The opening day of the Six Metre European Championships Trofeo Xacobeo at the Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo got off to a damp and windless start, but by mid-afternoon a light southerly breeze had filled in and the race committee was able to run the opening race of the eight-race series in a light, variable and very shifty southerly. The beautiful Six Metres made an ethereal sight as the sun finally broke through the mist towards the end of the race.
Both the Open and Classic Division fleets are closely matched and as a result the racing is exceptionally tight with no quarter given. In the Classic Division opening blood went to the defending Classic European Champion, His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain’s Bribon (1947 Arvid Laurin design) who led from the first mark, but who had to face constant challenges from Ossi Paija’s Astree III (1959 Bjarn Aas design) from Finland. On the line little more than a boat length separated the two leading boats, with Louis Heckly’s Fun (1937 Olin Stephen design) taking third.
After racing His Majesty was pleased with their performance but recognised that there is a long road ahead, saying “I’m very happy to be able to say that we have achieved a first place, but it has been quite complicated, because it has been a day of shifty winds and with ups and downs of pressure. There are more days of racing ahead, and we’ll see if we can hold onto first place.”
In the Open Division race victory went to Basil Vasilou’s Jane Ann (1985 Pelle Petterson design), skippered by Steffan Lindberg and sailing for the New York Yacht Club. She too led from the opening stages of the race but was also challenged hard by a chasing pack. Ultimately it was Rainer’ Muller’s Junior of Switzerland skippered by Loic Forestier (1981 Pelle Petterson design) that followed Jane Ann home with Duclop (1982 Pelle Petterson), also owned by Rainer Muller and skippered by Frank Narbone, in third.
The day had started with a briefing from Race Officer Alejandro Martin De Pazos, during which he warned the competitors that there would be an initial postponement, but that he was hopefully of running at least one race. The fleet was initially held ashore for an hour but then proceeded to sea. The drizzle and mist were still heavy as the boats were towed out, but the call was right and gradually conditions began to lift, and both fleets got race one underway. Sadly, the wind had not yet fully stabilised, and it died off again on the first run, forcing the committee to abandon the race.
The Race Committee held its nerve, kept the competitors updated and eventually the wind returned, and racing was underway again. The Open Division fleet was over eager and were general recalled twice before the black flag was displayed and the race was finally underway with a clean start. The Classics were better behaved, but both Ebsen Poulsson’s Aera, being skippered by Robert Holbrook, and Catalin Trandafir’s Essentia were over the start line and had to return. Whilst the wind held up better this time it was still light, variable and very shifty, giving the mark layers a good workout and the tacticians plenty to think about.
After a long day on the water the teams were delighted to return to the warm welcome of the Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo’s Race Village where the famous Galician hospitality was flowing. Tomorrow two further races are scheduled with a planned first start time of noon. The regatta continues until Saturday 5 October with eight races scheduled.
PROVISIONAL RESULTS AFTER ONE RACE
OPEN DIVISION
- USA 105 – Jane Anne – Steffan Lindberg – 1
- SUI77 – Junior – Loic Forestier – 2
- SUI100 – Duclop – Frank Narbone – 3
- GBR89 – Battlecry – Jeremy Thorp
- FIN81 – Oiva – Henrik Andersin
CLASSIC DIVISION
- ESP 16 – Bribon – His Majesty King Juan Carlos – 1
- FIN80 – Astree – Ossi Paija – 2
- FRA11 – Fun – Louis Heckly – 3
- ESP72 – Titia – Mauricio Sanchez-Bella Carswell – 4
- ESP50 – Alibaba II – Miguel Lago Cereceda – 5
International 6 Metre Association 