Mr America’s Cup himself, the one and only Dennis Conner, has recently unveiled his brand new Six Metre, designed and built by Spain’s Javi Celar.
The boat has recently been launched in San Diego and Dennis is preparing the compete at the 2025 Six Metre Worlds in Seawanhaka in September. With her low freeboard and unusual bow she certainly stand out from the crowd and we look forward to finding out more about this exciting new project soon and to seeing her in action at the Worlds.
The 2024 ISMA AGM was held in Sanxenxo, Spain on 28 September and a number of key decisions were made and proposals received. Full minutes of the meeting will be circulated to members by email. Below is an overview of some of the key points discussed.
ISMA President Louis Heckly (FRA11 Fun) welcomed the members to the meeting.
He also welcomed new ISMA Secretary Helena Paz to her first AGM. Helena thanked Louis and all the members for their support as she takes on her new role, and in particular thanked outgoing Secretary Tim Russell for his assistance during the handover period. She confirmed that she is very much enjoying her new role and participating in her first ISMA AGM.
Peter Wealick made a short presentation about plans for the 2025 International Six Metre World Championships, being hosted by the Seawanhaka Corithian Yacht Club on Long Island Sound and looked forward to welcoming the international competitors for the event next September.
It was confirmed that the 2026 International Six Metre European Championships will be held on Lake Geneva. Further information will be made available in due course.
It was confirmed that the 2027 International Six Metre World Championships will be held at Nyländska Jaktklubben (NJK), Helsinki, Finland. Further information will be made available in due course.
Chairman Louis Heckley confirmed that bids are now being sought to host the 2028 International Six Metre European Championships.
An official bid by Yacht Club Costa Smerald (ITA) for the 2029 Six Metre World Championships was very well received by competitors. This will be formally presented to and discussed at the ISMA winter meeting.
Foti Lykiardopulo (GRE1 Aera) was elected as the new ISMA Treasurer.
The proposal to adopt a new measurement certificate format was voted for unanimously.
The inaugural edition of SIX Magazine, which was published in spring 2024, was discussed and confirmed a great success. It was unanimously agreed that ISMA will proceed with a 2025 edition.
ISMA VP Marketing Ossi Paija requested that the matter of class brand and logos be reviewed. It was agreed that this will be added to the Agenda for the Winter Meeting for discussion
The ISMA Winter Meeting will be held in Geneva on 28 February and 1 March. Further details will be circulated to members directly in due course.
If you require further information about any aspect of the AGM please contact the ISMA Executive Secretary on IsmaSecretary@6metre.com
Sadly strong winds and big seas prevented racing on the final day of the International Six Metre European Championship 2024 Trofeo Xacobeo in Sanxenxo. After seven fiercely fought races two worthy champions have been declared.
The Open Division 2024 Six Metre European Champion and winner of the Coppa Giovanelli is FIN81 Oiva (2022 designer Allan Savolainen), skippered by Henrik Andersin and crewed by Robert Nyberg, Jacob Granqvist, Theis Palm and the boat’s designer Allan Savolainen, sailing for Nylandska JK.
Henrik Andersin explained that this is the happy culmination of many years of commitment to the Six Metres. “Oh, it feels great. I’ve been chasing this for 21 years. I’ve never won a championship of this size before, so I’m really happy. And, we have a fantastic crew, and I think the organisation here did a really good job with the bad weather situation. So I think the regatta is a success. We believe the boat is good in all weathers. It’s very well balanced. And it’s a new boat. We have had one and a half years of practice on it, and now I think we know what it’s all about.”
The Open Division podium is completed by silver medallist GBR89 Battlecry (1988 designer Ian Howlett), skippered by Jeremy Thorp and crewed by Pedro Costa, Philip Parry, Wouter Stiphout and Joao Matos, sailing for the Royal Yacht Squadron. And in bronze position is SUI77 Junior (1981 designer Pelle Petterson), owned by Rainer Muller, skippered by Loic Forestier and crewed by Mathieu Fischer, Yann Marilley, Kaspar Schadegg and Nicolas Berthoud, sailing for SN de Geneve.
In the Classic Division His Majesty Juan Carlos of Spain has successfully defended his European title with the beautiful ESP16 Bribon (1947 designer Arvid Laurin), crewed by Alejandro Abascal, Ross Macdonald, Lino Perez, Roi Alvarez and Eduardo Marin Lasheras, sailing for the RCN Sanxenxo. At the Prize Giving Gala Dinner they once again received the President Woodrow Wilson Trophy to rousing applause.
Bribon crew member Roi Alvarez spoke on behalf of his team saying, “Well, the truth is that it’s been pretty tough, we’ve had a bit of everything. There have been very variable days, days with a lot of wind, days like yesterday, with very, very little and a bit of a roll. Yesterday we managed to withstand the pressure a little bit because there were some very complicated moments where we were on the verge of losing the championship, but in the end, we managed to come in fourth in the last race and keep the lead. I think that in the end we always went out on the water trying to stay on top and be consistent. We have the advantage of being a very competitive boat. I think that in all wind conditions, and I think that’s key in championships that last many days, not just on the days when it’s windy to be in the top five or six, but on the days when it’s not windy. We would like to thank everyone involved in the championship, to the club for the organisation, to the committee that didn’t have easy conditions to make this championship but were nonetheless able to complete seven out of eight possible races.”.
The Classic Division podium was completed by silver medallist FIN80 Astree III (1959 designer Bjarn Aas), skippered by Ossi Paija, crewed by Thomas Hallberg, Sam Faguerlund, Heikki Pulsa and Kimmo Viljamaa, sailing for the Nylandska JK. And in Bronze Medal position was the RCN Sanxenxo based ESP72 Titia, skippered by Mauricio Sanchez-Bella Carswell and crewed by Alicia Freire Vazquez, Pepe Lis Santos, Francisco Gonzalez Sanchez and Gerado Prego Menor.
The Championship closed with a superb formal prize giving dinner hosted in the club’s elegant dining room, where the crews came together to honour their champions. This historic class has gathered some spectacular trophies over the years and the names on these trophies represent a veritable who’s who of yachting over almost a century. The special trophy award winners this year were:
Titia won the The Lucie Trophy, for the best performing crew in which at least one crew member must be female.
The Nelson Trophy, for the best performing Open Division boat constructed and certified before 6 September 1979 with no underwater modifications, was awarded to Nicolas Jaton’s SUI91 Irene, a 1977 Pelle Petterson design.
The IYRS Astor Cup, for the boat with at least one crew member under the age of 25, was won by ESP59 Aida (1936 Bjarn Aas) owned by Francisco Botas of the RCN Coruna and skippered by Javier De La Gandara Alonso.
The August Ringvold Trophy, for boats originally built to the First or Second Rule, was won by Dirk Stolp and Tom Owen GBR40 Valdai, which was designed to the Second International Rule by the legendary Alfred Mylne in 1930 and built by the Bute Slip Doc Co at Port Bannatyne on the Clyde.
There are also special trophies for the all-amateur Corinthian crews, and this year the Trofeo Pierre-Paul Heckly, for the Open Division Corinthian Champion, was won by SUI191 Irene, and the Trofeo May Be VI, for the Classic Corinthian Champion, went to FIN80 Astree III
As the regatta drew to a close, International Six Metre Association President Louis Heckly was fulsome in his praise for his fellow competitors and the organisers. “It’s been an extraordinary but wonderful regatta. We have two truly worthy winners in his Majesty King Juan Carlos’ Bribon, and Henrik Andersin’s Oiva. I am particularly delighted for Henrik as he has been such a wonderful supporter of the Six Metres for more than two decades and I know this victory means a great deal to him. Once again, the Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo has thrown open its doors to welcome the Sixes and provide us with an outstanding championship. The Race Committee showed exceptional skill in judging the unusually difficult conditions to achieve almost all the races, and we are all most grateful to the club’s members and staff for their warm hospitality, and to the sponsors for their generous support. Sanxenxo holds a special place in our hearts, and we look forward to returning.”
FINAL TOP FIVE
OPEN DIVISION
CLASSIC DIVISION
Due to strong winds, big seas and poor visibility no racing is possible on the final day of the International Six Metre European Championship 2024 Trofeo Xacobeo, and so we are delighted to announce that our 2024 European Champions are:
Open Six Metre European Champions 2024 – FIN81 Oiva (2022 designer Allan Savolainen), skippered by Henrik Andersin and crewed by Robert Nyberg, Jacob Granqvist, Theis Palm and the boat’s designer Allan Savolainen, sailing for Nylandska JK.
Classic Six Metre European Champions 2024 – ESP16 Bribon (1947 designer Arvid Laurin), skippered by His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain and crewed by Alejandro Abascal, Ross Macdonald, Lino Perez, Roy Alvarez and Eduardo Marin Lasheras, sailing for the RCN Sanxenxo.
In the Open Division our podium is completed by:
Open Division Silver Medallist GBR89 Battlecry (1988 designer Ian Howlett), skippered by Jeremy Thorp and crewed by Pedro Costa, Philip Parry, Wouter Stipout and Joao Matos, sailing for the Royal Yacht Squadron.
Open Division Bronze Medallist SUI77 Junior (1981 designer Pelle Petterson), owned by Rainer Muller, skippered by Loic Forestier and crewed by Mathieu Fischer, Yann Marilley, Kaspar Schadegg and Nicolas Berthoud, sailing for SN de Geneve.
In the Classic Division our podium is completed by:
Classic Division Silver Medallist FIN80 Astree III (1959 Bjarn Aas) skippered by Ossi Paija and crewed by Thomas Hallberg, Sam Fauerlaund, Heikki Pulse and Kimmo Viljamaa, sailing for the Nylandska JK.
Classic Division Bronze Medallist ESP72 Titia (1952 designer David Boyd) skippered by Mauricio Sanchez-Bella Carswell, and crewed by Alicia Freire Vazquez, Pepe Lis Santos, Francisco Gonzalez Sanchez and Gerardo Preto Menor, sailing for the RCN Sanxenxo.
The Gala Prize Giving Dinner will take place at the Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo this evening and we will have a full report for you including confirmation of all our special division winners and photos later.
The sun finally came out on day five of the International Six Metre European Championships 2024 Trofeo Xacobeo, where it was all change on the leaderboards as races six and seven of the eight race series were completed for both Open and Classic Divisions and the single scoring discard came into play.
Once again there was an initial postponement as the visibility improved and the wind filled in. But the wait was worth it and both races were run in a light and pleasantly warm, if rather shifty, six to eight knot south westerly. After the wet and windy conditions earlier in the regatta it was a welcome change of pace for the teams.
In the Open Division new faces came to the fore and the overnight leaders both struggled. Henrik Andersin’s Oiva (2022 Allan Savolainen) took a second and third place to bounce up from third into a five-point overall lead. Jeremy Thorp’s Battlecry (1988 Ian Howlett) went into the day in fifth and added a pair of fifths to his card, so now sits in second place. A single point behind him is Rainer Muller’s Junior (1981 Pelle Petterson), skippered by Loic Forestier, who drops out of the lead after a seventh and eighth place.
Defending Open Division Champion Dieter Schoen’s Momo (2022 Judel Vrolijk) hasn’t had the best of weeks so far, but she found form again today to win race six and take second in race seven, putting her into fourth overall but on equal points with Junior. Also off her usual pace was Violeta Alvarez’s Stella (2017 Juan Kouyoumdjian), who could manage no better than a sixth and eighth so drops from second into fifth, a point behind Junior and Momo. The day’s other race winner was Nick and Fotis Lykiardopolou’s Aera (1988 Pelle Petterson) who scored a fourth and then won race seven to end the day in sixth overall.
A pre-start port/starboard incident between Eugenio Galdon Brugarolas’ Maybe XIV and Basil Vasiliou’s Jane Ann, skippered by Steffan Lindberg, sadly saw Jane Ann holed above the waterline. Maybe XIV retired from the race and the Jury awarded Jane Ann average points, which means she sadly drops down from fourth overall to sixth.
Back ashore Henrik Andersin was delighted with Oiva’s performance. “Today was a very challenging day, and we didn’t have much wind. It’s weird hanging around for a long time. We really thought it was a hard sail. I think the feeling in the Open Class is just great. We are helping each other, and we support each other. So, it’s going great. And I think also our crew is very happy!”
In the Classic Division His Majesty King Juan Carlos’ Bribon (1947 Arvin Laurin) took an eighth in race six, which she immediately discarded, followed by a fourth in race seven, which was just sufficient to allow her to retain the overall Classic Division lead. However, Ossi Paija’s Astree II (1959 Bjarn Aas) fared much better with a pair of second places and now sits just a single point behind Bribon.
Ten points behind in third place of the Classics is Mauricio Sanchez-Bella Carswell’s Titia (1952 David Boyd) after a pair of seventh places. But the boat of the day in the Classics fleet was without doubt Francisco Botas’ Aida (1931 Alfred Mylne), skippered by Javier De La Gandara Alonso, which put in a stunning performance to win both races and move into fourth overall, four points ahead of Louis Heckly’s Fun (1937 Olin Stephens), which had added fourth and ninth to her card, dropping one place down the ranking.
Diego Fernandez of Aida explained that the conditions played a big part in their double race victory. “It was a light wind day which the boat enjoys. We hit the right shifts. We had a good start and steady racing. We got quite a lot right, and the boat was going very well, very fast. After days of strong wind, big waves, days when the boat wasn’t going well, we were a little bit stressed and the truth is that today the boat was going very well in light wind, and the crew were delighted. Today is the special type of day when everything comes together, to do two firsts everything has to be perfect, otherwise the others will beat you. It’s incredibly tough racing, all good boats, good helms, good trimmers, very tough. We’re all very close together and you have to stick your head out metre by metre.”
With a single race left to complete on the final day of the competition the rankings in both Divisions remain wide open. The forecast for the last day is tricky to read to say the least. Torrential rain is more of less guaranteed, and the wind will be between south and southwest, but the wind strength could be anything from six to thirty knots. Fortunately, both the Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo’s Race Committee and the sailors are up for the challenge and so we look forward to a spectacular final show down.
PROVISIONAL RESULTS AFTER SEVEN RACES
OPEN DIVISION
CLASSIC DIVISION
Additional information about the 2024 International Six Metre European Championships is available at 6meuropeans2024.com. You can follow the regatta action online at:
International 6 Metre Association 