Designed by Gunnar Jacobsson and built 1936 at Wilenius boatyard. Winner of 1995 World Championship. In good condition and ready to race. Location Helsinki. Price: 55 000 Eur
On 20 January 2022 the International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR) in Madrid hosted a presentation of the Xacobeo International Six Metre Worlds, a global championship regatta which will be held in Sanxenxo (NW Spain) next June and which will bring together a Six Metre fleet that will once again make Galicia an international sailing capital.
The Vice President of the Galician Government Alfonso Rueda, the director of Tourism of Galicia Nava Castro, the mayor of Sanxenxo Telmo Martín, the Head of all Spanish domestic businesses at ABANCA Luis Beraza, the president of the Cluster Tourism of Galicia Cesáreo Pardal, the president of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation Javier Sanz and the president of the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo Pedro Campos were all in attendance among others at the prestigious event.
Sanxenxo’s Mayor was in charge of proceedings and he opened by stating: “Being able to celebrate the Worlds here it is undoubtedly a source of great pride for Sanxenxo and for Galicia, it will be even better than the Europeans last year and with the Real Club Náutico as organizer, with whom we are cooperating totally, success is always assured.”
Pedro Campos thanked supporters Xacobeo, the Sanxenxo City Council and the Xunta de Galicia as co-organizers of the event, as well as the sponsors ABANCA, Viajes InterRías, Quirón and Autesa Volvo.He added: “The Xacobeo Six Metre Worlds will once again have as one of its main objectives is augmenting the low season tourism in Sanxenxo and the intention of the organisation is to increase the number of participants by some 30% whilst maintaining or improving on the quality the European Championships already enjoyed.”
Before ending his speech, Campos made mention of a sailor from Vigo and the crew onboard Six Metre “Bribon 500”, Alberto Viejo, who last weekend suffered a serious accident training in the Vigo estuary: “Before finishing I want to send all the strength and affection to our friend and colleague Alberto. Both he and his family know that he has our support and we all wish him a speedy recovery.”
The Vice President of the Xunta de Galicia, Alfonso Rueda, has been in charge of closing the presentation. “For the Xunta de Galicia it is an honour to be part of this World level event. This project started out in 2020 at a very difficult time but we have already shown that we can hold an event offering guarantees, such as the Spanish Championship first and then the European Championship in 2021 demonstrate, so there is no doubt that that the world championship will once again be a complete success for Galicia.”
After the cancellation in 2020 of all international events due to the pandemic, the European Championship held last September in Sanxenxo was the first major sailing event to be held in Galicia. Now, after the success of the continental event, the Xacobeo International Six Metre Worlds will once again bring together the Six Metre world fleet in the Rías Baixas between June 10th and 19th to compete in the most important regatta of the season.
Many of the teams are already in Sanxenxo and that in the coming months they will take part in the Spanish national circuit, which will once again serve as an important warm-up for the big event of the year.
Further information about the 2022 International 6 Metre World Championship can be found at the event website.
1952 Francois Carmatte – built by A. Chiesa in Cannes
Full restoration at Robbe & Berking Yard, Flensburg, 2018 – ready to race
New measurement certification
Restoration: – removing the rudder and the lad keel – changing some planks on topsides – replacement of stem, wooden keel and rudder stem – replacement of wooden frames from keel to waterline and from rudder to foreside of mast, integrated with new floors – new planks from keel to plank 7 – build in of four ringframes – cover all wooden surfaces outside with five layers of epoxyprimer by fairing and board sanding – fastening the lad keel under the boat with new stainless bolds – build in the new rudder (plywood/glasfibre) with modern bearings – new mast structure to take away the shroud loads from the vessel – turnbuckles under deck – new deck-layout with modern fittings (Harken/Ronstan) – refit of original main and genoa winches
Equipment: – two aluminiummasts with rodrigging – cradle – several laminated sails (used), 5 spinnaker – carbon spinnakerpole
18 September 2021 – Sanxenxo, Spain – The spectacular final race of the Xacobeo Six Metre European Championship 2021 proved to be an absolute cliff hanger. Initially the fleet was postponed for lack of wind, but the race committee had faith and with just one minute to go before the 15:00 first signal cut off they put the fleet under starters orders for race seven. What followed was a glorious champagne sailing finale to a wonderful championship that confirmed Rainer Müller’s 1987 Pelle Petterson designed Thisbe, helmed by Michel Teweles, as the 2021 Six Metre European Champion and Open Division winner, while Jose Cusi’s 1947 Arvid Laurin designed Bribon 500, helmed by Pedro Campos, stormed through to reclaim the Classic European Champion title.
Going into the last day Thisbe’s nearest rival was Patrick Monteiro De Barros’s Seljm, as Michel Teweles explains, “We are really happy. We chose the right strategy in the championship and have reached the last day of the competition with a truly satisfying result. The most important thing was that Patrick De Barros did not win the last race, so we worked to control the start and the first part of the race and when we checked that everything was in place as we expected the race was won for us.” From the start it was clear the right was likely to pay so Thisbe drove Seljm hard out to the left and both boats rounded the first mark well down the pack, allowing Thisbe to relax and enjoy the sail.
For the rest of the Open Division there was a big ruck at the committee boat end, Philppe Durr and Rainer Müller’s Junior, which went into the day lying third overall, avoided the drama by starting halfway down the line before tacking onto port early. Meanwhile Violeta Alvarez Landaluce’s Stella took the alternative approach of hanging back at the committee boat and starting a few seconds late on port. Both strategies worked and Junior led Stella into the first mark. With clear air on the rest of the fleet the two enjoyed a great duel which was only settled on the line as Stella finally surged through to win by mere inches. Following them home were Henrik Andersen’s Evelina and Mark Smith’s Valhalla, who both took their best results of the series. Whilst Thisbe was able to sit back safe in the knowledge of victory, Seljm did all she could to work her way back up the fleet, but she could do no better than eighth. As a result, Junior takes the Open Division silver medal and Seljm the bronze.
The Classic Division took two attempts at starting, but once underway those who went right made big gains. Sadly, overnight leader Aida, owned by Escotet/Botas and helmed by Javier De La Gandara Alonso, and third placed Alibaba II, skippered by Miguel Lago Cereceda, did not capitalise on the big right shift and both boats rounded the first mark mid-fleet. There were no such errors aboard International Six Metre Class President Louis Heckly’s Dix Août or the Sanxenxo based Bribon 500 who both sailed faultlessly to finish first and second respectively. Ossi Paija’s Astrée III finished third and Alicia Freire Sánchez’ Titia, helmed by Mauricio Sánchez-Bella Carswell, was fourth. Aida’s seventh place was just sufficient to put her on the second step of the Corinthian podium with Astrée III on equal points but taking the bronze medal on count back.
After racing the crews enjoyed a spectacular alfresco prize giving dinner and ceremony on the terrace where they honoured their champions, enjoyed the company of their fellow competitors and were able to thank their hosts, the Real Club Nautico Sanxenxo and the authorities and people of Xanxenxo and Galicia, for creating such a special event and making everyone feel so welcome.
The perpetual Coppa Giovanelli and the Xacobeo 21 Trophy were presented to the overall Xacobeo Six Metre European Champion 2021 Thisbe, crewed by Michel Teweles, François Brenac, Jm Monnard, F Narbonne and M Fischer.
The perpetual President Woodrow Wilson Trophy and the Juan Sebastián de Alcano Trophy were presented to Xacobeo Classic Six Metre European Champion 2021 Bribon 500, crewed by Pedro Campos Calvo-Sotelo, Alberto Ricard Viejo Puga, Roi Alvarex Perez, Iñaqui Castañer and Alejandro Abascal.
Pedro Campos paid tribute to Bribon 500s regular skipper saying; “In the first place, I want to dedicate this triumph to our skipper, King Juan Carlos I, and we hope that all the crew can rejoin us as soon as possible. I also have to congratulate the entire crew, because we went from less to more throughout the entire championship and they never doubted the power of the team to defend the title.”
The August Ringvold Memorial Trophy, which is presented to the highest placed Classic yacht built to the First (1907-1919) or Second (1919-1933) International Rule which retains its original underwater configuration, was awarded to the beautiful 1930 Alfred Mylne designed Valdai of Dirk Stolp and Tom Owen.
The Lucie Trophy, which is presented to the highest placed yacht which includes a woman as helmsperson or crew, went to Stella, helmed by Violeta Alvarez Landaluce.
The Baum and König Vintage Trophy, which is presented to the highest placed yacht that uses white/cream sails and has a wooden mast, was won by Acacia, a 1929 Gustaf Estlander design, owned by Mauricio Sánchez-Bella Carswell and skippered by Marcos Perez Gonzalez.
There were also prizes for the boats finishing in second to fifth place in each division and special thank you mementos for each of the crews.
As well as looking back on what has been a truly exceptional championship, the International Six Metre Class can also look forward to returning to the Real Club Nautico Sanxenxo next year. From 10 to 18 June 2022 the club will host the International Six Metre World Championship, when an even larger fleet is expected to be present.
From 2 to 12 September 2022 the fleet will continue its love affair with Europe’s southern Atlantic coast as they make their way to the Club Naval de Cascis in Portugal for the 2022 European Championship. Traditionally the World and European Championship are not held in Europe in the same year, but the Covid pandemic meant that the schedule had to be revised for one year only.
International 6 Metre Association 