DUET is a Second Rule 6m, and although currently setup with a gaff rig for Mediterranean cup collecting, she still could be put back into 6m class with a Bermudian rig (not supplied, but she has a set of North 3DL Bermudian sails available).
On the market as her owner’s plans have changed, and has retired from classic yacht racing. She is a very special piece of our maritime history that also wins races and turns heads. She is being offered at a very modest figure and is VAT paid both in the UK and Europe. We have been instructed by the owner for a prompt sale, and hence the paltry asking price
Scoundrel takes the Open Division lead after a light airs fifth race at the Six Metre World Championship off Cowes
There was plenty of French Flair in the Classic Division where Dix Août consolidated her Classic Division lead with a third race win.
Fleet celebrates the almost 100-years of yachting history between the oldest and newest boats racing.
Crews enjoy the Regatta Dinner including a circus entertainer performance.
5 September 2023 – Cowes, UK – Conditions were extremely light on the third day of the International Six Metre World Championship in Cowes. With strong spring tides to consider the Royal Yacht Squadron Race Committee knew they had just a narrow window of opportunity to run a race during the slack water period. They postponed the race for an hour initially, but then called the teams out to the race area to await wind. Fortunately, their patience paid off and five to seven knots filled in from the south-east for just long enough to allow a single two lap race for both divisions to be completed.
With the breeze coming down the course in variable bands it was a tough day for the sailors despite the relatively benign (by Solent standards) current, which fortunately was against the boats upwind increasing the apparent wind and helping them to make progress over it. The late summer sun continued to shine and once again the fleet made a spectacular sight spread out against the Hillhead shore.
In the Open Division, race victory went to Dieter Schoen’s Momo, with Jamie Hilton’s Scoundrel second and Jan Eckert’s GinkgoToo third. In the overall Open standings Scoundrel has now moved up into first place, two points ahead of overnight leader Violeta Alvarez’ Stella, who finished sixth and now counts 18 points. Momo’s win puts her into third place, but she is tied on 25 points with Jeremy Thorp’s fourth placed Battlecry.
In the Classic Division the French were showing plenty of flair as reigning World Champion Dix Août, with Gery Trentesaux at the helm, took her third race win of the series. Dix Août’s owner Louis Heckly is instead sailing Fun this week and followed Dix Août across the line for second, their best result of the regatta so far. Mauricio Sanchez-Bella’s Titia finished third and His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain’s Bribon, being helmed by Ross McDonald, fourth.
Going into the day three boats were tied at the top of the Classic Division, Today’s result means that Dix Août has taken the lead by three points from Bribon, while Titia moves up into third from fourth. Patrick Sandman’s May Be VI had another good day with a fifth and moves from fifth into fourth. But for Simon Williams and his crew aboard Silvervingen a ninth in the race sees them drop from third overall to fifth, but still on equal points with May Be VI.
In the Corinthian Division for amateur crews (note – in this division each vessel may carry one professional Category 3 sailor who must not be the helmsman) the Open ranking is now being led by Philippe Durr and Rainer Muller’s Junior, who leads Reigh North’s Duclop and Bob Gatehouse’s Bravade. In the Classic Corinthian Division the overall leader if Patrick Sandman’s May Be VI, with Andy and Jan Short’s Nancy second and Thomas Kuhmann’s GER96 Hanko III third.
The minimum required number of five races have now been completed and there are three races remaining to be sailed between now and Friday 8 September. Once the sixth race is completed the single scoring discard will be introduced. The forecast for the penultimate day of racing looks promising with eight to fourteen knots from the east-south-east anticipated. Unfortunately, Friday’s forecast is very light again, so the Race Committee has announced that it will bring the start of Thursday’s racing forward half an hour to 11:00 and may elect to run all three remaining races to secure the championship.
Whilst racing may be the primary objective of this World Championship, it is also a celebration of the amazing history of the Six Metre Class. The boats participating represent almost a century of yachting history and for the owners, particularly those in the Classics, maintaining and enjoying that history and keeping the boats alive and racing is as important as the results.
All shoreside/social images (c) SailingShots by Maria Muiña
The oldest boat competing is Fenton Burgin’s GBR17 Sioma, which was designed by Johan Anker in 1926 and built by his Anker & Jensen boatyard for Mr Claud Allan, a Swedish shipping magnate, who raced her on the Clyde, which was then a hotbed of yacht racing activity. She was converted for ocean racing in the early 1930’s and raced under the name of Sona as one of the Royal Yachting Association Offshore Class, based at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. She eventually made her way into the hands of Jonathan Fairchild and Roger Baker who commissioned Clare Lallow’s yard in Cowes to undertake a massive rebuild and modernisation. This included a new Ian Howlett designed rig and considerable strengthening to take the resulting increase in rig tension. She was relaunched in 1997 and went on to win the 1998 European Classic Championship at Cowes. She was purchased by her current owner in 2008, who has continued to maintain her in superb condition and races her regularly with the British fleet.
Fenton Burgin explained the differences between sailing a Classic and a Modern Six. “The main differences are really around the rig tensions you can run, how hard you can push the boat. The Classics are much more a boat that needs care and tender loving. You need to think that this is 100 years old nearly and treat it as a piece of equipment that’s got some age to it.”
Anderin and his team are still on a steep learing curve as he explained, “We have about 20 days of sailing on her so it’s really new for us still, but it’s so much different than the old Moderns. There are much more electronics on board. We have ten sensors on board so we can collect data and maybe learn a little faster!”.
At the other end of the spectrum, we have Henrik Andersin’s FIN81 Oiva, an Allan Svolainen design built by Red Sky Yachts in Finland and launched in 2022. Henrik is an experienced Six Metre owner who has already owned several Classic and Modern Sixes and wanted a new build challenge. The design and build utilised the very latest technology and after eight months under construction Oiva, which translates to English at “Fantastic” hit the water on 28 September 2022 for a brief period of pre-winter training. Since then, she and her crew have been preparing for this, their first World Championship. To read more about the construction of Oiva click here.
Also, very dear to any Six Metre sailor’s heart is a good party! Wednesday evening saw the crews gather at the Cowes Yacht Haven Events Centre for the Regatta Dinner. The evening featured sunset drinks on the balcony, a delicious three course dinner, a speech by the Class’s always entertaining President Louis Heckly, and a truly mesmerising performance by a professional circus performer.
The regatta continues until Friday 8 September with up to three more races still to be sailed. A single discard will be introduced once six races have been sailed. No warning signal will be made after 15:00 on the final day of racing.
Additional information about the 2023 International Six Metre World Championship, including a list of entries with details of each boat is available at 6metreworlds.com.
Provisional Top Five Open Division after five races
The boat was designed and built in 1969 by Willy Lehman in Berlin. Initially she was given the sail number G20 and the name of “Michel”. In 1978 she was purchased by a new owner in Switzerland, receiving a new sail number (Z)SUI52 and the name of “Nisida”. During these years she took part to several international events, achieving excellent results:
Year
Event
Location
Ranking
1975
World Cup
Sandham, Sweden
4th
1977
World Cup
Marstrand, Sweden
9th
1978
European Championship
Alassio, Italy
5th
1980
European Championship
Geneva, Switzerland
5th
1988
World Cup
Falmouth, UK
11th
In 2002 the boat changed hands again and was moved to Noirmoutier on the French Atlantic coast, taking the sail number F69. The current owner purchased her in 2019 and brought her back to Switzerland, on Geneva Lake (Versoix). Under her new name “Gedale”, SUI52 is regularly sailing and participating in all the events of Challenge Lemanique. Her magnificent mahogany hull and teak deck as well as the aluminium mast (replaced in 2003) are sound and SUI52 is performing well, particularly upwind and in medium-light weather conditions. However, a thorough revision of running rig and a new set of sails will be required to fully deliver her potential.
Build year: 1969
Designer: Willy Lehmann
Builder: Lehmann, Berlin, Germany
Main dimensions as in the Certificate of Rating (June 06, 2021):
Overall Length 10,240 m
LWL 7,707 m
Sail Area 43,203 m2
Weight 4080 kg
Asking price: 25.000 CHF Any serious offer will be considered.
“Johan of Rhu” GBR 65 is a 1939 McGruer design, near sister to “Caprice” GBR 48, and was built for Sir James Howden Hulme in 1939. (The Glasgow family history of the Howdens is widely documented). After having being laid up during WW II, James Howden Hulme reentered “Johan of Rhu” in 6MR racing on the Clyde, where he and Sir Frank Spriggs owner of “Caprice” dominated the scene against a number of other sixes.
In 1947 the pre trials for the 1948 Olympics took place in Torbay. Here again the two rivals from the races on the Clyde were dominant with “Johan of Rhu” gaining the upper hand over “Caprice” and was elected to represent Great Britain in the 1948 Olympics.
Later “Johan of Rhu” participated successfully in numerous races that followed in the British-American Cup Team Races. These took place at Cowes on the Solent, on the Clyde and in Oyster Bay , New York between 1948 and 1954.
Eventually the boat ended up in Canada for a large number of years, where its history became somewhat obscure until it was discovered and purchased near Vancouver in 2011 by the present owner.
The boat was shipped in a container from Canada and arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark in January 2012.
RESTORATION AND REFIT
During the later years in Canada “Johan of Rhu” had deteriorated and was in a state of badly needed refit and restoration. This work was carried out at Skovshoved Boatyard in Copenhagen under supervision of an old experienced traditional boatbuilder. The work was completed in 2018 and is widely documented in photos which are available upon request.
Briefly a large number of frames were either replaced or spliced to existing frames with at the upper part still in good shape. Lower planks were replaced to the extent necessary and a number floors were replaced and made stronger. The keel was dismounted and fitted with new keelbolts. The hull was turned up-side down while the keel was off and was sanded and faired prior to a professional West System Coat treatment comprising the entire hull. After the hull had been re erected the keel was refitted and a new deck laid. The deck consisting of 15 mm Oregon pine with mahogany trim on 9 mm marine plywood. A number of deck beams were being replaced to the extent it was found necessary.
Eventually a great number of hours were spent doing the cosmetic finishing, with the result speaking for itself. The boat has undergone a complete restoration including a new interior and is ready to sail.
EQUIPMENT
Stearn aluminium mast upgraded to latest 6M specifications. Stainless steel rod rigging. 2 main sails (one with only little use). 2 genoas (one with only little use). 1 medium genoa (with only little use). 2 spinnakers used in fair condion. 1 aluminium spinnaker pole. 2 Lewmar whinches and 2 Barient winches. + 2 original under deck winches for hoisting of halyards Steel cradle which fits into a container for shipment
“Jo Ann” will be delivered with a current valid measurement certificate.
Currently located in Sanxenxo, Galicia, Spain.
Contact Olaf Damm – phone +45 28563966 or +34 669233688, Email olafdamm@hotmail.com
Create your own Modern! The Moulds for the 2020 Javi Cela Design, from which Ginkgo Too was built, are for sale.
Use foils as previously built or commission updates to your wishes. Rig and deck configurations up to you. This is a known quick hullshape and an easy way to fulfil your dreams of a new Modern. Moulds carefully stored at Isashiyard Composites, Cadiz, Spain.
International 6 Metre Association 