Cascais, Portugal – 9 September 2022 (Correction) – Cascais delivered a beautiful penultimate day of racing for the International Six Metre crews competing in their 2022 European Championship. With the wind in the north-north-west at 10-15 knots and a long ocean swell running the race committee made smart work of completing races six and seven of the eight race series.

In the Open Division the introduction of the single discard has compressed the scoreboard and going into the final day three boats remain in serious contention for the title with just two points separating them. The Portuguese are currently dominating as Patrick Monteiro de Barros’s Seljm continues to lead by a single point margin from Vasco Pereira’s Scoundrel One. One further point behind lies Dieter Schoen’s Momo from Switzerland. Still in with a chance of a podium finish are fellow Swiss Jan Eckert’s Ginkgo Too, which lies five points behind Momo, and fifth placed Violeta Alvarez sailing Stella for the Royal Yacht Squadron.

In the Classic Division Bribon 500, helmed by Canadian Ross Macdonald with a Spanish crew of Alejandro Abascal, Alberto Viejo, Eduardo Marin and Roi Alvarez, added a first and second to their scorecard and discarded a second to become the 2022 International Six Metre Classic European Champions with a race to spare. The Romanian team of reigning ORC Class B World Champion Catalin Trandafir aboard Essentia secured the silver medal in the fleet, but tomorrow will see a showdown for bronze between Spaniard Mauricio Sanchez Bella’s Titia and Andy and Lisa Postle’s UK based Nirvana.

After racing the new Classics Champion Ross Macdonald commented; “It’s been interesting this week as we’ve had pretty much different conditions every day. So it’s been a good test and about making sure we’ve got the right sails and we’re sailing properly each day. Today was fun as it was the Cascais that everyone remembers with wind and waves so we really enjoyed it today especially.”

Racing got underway on time at 13:00 with Scoundrel making a spectacular pin end port tack start in the Open Division that enabled her to cross the majority fleet and head straight out for the favoured right hand side. Traffic was heavy over on the committee boat end where both Jane Ann and Thisbe mistimed their approaches and had to spin out. Scoundrel One’s flyer enabled her to head straight for right hand side and she lead the fleet at the first mark. Following her around were Gingko Too, Momo and Seljm. Scoundrel One extended her lead to the finish to take her second win of the championship. Momo and Ginkgo Too duelled their way round the track with Momo finally clinching it on the final run. Seljm tried everything she could to overtake, but ultimately had to settle for fourth.

With the wind holding steady and building to around 12-14 knots, the race committee rolled straight into race seven. This time the Open Division kept away from the pin with Seljm getting the best of the start, but at the weather mark it was Jeremy Thorp’s Battlecry that led the fleet, followed by Seljm, Ginkgo Too, Scoundrel One and Momo. Whilst the majority gybed immediately Battlecry stood on and by the leeward gate Seljm, who gybed early along with the main body of the fleet, had overtaken her. Seljm and Battlcry settled into their positions at the front of the fleet, but Scoundrel One, Ginkgo Too and Momo were fighting for every inch and the honour of third. On the line Momo took it by a whisker from Soundrel One with Ginkgo Too fifth.

Overall Seljm has clung onto her Open Division lead by a single point from Scoundrel One. With her disqualification from race four now discarded Momo leaps up from fifth into third, one point behind Scoundrel. There is then a five point delta back to Ginkgo Too in fourth with Stella rounding out the top five as the only other boat still in with an outside chance of a podium place. The scene is clearly set for a dog fight of epic proportions to decide the Overall Six Metre European Champion 2022 in tomorrow’s final race.

In the Classic Division Nirvana tried a port tack start in race six too but her timing was off and she was forced to tack after only a few seconds by Titia who then sailed over her and pinned her out to the left . Bribon 500 meanwhile had opted to start at the committee boat and tack early to get into the lift along the shore earlier. Once again this supremely skilled team were on the money and they led the race from start to finish. Essentia took second, Titia third and Ted Schauman’s Lisbeth V from Finland fourth.

Race seven for the Classics was all about Titia. She got a great start and was first to tack off to the shore. Bribon 500 found herself a little bit buried but soon worked her way out of trouble and by the top mark was hard on Titia’s heels with Essentia third and Germany’s Thomas Khumann’s Hanko III fourth. Although Titia and Bribon 500 extended on the fleet the leading four held their positions all the way to the line, securing the Championship for Bribon 500 and the silver medal for Essentia.

Tomorrow’s final Classics race will decide who takes the last step on the podium between Titia, who has jumped from fifth to third on 19 points, and Nirvana who had her worst day of the regatta with a pair of sixth places and now sits on 20 points overall. Both boats are discarding a sixth so it’s going to be an exciting last race.

Classics runner up Catalin Trantafir was delighted with Essentia’s result saying, “We are actually the newest team in the class, which is pretty much funny so I did not expect so tough competition I would say. its been all good so far. This summer we got second place, hopefully next year we return stronger and put a bit of pressure on the champions.”

After racing the crews came together at the Clube Naval de Cascais for a Gala Championship Dinner, which got underway with cocktails and canapés on the terrace as the sunset and then moved onto a delicious meal in the clubhouse. Once again the club’s generosity has been outstanding and the guests enjoyed wonderful food and local wines as well as each other’s company.

The Race Committee has confirmed that it intends to start tomorrow’s final race at 14:00. The forecast promises 10 to 14 knots from the north-west and more glorious sunshine so we look set for a spectacular final day here in Cascais.

Further information about the Championship can be found at the event website, at http://www.6metre.com and on the ISMA Facebook page .

For additional information and images please contact ISMA Press Officer Fiona Brown on fiona.brown@fionabrown.com or +44 7711 718470
Provisional Top Five Results After Seven Races

Open Division

1st – POR4 – Seljm – Patrick Monteiro de Barros – 3, 1, (7), 1, 5, 4, 1 = 15
2nd – GBR86 – Scoundrel One – Vasco Pereira – 4, 4, 2, (8), 1, 1, 4 = 16
3rd – SUI142 – Momo – Dieter Schoen – 1, 6, 1, (DSQ(11)), 4, 2, 3 = 17
4th – SUI140 – Ginkgo Too – Jan Eckert – 5, 2, 4, 3, (8), 3, 5 = 22
5th – ESP16 – Stella – Violeta Alvarez – 2, (9), 3, 2, 6, 6, 6 = 25

Classic Division

1st – ESP16 – Bribon 500 – Ross Macdonald – (2), 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2 = 8
2nd – ROU65 – Essentia – Catalin Trandafir – (4), 4, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 = 15
3rd – ESP72 – Titia – Mauricio Sanchez Bella – (6), 2, 5, 5, 3, 3, 1 = 19
4th – GBR33 – Nirvana – Andy & Lisa Postle – 1, 3, 4, 2, 4, 6, (6) = 20
5th – USA96 – Hanko III – Thomas Kuhmann – 3, (5), 3, 4, 5, 5, 4 = 20
5th –

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The Clube Naval de Cascais Race Committee had their work cut out on the third day of the 2022 International Six Metre European Championship as overcast skies and light and shifting winds were the order of the day. It was a day of close racing and lots of place changes with some new faces gracing the front of the fleet.

With five races now completed Portugal’s Patrick Montiero de Barros’ Seljm continues to lead the Open Division by two points. Vasco Pereira, who is also from Cascais and is sailing Scoundrel One, has moved up from fourth to second, three points ahead of Violeta Alvarez’s Stella which remains in third. Switzerland’s Ginkgo Too helmed by Jan Eckert drops from second to fourth and fellow Swiss Dieter Schoen’s Momo rounds out the top five again.

In the Classic Division Spain’s Bribon 500, helmed by Ross Macdonald continues to lead overall. Trandafir Catalin’s Essentia from Romania and Andy & Lisa Postle’s Nirvana from Great Britain are neck and neck on points with Essentia claiming second on countback. Germany’s Thomas Kuhmann aboard Hanko III is lying fourth, just one point ahead of Mauricio Sanchez Bella’s Titia from Spain.

The CNC’s International Race Officers José Cancella de Abreu and Miguel Amaral, who this week have been working with Alejandro Martin de Pazos from the Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo, had briefed the competitors to expect a delay to racing but to anticipate a 6 knot west-south-westerly wind that would clock right when it did fill in. The committee went afloat to track the situation and timed calling the boats to the race area perfectly, getting race five of the eight race series under way just over an hour later than originally planned.

As predicted the wind did indeed fill in from the west-south-west at around 6 knots and clocked right, and the mark layers kept up with the shifts masterfully to give the best race possible. The Open Division was able to complete a full two lap windward/leeward course, but the Committee wisely decided to finish the Classic Division at the second weather mark as the wind was starting to destabilise again.

In the Open Division some new faces graced the front of the fleet for the first time this week. The Portuguese team of Vasco Pereira aboard Scoundrel One is new to Sixes but has been gaining experience rapidly and today put that and their local knowledge to good use, claiming their first race victory. The team includes three time Olympian Diogo Cayolla and top dinghy sailors Tiago Morais and Diego Barros, who is also a successful Dragon crew. Following them home was Six Metre veteran Jeremy Thorpe’s Battle Cry, with Stephan Lindberg’s Jane Anne and Momo hard on his heels. Regatta leader Seljm took fifth, adding another solid score to their card.

After racing Vasco Pereira was full of praise for the class, his crew and the event, saying; “I like it a lot, it’s an amazing boat and an amazing crew and a lot of fun so far and good races. I think we were very fortunate today, we were able to do a very good race. We started very strong, we started in the front, and we kept it until the end of the race, so a good upgrade from yesterday. Now we want to race the best that we can and hope for the best.”

In the Classic Division Essentia, whose crew includes Olympic Bronze Medallists Hugo Rocha and Eric Jespersen, got a spectacular start and led the race all the way to the finish. Following them home was Jespersen’s Olympic helm Ross Macdonald in Bribon 500, whose crew also includes fellow Olympian Alejandro Abascal, with Titia third, Nirvana fourth and Hanko III fifth.

Five races, the minimum number required to validate the championship, have now been completed, there are three more races to sail in the remaining two days and once a sixth race has been completed a single discard will be introduced.

The forecast for day five is for stronger north-north-westerly winds and the Race Committee has confirmed that it intends to get racing underway at the earlier time of 13:00 with races six and seven of the eight race series programmed. Racing continues until Saturday 10 September.

Further information about the Championship can be found at the event website, at http://www.6metre.com and on the ISMA Facebook page .

For additional information and images please contact ISMA Press Officer Fiona Brown on fiona.brown@fionabrown.com or +44 7711 718470
Provisional Top Five Results After Five Races

Open Division

1st – POR4 – Seljm – Patrick Monteiro de Barros – 3, 1, 7, 1, 5 = 17
2nd – GBR86 – Scoundrel One – Vasco Pereira – 4, 4, 2, 8, 1 = 19
3rd – ESP16 – Stella – Violeta Alvarez – 2, 9, 3, 2, 6 = 22
4th – SUI140 – Ginkgo Too – Jan Eckert – 5, 2, 4, 3, 8 = 22
5th – SUI142 – Momo – Dieter Schoen – 1, 6, 1, DSQ(11), 4 = 23

Classic Division

1st – ESP16 – Bribon 500 – Ross Macdonald – 2, 1, 1, 1, 2 = 7
2nd – ROU65 – Essentia – Catalin Trandafir – 4, 4, 2, 3, 1 = 14
3rd – GBR33 – Nirvana – Andy & Lisa Postle – 1, 3, 4, 2, 4 = 14
4th – USA96 – Hanko III – Thomas Kuhmann – 3, 5, 3, 4, 5 = 20
5th – ESP72 – Titia – Mauricio Sanchez Bella – 6, 2, 5, 5, 3 = 21

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7 September 2022 – Cascais, Portugal – Cascais delivered more glorious conditions for day two of the International Six Metre European Championship 2022. Two further races, races three and four of the eight race series, were completed in an 6-10 knot westerly. It was a day of snakes and ladders in the Open Division where Patrick Monteiro de Barros’s Seljm continues to lead the regatta by a narrow two point margin and close rival Dieter Schoen’s Momo was disqualified from race four. In the Classic Division Ross Macdonald and the crew of Bribon 500 dominated the day to win both races and give themselves a five point lead at the half way stage in the regatta.

For overnight Open Division leader Seljm, a 1988 Pelle Petterson design that finished third at the 2018 and 2021 European Championships, the day did not get off to a great start, picking the wrong side of the beat and rounding the first mark near the bottom of the fleet. They did their best to pull back but could do no better than seventh. Up ahead Dieter Schoen’s brand new Judel-Vrolijk designed Momo stormed away to victory with Vasco Pereira’s 1986 Petterson designed Scoundrel One just pipping Violeta Alvarez’s 2017 Juan Kouyoumdjian designed Stella for second on the line. Jan Eckert’s Ginkgo Too, a 2020 Javier Cela design, took fourth and defending European Champion Thisbe, another Petterson boat, this time from 1987 and owned by Michel Teweles and Philip Durr, finished fifth.

The tables appeared to be turned in Open Division race four where Momo was over the line for the second time in the regatta following a start line incident with Vasco Pereira’s Scoundrel One and had to spend the race playing catch up, crossing the line in sixth place. Seljm won the pin end at the start and headed off on port tack, making the most of their local knowledge to lead by the first mark. From here they confidently defended all the way to the finish and their second win of the regatta. Stella and Ginkgo Too had a great battle around the course with Stella taking second on the line. The New York Yacht Club’s Stephan Lindberg sailing Jane Anne, a 1985 Petterson design which finished third at the 2006 European in Flensburgh, crossed the line fourth with Jeremy Thorpe’s Battle Cry, an Ian Howlett design from 1988, fifth.

Back ashore though that start line incident was to come back to haunt Momo as she found herself being protested by Scoundrel One. The International Jury, chaired by Ireland’s Gordon Davies, found that Momo, as windward boat, had failed to keep clear of Scoundrel One breaking RRS11 and she was disqualified.

In the Open Division overall standings Seljm retains her lead by a two point margin. Ginkgo Too now lies in second, while Stella has moved up into third with a three point delta over the locally based Scoundrel One and Momo now rounds out the top five overall.

After sailing Stella’s Violeta Alvarez talked about her hopes for the remainder of the regatta, saying; “It’s lovely to be here in Cascais. I love the club and I love the water and I’m delighted to be sailing here. My strategy is to follow the tactician, do as I’m told and try to keep the boat fast. I would like to be in the top three really. There are a lot of very good sailors here who have a lot of experience and are more knowledgable than me so for me it would be a great achievement.”

While Bribon 500, which won the 2017 and ’18 Worlds and ’19 and ’21 Europeans with HM King Juan Carlos of Spain at the helm, dominated the Classics today with two wins, the battle for the remaining podium positions remains fierce. In race three Catalin Trandafir’s Essentia, a 1956 Sparkman and Stephens design formerly known as Buzzy III which was purchased by her current owner earlier this year, took second place from Thomas Kuhmann’s 1955 Bjarne Aas designed Hanko III. Andy and Lisa Postle’s Nirvana, a stunning replica of a 1939 Olin Stephens design, finished fourth.

In Classic Division race four Nirvana and Essentia did battle all the way round the course with Nirvana eventually getting the upper hand to follow Bribon 500 across the line, with Essentia third, Hanko III fourth and Maurizio Sanchez Bella’s Titia fifth. In the Classic overall standings Bribon 500 now has a five point lead over Nirvana, with Essentia three points behind in third, Hanko III fourth and Tita fifth.

After racing Andy Postle was full of praise for the racing in Cascais. “We’d heard lots of scare stories about strong winds and big seas, but we were reassured by Patrick [Monteiro de Barros of Seljm] that conditions would be much more moderate at this time of year so we decided to come. The three days of the King Juan Carlos and the racing so far this week have been perfect so we made the right decision!”

Back ashore the crews once agin enjoyed delicious complimentary local wines and foods on the club’s waterfront terrace. The après sailing is an important part of the Six Metre culture and is the perfect opportunity for friends old and new to mingle. With sailors from across the globe competing this week its a truly multinational gathering.

Furthest travelled are the Woodoo crew from Port Madison Yacht Club in Seattle, Washington. The Pacific North West is a stronghold of Six Metre sailing and this team have long supported the international circuit, regularly attending regattas in Europe with crews of family and friends, Their crew this week comprises Andy and Erin Parker, Kerry Sherwin, Jenny Borschoff and Richard James. Woodoo is a 1991 Bergström and Ridder design and won the closely contested 1991 Six Metre World Cup, with her elegant lines and gleaming varnished hull she is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful boats racing in the Open Division this week.

The forecast for day three is for more light to moderate westerly winds and the Race Committee has confirmed that it intends to get racing underway at 14:00 with races five and six of the series programmed. Racing for the Championship continues until Saturday 10 September. A total of eight races are scheduled with five being required to declare a valid championship. Once six races have been completed a single race discard will be introduced.

Further information about the Championship can be found at the event website, at http://www.6metre.com and on the ISMA Facebook page .

For additional information and images please contact ISMA Press Officer Fiona Brown on fiona.brown@fionabrown.com or +44 7711 718470

Provisional Top Five Results After Four Races

Open Division

1st – POR4 – Seljm – Patrick Monteiro de Barros – 3, 1, 7, 1 = 12
2nd – SUI140 – Ginkgo Too – Jan Eckert – 5, 2, 4, 3 = 14
3rd – ESP16 – Stella – Violeta Alvarez – 2, 9, 3, 2 = 16
4th – GBR86 – Scoundrel One – Vasco Pereira – 4, 4, 2, 8 = 18
5th – SUI142 – Momo – Dieter Schoen – 1, 6, 1, DSQ(11) = 19

Classic Division

1st – ESP16 – Bribon 500 – Ross Macdonald – 2, 1, 1, 1 = 5
2nd – GBR33 – Nirvana – Andy & Lisa Postle – 1, 3, 4, 2 = 10
3rd – ROU65 – Essentia – Catalin Trandafir – 4, 4, 2, 3 = 13
4th – USA96 – Hanko III – Thomas Kuhmann – 3, 5, 3, 4 = 15
5th – ESP72 – Titia – Mauricio Sanchez Bella – 6, 2, 5, 5 = 18

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