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.

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

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.

Provisional Top Ten Results Open Division 1.   SUI111 Thisbe – Rainer A Muller – 3, 5, 2, 3 = 13 2.   SWE114 Notorious – Claes Henningsson – 1, 1, 7, 5 = 14 3.   POR4 Seljm – Patrick Monteiro De Barros – 7, 3, 3, 1 = 14 4.   SWE137 Filippa – Richard Göransson – 2, 2, 4, 8 = 16 5.   SUI77 Junior – Philippe Durr/Rainer Müller – 8, 10, 1, 4 = 23 6.   SUI132 Sophie Racing – Hugo Stenbeck – 4, 9, 9, 2 = 24 7.   GBR89 Battlecry – Jeremy Thorp – 5, 3, 12, 6 = 36 8.   SUI140 Ginkgo Too – Jan Eckert – 11, 6, 6, 13 = 36 9.   ESP70 Maybe XAV – Eugenio Galdon Brugarolas – 9, 7, 10, 11 = 37 10. ESP16 Stella – Violeta Alvarez – 6, 11, 8, 15 = 40 Classic Division 1.   FIN18 Astrée III – Ossi Paija – 2, 2, 2, 4 = 10 2.   GER59 Aida – Escotet/Botas – 1, 1, 4, 8 = 14 3.   GBR50 Alibaba II – Miguel Lago Cereceda – 4, 6, 3, 1 = 14 4.   K48 Caprice – Javier Manzón – 3, 5, 1, 7 = 16 5.   ESP16 Bribon 500 – Jose Cusi – 6, 3, 10, 2 = 21 6.   FRA111 Dix Août – Louis Heckly – 5, 10, 7, 5 = 27 7.   ESP72 Titia – Alicia Freire Sánchez – 10, 9, 8, 3 = 30 8.   ESP91 Stardust – Hermanos Campos – 8, 4, 13, 11 = 36 9.   KC19 Saskia II – Pierre Guex/Reiner Müller – 12, 11, 9, 6 = 38 10. FIN59 Ian – César Elizaga Viana – 9, 8, 11, 10 = 38

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

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

Track the racing live 
ISMA Facebook
Full Results
Photo Gallery – All images © María Muiña / Xacobeo 6mR Europeans
Youtube Channel

13 September 2021 – Sanxenxo, Spain – A year later than originally intended, the International Six Metre fleet is finally gathered at the Real Club Nautico Sanxenxo on Spain’s spectacular Galician coast in preparation for the Xacobeo Six Meter European Championship 2021, which runs from 13 to 18 September. It’s been two years since the fleet last came together for a major championship and the expectations for what promises to be a superb regatta were running high as the crews enjoyed a spectacular Opening Ceremony on the club’s waterside terrace. 

The 31 strong fleet is evenly distributed between the Open and Classic divisions and draws competitors from Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Canada. The quality of the crews is higher than ever with many well know names from the Olympics, America’s Cup and other top international classes participating. A brand new Six is joining the fleet for her first international event and several of the boats have undergone significant work during the lockdown period.

The new kid on the block in the Open Division for the Modern Sixes is Jan Eckert’s SUI140 Ginkgo Too, a Javier Cela design built by Nene Gallardo which hit the water earlier this year and is participating in her first major competition. The Ginkgo Too team are still working up their new boat so it will be exciting to see how her performance develops over the coming days.

From 10 to 12 September the fleet participated in the Spanish National Championship, run in association with the King Juan Carlos I Regatta, giving them the perfect warm-up opportunity and a chance to see who the favourites might be for the Europeans. In the Open Division, featuring the Modern Sixes, the Juan Kouyoumdjian designed 2017 built ESP16 Stella took victory by a narrow two point margin, claiming both the King Juan Carlos Trophy and the Spanish Open Championship title. Helmed by Violeta Alvarez Landaluce, Stella is the second newest boat at the regatta and finished fifth at the 2019 World Championships. Since then, Alvarez and her team have worked incredibly hard to develop their boat’s potential and she is clearly now hitting the sweet spot.

Reigning European Champion SUI74 Nivola, owned by Reinhard Suhner, will be determined to give Stella a good run for her money, while Patrick Montiero de Barros helming POR4 Seljim, who was second at the 2019 Worlds must be hoping to make it onto the top step of the podium this time around. Other serious Open Division challengers include the 2019 World Championship winning SUI77 Junior, owned by Philippe Durr, which won her first World Championship in 1979 and is arguably the most successful Modern Six of all times. Hugo Stenbeck’s SUI132 Sophie Racing, winner of the 2009 and 2011 Worlds and the 2010 Europeans, and Jeremy Thorp’s and GBR89 Battlecry, both put in excellent showings in the warm-up event, finishing fourth and third respectively, putting them in the running for podium positions too.

In the Classic Division His Majesty Don Juan Carlos’s stunningly beautiful and hugely successful 1947 Arvid Laurin designed ESP16 Bribon 500 will defend her Classic Six Metre European Champion title with Spanish sailing legend and Real Club Nautico Sanxenxo President Pedro Campos Calvo-Sotelo at the helm. From Finland comes Ossi Paija’s FIN80 Astrée III, which was designed by Bjarne Aas in 1959 and finished third at the 2019 Worlds. The Spanish fleet is well represented by Javier Monzon’s K48 Caprice, which was designed and built by McGruer in 1946 and won the 2008 European Classic Championship in La Trinite, and Miguel Lago’s 1948 Tore Holm designed GBR50 Alibaba II. Fresh from Classic Division victory in the King Juan Carlos Regatta is International Six Metre Association President Elect Louis Heckly’s FRA111 Dix Août, which was launched in 1950 and was also designed by Bjarn Aas.

Speaking on behalf of the class on the eve of the championship Louis Heckly said, “This is a fantastic venue, all the boats were launched with masts stepped in two days. The welcome is extremely warm with everyone making us feel at home with free aperitifs each evening and we see that the recently reborn Spanish fleet is now well established, which is great. The competition this year is going to be tough, when you see the crew lists, when you see the level of the boats it is going up, up and up from championship to championship and they are even more prepared than they were in Hanko in 2019, so we are really looking forward to racing at a high level. Violeta has put in a huge effort and is beginning to see the gains from that. The boat is a beauty on the water, her new deck layout is fantastic, the crew are sailing very well, and she is really starting to reach her full potential and is very fast, so Stella is definitely the boat to beat this week.”

Racing for the Xacobeo Six Metre European Championship 2021 gets underway on Tuesday 14 September, when two races are programmed, and continues until Saturday 18 September with up to eight races scheduled. Racing will take place on windward/leeward courses on the Pontevedra Estuary starting from noon each day.

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 Facebookpage. 

Full entry list

Photo Gallery

Youtube Channel

The 6th Rey Juan Carlos I El Corte Inglés Master Regatta was hosted by the Real Club Nautico Sanxenxo from 1 to 3 September and incorporated the Spanish 6 Metre National Championship.

Light airs were a feature of the regatta and ultimately, despite the very best efforts of the highly experienced race committee, only three of the six planned races could be completed. But what the racing lacked in quantity it made up for in quality. A 27 strong fleet split evenly between the Open and Classic divisions put on a spectacular show against the stunning backdrop of the Galician coastline.

Ultimately Louis Heckly’s classic 6 Metre “Dix Août” and Violeta Álvarez’s “Stella”, one of the newest boats in the fleet, were the winners of the event, with the Spanish 6 Metre Championship being won by Pedro Campos’ “Bribon 500” in the classic division and Álvarez’s “Stella.”

For the Classics fleet, competition in the sixth edition of the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo’s prime event, could not have been tighter. On Friday Louis Heckly’s French team set off well, winning the first two partial victories, and on Saturday it was Pedro Campos’ “Bribon 500,” who with a comfortable victory in the only race held, was responsible for the close leader board, with a triple draw at the top of the board, between the French boat in first, Campos’ team in second, and Íñigo Echenique’s “Caprice,” in third.

Cancellation of the last day of racing due to the lack of conditions, saw the representatives from the Yacht Club de France, “Dix Août” proclaimed winners of the sixth edition of the Rey Juan Carlos I El Corte Inglés Master Regatta, and the RCNS boat, skippered by Campos, taking the Spanish Championship title with a first in the Classics division. Third place went to Echenique’s “Caprice” (Club Marítimo de Canido).

In the Open category, a great result for Violeta Álvarez’s “Stella.” The RCNS team, finished in second place on Friday and drew on points with leader Patrick Monteiro’s “Seljm” (Clube naval de Cascais). The team swept a victory in the race held on Saturday and moved ahead of the fleet with a two-point advantage over Monteiro.

With their result, and cancellation of Sunday’s racing, “Stella” celebrated a win in both the Rey Juan Carlos I El Corte Inglés Master Regatta, and as Spanish champions in the Open division. The Portuguese team, defender of the two titles at stake in the Ria de Pontevedra, finished the event in second overall, with third place going to British Jeremy Thorp’s “Battlecry.”

Following this year’s edition of the Rey Juan Carlos I El Corte Inglés Master Regata, on Monday Sanxenxo will see the official start of the Xacobeo 6mR Europeans. A training race is to be held on Tuesday, from 12:00h, where the action will kick off again, with the first of five days of racing, to decide the new European champions in the class.

Fotos © María Muiña / Regata Rey Juan Carlos I

FINAL RESULTS

Classics
1. “Dix Août”, Louis Heckly (FRA) 1+1+7=9
2. “Bribon 500”, Pedro Campos (ESP), 5+3+1=9
3. “Caprice”, Laureano Wizner (ESP), 3+4+2=9

Open
1. “Stella”, Violeta Álvarez (ESP), 2+2+1=5
2. “Seljm”, Patrick Monteiro (POR), 1+3+3=7
3. “Battlecry”, Jeremy Thohrp (GBR), 4+1+6=11

Click here for the full results