Mini Ton yachts - Class Revival!
by Piers Stanbury 29 Apr 2010 11:06 BST
Following in the footsteps of the Quarter Ton Class - who have restored their classic IOR racing fleet back into one of the hottest racing fleets of the moment - now, the IOR Mini Tonners are hoping to emulate this success.
Owners of yachts around 20-24ft (6m-7.5m) that had a Mini Ton IOR rating of not higher than 16.5ft - or yachts that were designed / built prior to 1996, and are within in 'the Spirit of the Mini Ton rule' are invited to join in.
The class revival is a way to bring together the owners of these affordable and super-fun mainly 70’s and 80’s racing yachts and it aims to encourage sailors into a competitive class at an entry level.
The IOR Mini Tonner class of yachts included not only one-off racing yachts, but it also spawned many designs that have since become 'One-Design’ classes in their own right, or ‘Production’ Mini Tonners; such as the E-Boat, Limbo 6.6 and Hunter Sonata. Many of these designs have relatively short or lifting keels, and so they can be easily towed and kept on a road trailer, keeping the costs of ownership low.
Since it’s launch in November 2009, the Mini Ton Class has already attracted over 50 members from all around the UK, and it is growing by the day - which is very encouraging for the future. The class has an informative website www.minitonner.com, which includes an active forum for the members and anyone interested in the class to inquire and participate.
The class are keen to record it’s development and heritage throughout the 1970’s and 80’s and so would welcome contact from anyone who has any information, pictures or history about these yachts to get in contact.
The Mini Ton Class already has some great events lined up for 2010, such as invitations to compete at the Vice Admirals Cup, the East Coast IRC Championships, and ‘The Mini Ton Cup’ - the pinnacle event on the class’s calendar on 21st August which including optional racing under the ISCRC’s free rating system (as used in the ISC Round the Island race) for the Mini Ton Solent Trophy, should ensure the ingredients for a great event!
If you would like to be a part of this class or would like to know more, please get in touch via the website and Forum. These are great little yachts which can provide so much fun and offer a real ‘grass roots’ way into competitive yacht racing.