Sanxenxo welcomes Xacobeo Six Metre World Championship 2022
by Fiona Brown 13 Jun 2022 20:53 EST
14-18 June 2021
Xacobeo Six Meter World Championship © María Muiña / Xacobeo 6mR Worlds
A strong fleet of forty International Six Metres from fifteen nations across Europe and North America has gathered at the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo in preparation for the Xacobeo Six Metre World Championship 2022, which will take place from 14 to 18 June. Sanxenxo is a much-loved venue for the Sixes and the RCNS has an outstanding event planned featuring eight championship races as well as daily post racing parties in the elegant regatta village.
Most of the teams competing arrived in Sanxenxo early to take part in the Regatta Rey Juan Carlos I, a three-day warm up event which was held from 10 to 12 June. Heavy airs saw the fleet race on an inshore course on two of the three days and gave an exciting taster of the cut and thrust competition to come.
Racing for the Worlds will take place on the Ria de Pontevedra where two course areas are available, one out in the open bay and the other in the more sheltered estuary, giving Race Officer Alejandro Martín de Pazos and his committee flexibility to run racing in the widest possible range of conditions. The forecast for the early part of the regatta is for light airs with stronger winds midweek. The fleet will comprise an Open Division of 22 boats and a Classic Division of 18 boats, who's crews include some of sailing's best-known names.
Defending Six Metre World Champion Junior, owned by Philippe Durr of France, is one of the most successful Sixes of all time and her name has already been engraved on the Six Metre World Cup Trophy no less than five times. Although technical issues meant she did not shine in the Regatta Rey Juan Carlos I, the Junior team is a formidable one and they will be keen to add their name to the trophy for a sixth time.
Leading those snapping at Junior's heels will be the brand new Momo, owned by Dieter Schoen of Switzerland. Past 5.5 Metre and double Tempest World Champion Markus Wieser will be on the helm and the crew also includes America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race veterans Dirk de Ridder and Ross Halcrow. Momo put together an impressive set of results to win the Regatta Rey Juan Carlos I by a six-point margin and will be one to watch in the days ahead. Other contenders in the Open Division include John Harald Orneberg's Scoundrel One, Violeta Alvarez' Stella, Jamie Hilton's Scoundrel, Jeremy Thorp's Battlecry and Jan Eckert's Ginkgotoo.
In the Classic Division the oldest boat racing will be the 1929 FIN59 Ian, sailed by a Spanish crew led by Cesar Elizaga Viana. Defending her Classic World Champion title will be Bribon 500, which was built in 1947 to an Arvid Laurin design and is now owned by José Cusi. Helmed by RCNS President Pedro Campos and with a crew that includes Canadian double Olympic medallist Ross MacDonald, Bribon 500 is in with a good chance of retaining her title.
Re-joining the Classic fleet after a change of ownership is Essentia, the former Buzzy II/Great Dane, which was launched in 1956 and is now owned by Catalin Trandafir of Romania. At Essentia's helm will be Canadian Olympic bronze medallist, America's Cup veteran and double Classic Six Metre World Champion Eric Jesperson. This new team declared their intent loud and clear by winning the Regatta Rey Juan Carlos Classic Division from Bribon 500 with Ossi Paija's Astree III third and Mauricio Sanchez-Bella Carswell's Titia fourth.
The championship was declared officially open at a spectacular ceremony at the RCNS featuring marching bands, delicious Galician food and wines, welcome gifts for all the competitors and a special group photo of the teams. Telemo Martin, the Major of Sanxenxo, welcomed everyone and wished them all a very happy and successful championship.
Racing is scheduled to commence at 13:00 daily with two races a day planned for 14, 15 and 16 June and one a day on 17 and 18 June. Eight races are scheduled with five being required to validate the series. If six or more races are completed a single discard will be introduced.
Further information about the regatta can be found at www.6mrworlds2022.com, on www.6metre.com.