A knock, a tear - the test drive is over. What a bummer. The foreship man quietly collects the sad remains of the gennaker that has just spread across Kiel's outer fjord.
A real shame. Even if you should stop when it's at its best, it doesn't have to be like this. Especially not when not all the measurements have been taken ...
And this little glowing thing is fun, that much is clear. Developer and importer Dariusz Konopczak has made a real stroke of luck with the Mantra Six, an affordable boat at the cutting edge of technology. Chinese, lifting keel, gennaker pole, backstay-less rig, maximum width in the back - the Six has everything that is in vogue for sports boats. If you look closely, you will discover Melges 20 and the French Open 5.70, even if the yacht, which is conventionally laminated in Poland, is not comparable with the carbon fibre backware in terms of performance. But it doesn't have to be. Because this much can be said in advance: Not only the (optional) colour of the test boat is hot, but also the purchase price. The sailing fun starts at 19,000 euros, gennaker included. One.
It's bad luck that this doesn't last long during the test run, but it doesn't sadden Konopczak for a minute. The former star boat sailor steers the smallest boat in the Mantra fleet carefully and with a light hand through the choppy fjord, always with one hand on the mainsheet. And a grin on his face. There is a reason for this, because the word "hull speed" is only a relative term for the 600-kilogram Six in five-strong winds. An orientation marker. The GPS constantly shows more, even on upwind courses.
Six metres of sporty, agile keelboat for less than 20,000 euros - the Mantra Six is a really convincing offer. In addition to the obvious advantages under sail, there are details that only become apparent at second glance: For example, the small lifting keeler is built very carefully and with high-quality materials, in the same halls where renowned Danish yachts are built.
Due to its slightly higher weight compared to the competition, the Mantra Six is certainly not the insider tip for regatta silver, but it is an excellent companion for fun after-work outings, tough sailing school use or use as a club boat. One thing is clear: once you've ridden the green wave, you won't want to stop any time soon. And sometimes you won't want to listen to well-intentioned advice.
At the test date, he had said: "I'd rather not set the gennaker today." But it would have been a shame not to have done it ...
