The 2026 International Six Metre European Championships will be hosted by the Society Nautique de Geneve on beautiful Lake Geneva, Switzerland. The event website is now live and the Notice of Race is available to download.
The Championships will take place from 19 to 24 July and will be preceded by the Swiss Championship on 15 to 17 July, which will act as a warm up regatta for the Europeans.
Further information about these events will follow in due course.
Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club (SCYC) and the Six Metre Class have a long and illustrious history. Founded in 1871 and located on Oyster Bay, New York, SCYC is America’s oldest yacht club and its association with the Sixes goes right back to the class’s foundation in 1907. The club last hosted a Six Metre World Championships in 1987 and so the class is excited to be returning to this very special venue for its 2025 Worlds from 22 to 26 September 2025.
Oyster Bay and Long Island Sound are renowned as some of the best sailing waters in the world and more than 30 Sixes from across the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Greece and the United Kingdom will come together to race for the World Championship Trophies.
Competitors will include the defending Six Metre Classic World Champion, His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain, racing his beloved Bribon, the 1947 Arvid Laurin design which was built by Plym in Sweden. Having won three of the last four Classic World Championships, His Majesty will no doubt be keen to claim the trophy again.
In 2023 Jamie Hilton and his crew won the Open Division World Championship sailing Scoundrel. This year Jamie and his team will return to the fray, but this time racing a brand new boat, designed by Ian Howlett for the legendary Six Metre owner Rainer Müller. Currently nearing completion at Demon Yachts in the UK, this is Ian Howlett’s first new Six in some years and is a direct descendent of his Battlecry and Soundrel designs, which have been so successful in recent years.
Ian Howlett explains that the boat will only be completed just in time for the championship. “Around the turn of the new year the intended build time was foreshortened when the decision was made to take her to the 2025 Worlds in Seawanhaka. She will be sailed by the highly accomplished group, led by Jamie Hilton, who raced Scoundrel so effectively in 2023 at Cowes, and this group have also specified her deck layout, equipment and rig. Those contributing to the build at this end will do all we can to make things work out well for them, as racing a new and untried boat in a major regatta is always a considerable challenge. For me the pleasure and excitement of seeing a new Six take shape had almost been lost in the “Mists of Time” so above all Thank You to Rainer for making this possible.”
Back in the class for their first World Championship since 2015 will be Matt Brooks and his stunning classic Lucie, a 1931 Clinton H Crane design which was built by Nevins for Briggs Cunningham, the famous America’s Cup skipper. Lucie was launched into the heyday of Six Metre racing at SCYC and was shipped to the Solent as part of the US team for that year’s British-American Cup team racing, which the US team won in four straight races.
“We’re looking forward to returning Lucie to the starting line at a World Championship on her original home waters of Long Island Sound—Lucie was built at the Nevins yard in 1931 on City Island, New York. Hailing from the Bay Area and flying the St. Francis Yacht Club burgee, we have an experienced team including helmsman Craig Healy, and our philosophy is like the Oakland Raiders’ Al Davis always said: ‘Just win, baby!’” – Matt Brooks.
Such is the resurgence of interest in the Six Metre Class at the current time that there will be two brand new Sixes on the starting line for the worlds. Mr America’s Cup himself Dennis Conner will participate aboard his new boat Ole Miss, a Javi Cela design launched in San Diego in late 2024. Ole Miss continues the recent trend of radical developments in the Modern Sixes, and it will be exciting to see her line up against the likes of Henrik Andersin’s Oiva, the reigning Six Metre Open European Champion, which was designed by Allan Savolainen and built by Red Sky yachts, launching in October 2022, and of course the new Howlett boat.
Registration and measurement for the Championship starts on 17 September, on September 20 and 21 there will be warm up racing, and World Championships will run from 22 to 26 September, with a total of eight races scheduled. The club will also be hosting Six Metre regattas on 21-22 June, 19-20 July and 16-17 August for competitors who wish to familiarise themselves with the waters.
Further information about the event can be found at 2025.6metreworlds.com
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
International 6 Metre Association 