Practical Boat Owner – June 2019

Pogo 6.50

1994

By the early 1990s the 21ft boats used for

the Mini Transat race from France to the

Caribbean had already developed into the

basic shape we know today, at least until

the very recent popularity of scow bow

designs. They are ultra-light monohulls,

with a massively wide beam of 45% of the

boat’s overall length, broad transoms, twin

rudders and towering rigs.

Thierry Dubois’s legendary Pierre Roland

designed one-off (Proto in Mini parlance)

Amnesty International was winner of the

1993 Mini Transat Race, covering the

2,650 mile leg from Madeira to St Martin in

just 15 days and four hours. This formed

the basis of what was to become the Pogo

6.50, a boat that packed amazing

capabilities into a small package and

quickly became one of the most popular

production models in the fl eet.

Displacement of less than 900kg gives a

phenomenal power to weight ratio – the

Pogo’s sail area/displacement ratio is

almost exactly double that of a J/24. As a

result, 12-14 knots of true wind is enough

to plane at speeds well into double

fi gures. And, unlike the IOR designs of

only two decades earlier, the broad

transom and twin rudders give enviable

control – it feels as though the boat is

running on rails.

Around 125 boats were built before the

design was succeeded in 2002 by the

Pogo 2, which is around 5% faster. Few of

the original Pogo model now race in the

Mini class, but they have relatively civilised

accommodation, albeit without standing

headroom or a separate heads, and make

a fun and capable fast cruiser.

LOA 6.50m 21ft 4in

LWL 6.50m 21ft 6in

Beam 2.97m 9ft 9in

Draught 1.6m 5ft 3in

Displacement 890kg 1,970lb

Price £10,000-£17,000

classemini.com

Pogo 6.50: designed as a pure

racer, now gaining popularity

as a capable fast cruiser

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RS400

1993

This Phil Morrison-designed two-person

15ft dinghy marked the start of a

revolution that saw RS Sailing steadily

grow to become one of the world’s largest

producers of sailing dinghies. Stand out

innovations included an asymmetric

spinnaker that’s large enough for stunning

performance without intimidating less

experienced sailors.

The open transom and raised fl oor

ensured the boat comes up dry from a

capsize. This was an important safety

benefi t missing from popular earlier

dinghy designs and maximised sailing

time on the windy days that allowed the

boat’s performance potential to be

enjoyed to the full. The foam sandwich

GRP construction proved stiff, resulting in

boats that remain competitive even as

they age.

This model was soon followed by the

slightly smaller RS200, then a whole slew

of designs aimed at different sectors of the

market, all of which have proved enduringly

popular. RS therefore quickly became a

major force in changing the scene at

dinghy sailing clubs around the country.

That effect is on-going – a measure of the

popularity of the company’s boats is last

year’s RS Games in Weymouth, which

saw close to 1,000 competitors, from

children to retirees, racing in multiple

classes over a period of several weeks.

LOA 4.52m 14ft 10in

Beam 2.0m 6ft 6in

Draught

(board down) 1.13m 3ft 8in

Hull weight 85kg 187lb

Mainsail 10.96m^2 118sq ft

Jib 3.93m^2 42.3sq ft

Spinnaker 1 3.94m^2 150ft^2

Price from £1,200

rssailing.com

RS 400’s open transom

means easy draining

after a capsize

Stunning performance

without being

intimidating is an

RS400 hallmark