Arcipelago 650

The Tuscan archipelago as opening litmus test: 220 miles to launch the Mini 6.50 season

In late March, when the Mediterranean still wavers between winter and spring, it's off the Tuscan coast that the Mini 6.50s come seeking their first answers. The Arcipelago 650 returns from 26 to 29 March 2026 for a 220-nautical-mile loop through the islands of the Tuscan archipelago—a course where certainties melt away as quickly as gusts appear.

A spring classic that's become unmissable

Born in 2014 with a handful of pioneers, the Arcipelago 650 has patiently built its legitimacy. In 2024, 19 boats took the start. The race, long championed by Circolo della Vela Talamone, is now run by Yacht Club Livorno in collaboration with Classe Mini Italia.

Its position in the calendar is no accident. Wedged between the Mini Petrolera in Spain and Plastimo Lorient in France, it offers Mediterranean crews the chance to rack up qualifying miles without immediately heading back up to the Atlantic. A considerable logistical and financial advantage for programmes often built on tight budgets.

But it's above all the tactical complexity that has forged its reputation. Here, there's no long straight downwind leg: skippers navigate between islands, juggle permanent site effects, heavy shipping traffic, and weather conditions that can flip in a matter of hours.

A trap-laden course between Capraia and Giannutri

The 2026 route traces a technical loop from Livorno:

• Heading for Capraia to the north, where winds funnelled by the "finger of Corsica" accelerate and trap the unwary
• Descent to Giannutri in the southern archipelago, negotiating the wind shadows of Elba island
• Return leg to Livorno to complete the 220 miles

Previous editions tell the story of the terrain's versatility on their own. In 2025, competitors faced more than 25 knots and a steep sea right from the start—a "bolina dura" that triggered immediate natural selection. In 2017, the opposite occurred: the course was shortened from 165 to 140 miles due to insufficient wind to guarantee finishers within the time limit.

Late March in the Mediterranean is Ligurian roulette. Punishing flat calm or sudden gale spawned by a depression—crews must be capable of switching instantly from speed mode to survival mode.

Doublehanded format for knowledge transfer

The Arcipelago 650 is sailed doublehanded, a choice that shapes the fleet's dynamics. We regularly see asymmetric pairings: a Mini Transat veteran teamed with a co-skipper in the qualification phase, passing on experience in real conditions.

The fleet splits into two categories with opposing philosophies:

• Prototypes: floating carbon laboratories, canting keels, daggerboards—raw performance serving innovation
• Production: fibreglass production hulls, strictly identical—here, only tactics separate the crews

The forces in play

The 2025 results sketch the hierarchy to be upset.

In Prototype

Fabrizio Carboni, paired with Giacomo Nicchitta, won the previous edition on Otaquè. If he defends his title, he'll start as favourite. Alessandro Doria, second in 2025 on Base Camp, represents the most credible threat.

In Production

Davide Lusso and Matteo Bogliolo dominated their category on Viper, demonstrating remarkable mastery of the beefy conditions. Their ability to reproduce this performance in potentially very different conditions will be closely watched.

The race also attracts international crews—French, Swiss—who've come to validate their qualifying miles away from the usual Atlantic courses.

The real stakes of this edition

The miles race

For many skippers, every mile counts. The 220 miles of the Arcipelago 650 feed directly into qualification dossiers for the Mini Transat. With a coefficient 1 in the Classe Mini world ranking, the event also allows crews to score valuable points at the start of the season. Not the kind of appointment you take lightly.

The test of partnerships

March is early. Many crews have only a few prep sails under their belt. The Arcipelago 650 serves as a revealer: are the automatisms in place? Does communication work under pressure? Answers come quickly when the Libeccio picks up between Elba and Capraia.

Environmental commitment

The Classe Mini continues its reflection on the environmental impact of racing. The 2026 edition is part of this approach, even if the concrete details remain to be specified.

Quick facts

• Dates: Thursday 26 March (start at 12:00) to Sunday 29 March 2026
• Start: Livorno, Tuscan coast
• Distance: 220 nautical miles (~407 km)
• Format: doublehanded
• Category: C (inshore/semi-offshore race), OSR Category 3
• Ranking: coefficient 1 for Classe Mini ranking, counting towards Italian Championship

Find the complete Mini 6.50 race calendar on spencer.club.