There are times when no matter how well a club organises a regatta and how prepared the sailors are, the weather simply refuses to allow racing to happen. This was the case for the penultimate day of the Xacobeo Six Metre European Championship 2021 as at times torrential rain and a complete lack of stable wind put paid to any chance of running race seven of the eight race series. Conditions did improve a little in the afternoon and the race committee, led by Alejandro Martín de Pazos, took the fleet afloat as there were signs the breeze might stabilise and build, but once in the race area conditions began to deteriorate again and eventually the decision was made to send the boats home and try for two races on tomorrow’s final day.

As a result, the overall standings remain unchanged. In the Open Division Rainer Mûller’s Thisbe, helmed by Michel Teweles continues to lead the fleet by four points from Patrick Monteiro De Barros’s Seljm with Philippe Durr’s Junior two further points behind in third. Still in with a shot at a podium finish are Claes Henningsson’s Notorious and Richard Göransson’s Filippa who are both on 23 points, and Hugo Stenbeck’s Sophie Racing on 24 points.

In the Classic Division the points are even tighter with Javier De La Gandara Alonso at the helm of the Escotet/Botas owned Aida holding a single point lead over the reigning Classic European Champion Jose Cusi’s Bribon 500, helmed by Pedro Campos. There is then a three-point delta to Miguel Lago’s Alibab II and Ossi Paija’s Astrée who both count sixteen points with Javier Morzón’s Caprice, helmed by Laureano Wizner Perales a further three points behind in fifth.

For the thirty-one strong fleet from eleven nations, it was a frustrating day, but they recognised that the race committee could do no more. Sanxenxo is normally a venue renowned for its reliable sailing conditions so to have experienced a week of generally light airs like this is rare. But the welcome the teams have received at the Real Club Nautico Sanxenxo has been exceptional and once again they were treated to delicious local wines and beers and to a wonderful variety of local foods after sailing, all thanks to the generous support of local suppliers recognised by the Galicia Calidade, the organisation that oversees the quality mark confirming a level of excellence for Galician produce and services.

International Six Metre Class President Louis Heckley is delighted with how the regatta is going and looks forward to returning to Sanxenxo next year for the 6 Metre World Championship, which takes place from 10 to 18 June. “We have been so impressed with the organisation of this event. The speed with which the boats were launched and the masts stepped, the special berthing arrangements, the administration, the exceptional hospitality, and the generous sponsor support, everything has been first class. We’ve been particularly impressed with the race committee who have delivered great racing in difficult circumstances. We can’t wait to be back again next June for the Worlds when we will have an even bigger fleet and hopefully travel restrictions will have eased to enable additional nations to join us.”

The Xacobeo Six Metre European Championship 2021 concludes tomorrow, 18 September, when the Race Committee hopes to be able to complete the final two races in the eight-race series before the 15.00 final starting signal cut off time.

Provisional Top Ten Results

Open Division
1.   SUI111 Thisbe – Rainer A Muller – 3, (5), 2, 3, 3, 1 = 12
2.   POR4 Seljm – Patrick Monteiro De Barros – (7), 3, 3, 1, 5, 4 = 16
3.   SUI77 Junior – Philippe Durr/Rainer Müller – 8, (10), 1, 4, 2, 3 = 18
4.   SWE114 Notorious – Claes Henningsson – 1, 1, 7, 5, (10), 10 = 24
5.   SWE137 Filippa – Richard Göransson – 2, 2, 4, 8, (11), 8 = 24
6.   SUI132 Sophie Racing – Hugo Stenbeck – 4, (9), 9, 2, 4, 5 = 24
7.   ESP16 Stella – Violeta Alvarez – 6, 11, 8, (15), 1, 2 = 28
8.   SUI140 Ginkgo Too – Jan Eckert – 11, 6, 6, (13), 7, 6 = 36
9.   GBR107 Valhalla – Paul Smith – 12, (15), 5, 14, 6, 7 = 44
10. GBR89 Battlecry – Jeremy Thorp – 5, (13), 12, 6, 13, 9 = 45

Classic Division
1.   GER59 Aida – Escotet/Botas – 1, 1, 4, (8), 3, 3 = 12
2.   ESP16 Bribon 500 – Jose Cusi – 6, 3, (10), 2, 1, 1 = 13
3.   GBR50 Alibaba II – Miguel Lago Cereceda – 4, 6, 3, 1, (11), 2 = 16
4.   FIN18 Astrée III – Ossi Paija – 2, 2, 2, 4, (8), 6 = 16
5.   K48 Caprice – Javier Manzón – 3, 5, 1, (7), 5, 5 = 19
6.   FRA111 Dix Août – Louis Heckly – 5, (10), 7, 5, 2, 4 = 23
7.   ESP72 Titia – Alicia Freire Sánchez – (10), 9, 8, 3, 4, 7 = 31
8.   GBR40 Valdai – Dirk Stolp/Tom Owen – 7, 14, 5, (15), 10, 8 = 44
9.   KC19 Saskia II – Pierre Guex/Reiner Müller – (12), 11, 9, 6, 7, 11 = 44
10. ESP91 Stardust – Hermanos Campos – 8, 4, 13, 11, (14), 10 = 46

Further information about the event can be found at www.6mreuropeans2021.com and about the class at www.6metre.com. 

You can track the racing live and regular updates will be available on the ISMA Facebook page.

Full Results

Photo Gallery – All images © María Muiña / Xacobeo 6mR Europeans

Youtube Channel

Sanxenxo, Spain – 16 September 2021 – A steady 12 knots from the northeast and glorious warm sunshine made for a near perfect third day of racing at the Xacobeo Six Metre European Championship in Sanxenxo. After two days of very light airs the change of pace was welcomed by all and resulted in some new faces featuring at the front of the fleet. With six of the scheduled eight races completed and the single score discard now introduced the rankings remain incredibly tight in both the Open and Classic Divisions.
It was clearly a day when a little bit of local knowledge went a long way with the top scoring boat in each division hailing from the host club, Real Club Nautico Sanxenxo (RCNS). In the open division Violeta Alvarez’s Stella led race five from the off and was never seriously challenged. She also initially led race six until Rainer Müller’s Thisbe helmed by Michel Teweles snuck past her on the second lap. Her first and second place move her up the leader board from tenth to seventh.

Thisbe’s race six win combined with a third in race five to reinforce her hold on the Open Division where she now leads by four points. Patrick Monteiro De Barros and the crew of Seljm continue to sail very consistently and today’s fifth and fourth places move them up a place into second. Philippe Durr’s Junior found the stronger breeze to her liking and climbed from fifth to third overall, two points behind Seljm. It was not such a successful day for Claes Henningsson’s Notorious who was over the line in race six and finished tenth in both races, dropping them from second to fourth overall and onto equal points with both Richard Göransson’s Filippa and Hugo Stenbeck’s Sophie Racing.

After racing Junior’s Nicolas Berthoud was pleased with their day saying, “It was a really great day out there today, tight racing and a lovely wind at 12 knots. All the boats are fast, and the game gets really close. We managed to find our way and took a second and third today which was excellent. We were pretty conservative in the middle of the track and had good speed. Our objective today was not to lose any points and we managed that so we were pretty pleased to do so.”

Jose Cusi’s Bribon 500, helmed by RCNS President Pedro Campos, produced two confident wins in the Classic Division, but overnight leader Astrée III did not fare as well finishing eighth in race five, her worst result of the regatta, and sixth in race six. As a result, the Escotet/Botas owned Aida, helmed by Francisco Botas Ratera, who added two thirds to their card today, now lead the Classic Division by a single point from Bribon 500. Miguel Lago Cereceda’s Alibaba II went from one extreme to the other finishing eleventh in race five and second in race six. Alibaba II and Astrée III now both count sixteen points and sit in third and fourth overall Classics respectively.

Pedro Campos was pleased with their day, saying, “For us today has been the best day of this championship. We made two very good starts and the boat had a point more speed than the others, especially upwind, which allowed us to reach all the buoys in the lead and even gain a considerable advantage in the last race. All this puts us back in the fight for the championship, when yesterday it seemed like a very distant possibility.”

Back ashore the RCNS once again welcomed the crews for the traditional post sailing drinks and snacks. One of the great joys of a Six Metre regatta is talking about the boats, each of which is unique and many of which have fascinating pasts. It’s also wonderful to meet people from all around the globe who share a passion for these extraordinary pieces of sailing equipment.

Taking part this week are sailors from Europe, North and South America, Australasia, and Asia. Representing North America’s Pacific Northwest Fleet are the crew of Classic Six Elisabeth X. The difficulties of international travel due to Covid almost prevented the team, who are largely based in Seattle, from attending, but fortunately relaxations came just in time to allow Adam Henley, David Linger, Erin Parker, Chance Bates and Andy Parker to be here, much to the delight of their fellow competitors.

Elisabeth X was designed and built in 1947 by the great Norwegian designer and boat builder Bjarne Aas, who was also created Aida, Astrée III and Dix Août. Looking at the four boats on the dock is like a little walk-through history as they were built over a period of some 23 years with Aida completed in 1936, Dix Août in 1950, and Astrée III in 1959. Each yacht was groundbreaking in her time and you can clearly see the development trail when you study them as a set.

The Six Metre Class dates back to 1907 and the introduction of the International or Metre Rule. Ever since it has been a hotbed for technical innovation with the world’s leading yacht designers and sailors bringing often radical concepts and technical excellence to the fleet. An Olympic Class from 1908 to 1952, the Sixes were also frequently used as a development testbed for the America’s Cup 12 Metres. The rule was periodically updated to keep the class at the forefront of technical development, whilst at the same time honouring its extraordinary heritage.

Even today that tradition of innovation continues as the newest boat in the fleet, the 2020 Javier Cela designed Ginkgo Too owned and skippered by Jann Eckert, is clearly demonstrating. Due to Covid this is her first major regatta, so she has been playing catch up against the more established teams, but each day her results are improving as her crew hone her performance and she now lies in eighth place overall in the Open Division. What is also remarkable is how competitive the boats remain regardless of age. This week the Open Division, featuring the Modern Sixes, cover a 40-year age range from 1981 to 2020 and all are racing on a level playing field. The Classics cover a 30 year age range at this event from the 1929 Acacia III to the 1959 Astrée III.

Two races remain to be sailed in the eight race series which concludes on Saturday 18 September. One race a day is currently planned for Friday and Saturday with a published first signal time of 12:00 each day.

15 September 2021 – Sanxenxo, Spain – The second day of the Xacobeo Six Metre European Championship at the Real Club Nautico Sanxenxo in Galicia got off to a regal start with a visit from Her Royal Highness Infanta Dona Elena of Spain. The Infanta is a hugely experienced sailor herself including in the Six Metre Class, and not only toured the docks to meet and speak to the crews, but also went afloat to watch the racing.

On the water it was another incredibly tough day for both the sailors and the race committee. After an initial postponement ashore, the committee called the competitors to the outer race area, where there was a good breeze blowing. Sadly, that breeze could not make up its mind whether to blow from the north-west or the north-east and so the postponement continued until eventually the wind chose the north-east quadrant. Although it settled sufficiently to allow racing to commence, it continued to regularly shift and change velocity from sub five knots to almost double figures as a series of dark rain clouds passed to the south of the fleet. To make the situation even more challenging there was a big swell running in off the Atlantic, which was particularly tricky to negotiate in the light patches.

With races three and four of the eight race series completed today, the rankings in both the Open and Classic Divisions remain wide open. In the Open Division Thisbee (1987 Pelle Petterson) owned by Rainer Müller and helmed by Michel Teweles, moved up from third into a single point overall lead thanks to a second and third place. Overnight leader Notorious (1986 Peter Norlin design with an Ian Howlett keel) owned and helmed by Claes Henningsson, struggled to repeat yesterday’s dominant form adding a seventh and fifth to her score card which dropped her down into second overall.

Open Division boat of the day was Patrick Monteiro De Barros’s Seljm (1988 Pelle Petterson), which took full advantage of the local knowledge this Portugues team has gained through sailing regularly with the Sanxenxo based Spanish fleet. Seljm won race three after a closely fought battle and followed up with a fourth in race four to move into third place overall on the same points as Notorious. Richard Göransson’s Filippa, (Petterson 1981), dropped from second overall to fourth having added a fourth and eighth to her tally. The day’s other Open Division race winner was Phlippe Durr and Rainer Müller’s Junior (Petterson/Howlett), which won race three and took fourth in race four to leap up the ranking from tenth to fifth overall.

After racing Michel Teweles commented, “The day’s forecast was very difficult, but the race committee did a very good job. It was a good day for us, we finished second in the first race and until fifteen metres before the finish of the second race we were first, but finally we finished third, which puts us into the overall lead. Now our strategy is changed as the weather is changing a lot of the time, so now our objective is to finish every race in the top five if we can. We will see.”

In the Classic Division Ossi Paija’s Astree III (Bjarne Ass 1959) continued to sail super consistently, leapfrogging over Juan Carlos Eascotet and Francisco Botas’ Aida (1936 Bjarn Ass), to take a four-point overall lead at the mid-point in the regatta. Miguel Lago Cereceda’s Alibaba II (1948 Tore Holm) took third in race three and went on to win race four by taking full advantage of a massive wind shift on the last run, moving up from fifth to third overall and on equal points with Aida. Javier Manzón’s Caprice (1948 McGruer) had a day of mixed fortunes winning race three and finishing seventh in race four, and as a result they drop from third to fourth overall, two points adrift of Alibaba II and Aida.

Astree III’s Ossi Paija summed up the day’s conditions perfectly saying, “It was a very interesting day, we were having a lot of shifts, a lot of wind strength changes so we were changing our foresail maybe 7 or 8 times during the day, and typically we selected the wrong headsail initially and were struggling on the first upwind. But we managed to stay alive and we’re super happy with the second and fourth, so we are looking forward to tomorrow. It’s a very challenging regatta, the competition is super hard with very competitive boats and crews around you, so you have to watch out.”

After racing the competitors assembled on the Real Club Nautico Sanxenxo’s terrace where they were treated to a tasting of Galician delicacies created by chef Kike Piñeiro of the famous Horta d’Obradoiro restaurant in Santiago de Compostela, all washed down by a selection of wonderful local wines and beers and accompanied by live music from Chroma. 

Four races remain to be sailed to complete the championship which concludes on Saturday 18 September. Weather permitting two races are scheduled for Thursday followed by one a day on Friday and Saturday.

14 September 2021 – Sanxenxo, Spain – The opening day of the Xacobea Six Metre European Championship 2021 in Sanxenxo, Spain featured two tricky light airs races for the thirty-one competing teams from eleven nations. Racing for the Open and Classic Divisions was run in a light and at times shifty north westerly that gave the tacticians plenty to think about, kept the trimmers busy changing gears and put the mark layers through their paces.

In the Open Division it was to be a Swedish affair with Claes Henningsson’s SWE114 Notorious winning both races from Richard Göransson’s SWE137 Filippa, putting them into first and second overall respectively. Third place in the opener went to Rainer Muller’s SUI111 Thisbe, and they followed up with a fifth to end the day third overall. Patrick Monteiro De Barros and the POR4 Seljm crew had looked good in the early stages of race one, but then got the wrong side of a big shift and had to fight for a seventh place. They came back with a third in the second race to put them in fourth overall, three points ahead of Hugo Stenbeck’s SUI132 Sophie Racing.

It was a similar story in the Classic Division where Francisco Botas and Juan Carols Escotet’s GER59 Aida took victory in both races from Finland’s Ossie Paija in FIN80 Astrée III. K48 Caprice, owned by Spain’s Javier Monzón followed Astrée III across the line in race one and then added a fifth to her card in the second race putting them in third overall. ESP16 Bribon 500, skippered by Pedro Campos, claimed a sixth and third place so are now fourth overall, just one point ahead of Miguel Lago Cereceda’s GBR50 Alibaba II.

Back ashore Claes Henningsson talked us through his day saying, “In the first race we had a perfect start and came out on starboard going to the left side and we were in the lead at the first mark. We kept the lead all the way round and were quite well ahead. In the second race we had a little bit of a problem in the start and had to tack off onto port through the fleet onto the right side of the course. After a while we tacked onto starboard over to the left, we caught the windshift and rounded number three, and after that we took two boats downwind and by the second weather mark, we were into second. On the last downwind we were able to pass Seljm and keep Filippa behind us, so it was nice racing for us. The light to medium winds are best for us as it’s a quite light boat and it was very nice to race on the outer course, it’s a bit more open than the inside race area.”

Whilst for some boats the light airs were a blessing, for others they were a curse. Violeta Alvarez’s ESP16 Stella led Open Division race one at the first mark but then got the wrong side of a big left hander and ended up fifth, then on the final run of race two they fell into a hole in the dying breeze and dropped from sixth to eleventh. It was also a day of mixed fortunes for Jeremy Thorp’s GBR89 Battlecry, they opened with a solid fifth but then struggled to find traction in the lighter second race and could do no better than thirteenth.

But whether they struggled or revelled in the conditions, all the boats made a spectacular sight as they spread out against the backdrop of the picturesque Galician coastline. Any Six is an elegant and powerful bit of sailing equipment, but many of the classics are also pieces of history.

The oldest boat racing in the championship is E26 Acacia, which was built to a Gustaf Estlander design by Abrahamsson and Son in Gothenburg in 1929. Her first owner was Luis de Allende, who kept her in Bilbao in northern Spain. She was built at a time when this area of Spain had a flourishing Six Metre fleet, and she sailed there with around 20 other boats. In 1954 she was sold to a new owner in Barcelona and became part of the burgeoning fleet there. By the early 1960s the fleet was in decline, and she was fitted with an engine to facilitate cruising. In the early 1970s she made her way north again, to Castro Urdiales between Santander and Bilbao. At this point her story becomes vague, with the previous owners hearing news of her being badly damaged after hitting some rocks. They assumed that the boat had been lost for ever. This was not so, however, and in the 1990s she was discovered and taken to the Astilleros Lagos shipyard where she waited for a new owner to restore her to her former glory. Here, she was spotted by her current owner who oversaw her restoration. She was re-launched in 2010, looking as good as the day she was built and is now an active member of the revived Spanish fleet.

After sailing the crews were able to enjoy the Real Club Nautico Sanxenxo’s delicious post racing drinks and nibbles and relax on the terrace as the sun set, but for the owners there was important business to settle at the International Six Metre Associations Annual General Meeting. One of the more important items on the agenda was confirming Louis Heckly, owner of FRA FRA111 Dix Août, as the new International Class President.

The forecast for day two of the championship is for further light airs and possible rain and thunderstorms. The Race Committee is keeping a close eye on the forecast and will update the competitors at the daily 09:30 briefing. The regatta continues until Saturday 18 September with up to eight races scheduled.

Provisional Top Ten Results

Open Division

1. SWE114 Notorious – Claes Henningsson – 1, 1 = 2
2. SWE137 Filippa – Richard Göransson – 2, 2 = 4
3. SUI111 Thisbe – Rainer A Muller – 3, 5 = 8
4. POR4 Seljm – Patrick Monteiro De Barros – 7, 3 = 10
5. SUI132 Sophie Racing – Hugo Stenbeck – 4, 9 = 13
6. ESP70 Maybe XAV – Eugenio Galdon Brugarolas – 9, 7 = 16
7. SUI140 Ginkgo Too – Jan Eckert – 11, 6 = 17
8. ESP16 Stella – Violeta Alvarez – 6, 11 = 17
9. GBR89 Battlecry – Jeremy Thorp – 5, 3 = 18
10. SUI77 Nivola – Reinhard Suhner – 13, 8 = 21

Classic Division

1. GER59 Aida – Escotet/Botas – 1, 1 =2
2. FIN18 Astrée III – Ossi Paija – 2, 2 = 4
3. K48 Caprice – Javier Manzón – 3, 5 = 8
4. ESP16 Bribon 500 – Jose Cusi – 6, 3 = 9
5. GBR50 Alibaba II – Miguel Lago Cereceda – 4, 6 = 10
6. ESP91 Stardust – Hermanos Campos – 8, 4 = 12
7. FRA111 Dix Août – Louis Heckly – 5, 10 = 15
8. FIN59 Ian – César Elizaga Viana – 9, 8 = 17
9. ESP72 Titia – Alicia Freire Sánchez – 10, 9 = 19
10. FIN44 Toy – Mika Lappalainen – 14, 7 = 21

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