Royal Yacht Squadron prepares to host International Six Metre 2023 World Championship.
Preparations are in full swing to welcome 34 teams representing 11 Nations from across Europe and North America for the International Six Metre World Championship, to be hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron from 29 August to 8 September.
The fleet is divided into two divisions, the Open Division and the Classic Division for those yachts built prior to 31 December 1965.
Boats have been arriving in Cowes over recent weeks to train on the Solent, and registration for the regatta begin on Tuesday 29 August.
The official practice races will be held from on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 September and then on Sunday 3 September the class will hold its AGM and a Race Officer’s briefing.
World Championship racing will commence on Monday 4 September with up to eight races scheduled between then and the regatta’s conclusion on Friday 8 September.
Amongst those competing will be the defending Open and Classic Division Champions, Momo and Dix Août.
In the Open Division Dieter Schoen’s Momo, a Judel/Vrolijk design launched in 2022, will be aiming for a second consecutive win.
But she will have tough competition from the likes of Jan Eckert’s Gingko Too, a 2020 Javier Cela design; Violeta Alvarez’ 2017 Juan Kouyoumdjian designed Stella; and new kid on the block Oiva, designed by Allan Savolainen, launched in 2022 and owned by Finland’s Henrik Andersin.
The Open Division may be nicknamed the “Moderns”, but even here the boats will span some forty years. Built in 1981 the Petterson/Howlett designed Junior may be the oldest boat in the Open Division but she’s arguably the most successful post-1965 boat having won the Worlds in 1999, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2019 and the Europeans in 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002.
In the classic division Dix Août, a 1950 Bjarne Aas design owned by Louis Heckly, will defend her title, but this time with the legendary French offshore and Dragon sailor Géry Trenteseaux at the helm.
Meanwhile Louis, who is also the President of the International Six Metre Class, will be racing the stunningly beautiful 1937 Olin Stephens designed Fun. The two boats have been training hard all season and will both be hoping to put in a good showing.
The oldest boat racing in the Classic Division will be the 1927 Johan Anker designed Sioma owned by Fenton Burgin, closely followed by Tom Owen and Dirk Stolp’s 1930 Alfred Mylne designed Valdai and Simon J. William’s 1931 Anker & Jensen designed Abu.
The youngest Classic racing will be Thomas Kuhmann’s 1955 Hanko III designed by Bjarne Aas, although Nirvana, which is a reconstruction of a 1939 Olin Stephens design, is technically the most recently built of the Classics at this event.
6 Metre Open Sail No Skipper/Owner Year
Aera GRE1 Nick & Foti Lykiardopulo 1989
Battlecry GBR89 Jeremy Thorp 1988
Bravade GBR116 Bob Gatehouse 1988
Delphina SWE125 Hol J Michael Larsson 1989
Duclop SUI100 Reigh North/Rainer Muller 1981
Georgia GBR99 Tom Richardson 1990
GinkgoToo SUI140 Jan Eckert 2020
Jane Ann USA105 Basil Vasilliou 1985
Junior SUI77 Philippe Durr/Rainer Muller 1981
Lyonesse GBR90 Robert Leigh-Wood 1988
May Be XIV ESP70 Eugenio Galdon Brugarolas 1987
Momo SUI142 Dieter Schöen 2021
Oiva FIN81 Henrik Andersin 2022
Scoundrel USA126 Jamie Hilton 1989
Sophie II SUI132 Hugo Stenbeck 1991
St Kitts GBR88 Robin Richardson 1987
Stella GBR112 Violeta Alvarez 2017
Tempest USA125 Erin Parker 1987
6 Metre Classics Sail No Skipper/Owner Year
Abu GBR32 Klaus Diederichs/Simon J. Williams 1931
Bribon ESP16 Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo 1947
Dix Aout FRA111 Géry Trenteseaux 1950
Elghi II GBR74 Esben Poulsson 1952
Fun FRA11 Louis Heckly 1937
Hanko III GER96 Thomas Kuhmann 1955
Llanoria SUI83 Peter Hofmann/Rainer Muller 1948
May Be VI FIN51 Patrick Sandman 1946
Midinette SUI24 Bertrand Keller 1933
Nancy GBR28 Andy and Jan Short 1932
Nirvana GBR33 Andy and Lisa Postle 1939/2011
Saskia II SUI19 Pierre Guex/Rainer Muller 1934
Silvervingen GBR31 Simon J. Williams 1939
Sioma GBR17 Fenton Burgin 1927
Titia ESP72 Mauricio Sanchez-Bella 1952
Valdai GBR40 Tom Owen & Dirk Stolp 1930
