19 July 2016 – Brunnen, Switzerland -Since the start of the International 6 Metre European Championship Lake Lucerne has been presenting herself in the very best light possible. The sailors have been greeted with plenty of sunshine and winds of between 8 and 16 knots. With just one more day of racing to come, six of the eight races scheduled have been completed and this year’s European Championship is well on track. Day three of racing saw two more races sailed in glorious conditions that allowed the crews to show off the true beauty and power of 6 Metre racing.
Swiss continue to lead Open Division
The Europeans are raced in two categories: the Classics for yachts built before 1965 and the Open Division. In the later Swiss Skipper Jean-Luc Monnard on Junior continued to sail very consistently adding another first and second to his scorecard, which means he now has a comfortable overall lead of 6 points. US boat Sting with Russ Siilvestri at the helm also scored a second and first, which puts him into second place on twelve points. Paul Smith’s Valhalla from Great Britain managed to defend her third position despite finishing twelfth in race five, his worst results of the series so far, before coming back with a third in race six. Valhalla is on twenty-two points, ten behind Sting but only two points ahead of fourth placed Courage IX, owned by Norbert Stadler.
New leader in the Classic Division
In the Classic division it was all change as second placed Nada from Great Britain with Skipper Poul Hoj-Jensen won race five and finished third in race six to move up into the overall lead by a single point from US competitor Llanoria with Eric Jespersen at the helm. Third place in the Classic Division going into the final day’s racing is filled by Henrik Andersin’s Djinn of Finland who sits eight points behind Llanoria and just one point ahead of fourth placed Flapper, owned by Lars Guck of Norway.
Two races remain to be sailed on the final day of the Championship and we can look forward to a terrific finale to what has already been an excellent championship. With six race now sailed the yachts will discard their worst score, and if all 8 races are sailed they will discard their worst two scores.
About the International Six Metre Class
The class has managed to retain the heritage of international class racing in thoroughbred boats that don’t have to break the bank. We believe some 1225 Six Metres exist around the world today. Early Fife boats built in 1907 are still racing – often against new Moderns. Some classics have been beautifully modified for cruising; several race only occasionally. The class has managed to cover a wide range of sailing need. All have one thing in common: their distinctive sailing silhouette and an adherence to a tried and tested formula. They are a tribute to their designers and builders. There is no doubt the class generates a passion and devotion driven by the stunning appearance of the boats and their historical significance.
Now more than a century since the first rule was written, metre boats remain at the forefront of yacht development – they were amongst the first boats sailing in the Olympics, right from the 1908 London Olympics until 1968 in Mexico, and Six Metres were regularly used for the British-American Cup (team racing and an event far more prestigious than the America’s Cup in its day). The Six Metres have also been used for the legendary Seawanhaka Cup (Match racing) no less than 16 times from 1927 through to 1987, by far the largest number of appearances by a class in the event.
Hull designs have always been technologically advanced. Wing keels, rod shrouds and the latest in sail composition on the Moderns contrast with the ageless wooden decks and fittings of the Classics. Both classes sail together; often the faster Classics mixing it with the Moderns. There has been a real resurgence of interest with many old boats being restored, new boats being built and some of the mega-stars of the sailing world choosing metre boats for their personal sailing. The International Six Metre Association has members in most European and American sailing centres.
