Armare Ropes designed and supplied the entire rigging package for Matteo Sericano’s Mini 6.50 Proto Wevo. Let’s find out the technical details of the chosen solutions and products. Thanks to Matteo for the important feedback received and also to Marco Burello, Armare Ropes’ technical manager, who manage the refit project. The Mini Wevo 6.50 is a project by the Italian Cima Shipyard : a new generation boat designed for ocean solo sailing. It is an innovative boat thanks to the evolution of design materials, conceived with precision and respect for construction rules.
Halyards
For the construction of the halyards have chosen a cover in Black Technora® (i.e. a fiber very resistant to abrasion and with a remarkable grip) mixed with PET, for a clear differentiation of maneuvers, a characteristic that becomes fundamental during offshore racing, when skippers are subjected to stress and fatigue. Each halyard is been uncovered and then a protective Dyneema® cover has been applied on the maximum possible length allowing significant weight savings and greater sliding. As a finish the Dyneema® covers are treated with colored PU resin to further increase smoothness and differentiation. The halyards are made with a core in Dyneema® SK99 with the aim of minimizing diameters (i.e. 6mm); the high tenacity and modulus characteristics of this fiber allow obtaining a product with extreme performance, minimizing elongation under the continuous loads to which they are subjected.
The halyards are blocked with “Constrictor®” textile rope clutches by Ronstan (distributed exclusively for Italy by SpecialRig.com, a brand of Armare group). This particular rope clutch is characterized by a high workload and a low weight being made up of an aluminum base to which a Technora® cover (within which the rope passes) is fixed by means of a titanium cone. This type of cover has high characteristics of both grip and abrasion resistance; by pulling the control line and blocking it in the cleat integrated in the base, the cover gathers on itself thus allowing the rope to slide while leaving it the cover adheres perfectly to the halyard (aided by a return elastic) locking it.
Sheets
For the sheets we have adapted to Matteo’s needs, who required products suitable for use both by hand and by winches, thus combining the characteristics of a rope suitable for a “One design” boat of small dimensions, with resistance requirements typical of an offshore boat. For the jib sheets we have relied on the consolidated characteristics of the Kevlar® and Dyneema® cover with Dyneema® SK78 HPS core (i.e. heat pre-ironing treatment). For the sheets of the fore sails we have instead chosen a Custom Soft Braid; in this case the cover is made of Kevlar®, Dyneema® and PET, while the core has undergone a double resin treatment in order to increase its rigidity, to be more comfortable to the touch and functional on the winches. We also made custom aluminum T-Bones to connect the sheets with the Gennaker through an integrated loop. Finally we customized the final diameter of 8.5mm to achive a better ergonomics.
Bowsprit guys
We paid great attention to the design of the bowsprit guys, two of the maneuvers with the greatest load of the whole boat, which allow “transverse” adjustment. To minimize elongation we have chosen a core in Dyneema® SK99 while the cover is a mix of Black Technora® and Dyneema®, the latter indicated to increase fluidity during surges under load. In the parts subjected to the static load only, we have created a protection with a resin-coated cover. The spliced eyes have been made to furl the bowsprit section, thus increasing the work surface.
Bobstay
The bobstay consists of a 4:1 purchase. The first two takles are made of Supercable 99 (core in Dyneema® SK99 and cover in Black Dyneema®) spliced with Ronstan’s Ropeglide® Rings (distributed exclusively for Italy by SpecialRig.com). This is the most suitable solution in terms of lightness and load at the expense of a lower relative smoothness. Because smoothness is less important in situations of high static loads or with reduced adjustments. The choice of the Supercable was mandatory to reduce the premature wear of the lines and to increase the smoothness on the rings. The last tackle of the purchase go back to the cockpit and can be adjusted by the winch, allowing the “vertical” adjustment of the bowsprit. For this maneuver we chose a cover in Cordura and PET, to ensure optimal grip in the stopper-winch assembly, and a core in Dyneema® SK78 + HPS.
Running backstay purchase
This purchase is made of a first part for quick manual retrieval, while the intermediate tackle, which runs within a ring, is made of Supercable 99. The fine adjustment, with a total reduction of 24: 1, is allowed by an adjustment line in Dyneema® SK78 + HPS protected with a Kevlar® and Dyneema® cover.
3D directions jib regolation
The jib tack is regulated by a system of purchases that allows the positioning of the floating ring within which the sheet passes. To increase the smoothness of the rings we have chosen Supercable 99 and 78, while the various lines which return to the cockpit are made with Soft Braid 3 whose “grip” cover improves use both by hand and in the clutches.
Chi è Matteo Sericano
Matteo Sericano, born in Genoa in 1997, is a navigator and a student of philosophy. His sporting path and deep passion for the sea and sailing began at a very young age in the ranks of the Italian Yacht Club and progressively in the various inshore classes, up to 470, the Olympic class. In these years Matteo, in addition to his experience on dinghies, also completed his first miles in the open sea by taking part in the most famous regattas of the Italian offshore championship and racing with some of the best Italian professionals. These experiences are crucial in Matteo’s path; like a revelation they lead him towards the discovery of his true passion: solo ocean sailing the Course au Large. Sericano then begins to compete in the Mini 6.50 class and in 2018 he is the youngest Italian navigator to win a solo regatta and to become the Italian and Mediterranean champion in the Mini 6.50 class. In 2019 he participates in the Mini Transat Trans-Ocean Solo. In 2020 he wins the title of Italian Champion Mini 6.59 Proto Class.
Matteo Sericano official website link: http://www.matteosericano.com
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Copywriting: Marco Burello / Armare Ropes / Five Studio
Photo: Martina Orsini / Benedetta Pitscheider / Matteo Sericano