one from a decent builder with experience. Even I would go that way.

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