Six Metre European Championship 2024 at Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo – Day 3
by Fiona Brown 2 Oct 13:20 PDT
2 October 2024
Six Metre European Championship day 3 © SailingShots by Maria Muiña
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The third day of the International Six Metre European Championship 2024 Trofeo Xacobeo, held off Sanxenxo, challenged competitors with difficult conditions as they completed race five of the eight-race series in heavy fog, unpredictable seas, and a 12-14 knot west-southwesterly wind.
A second-place finish in race five enabled His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain’s Bribon to strengthen her lead at the top of the Classic Division standings, now leading by five points over Ossi Paija’s Astree III (Nylandska JK), who finished the race in fourth. The race for the Classics was won by Mauricio Sanchez-Bella Carswell’s Titia (RCN de Sanxenxo), who maintains her overall third position. Miguel Lago Cereceda’s Alibaba II (MRCYB) took sixth in the race, moving ahead of Louis Heckly’s Fun (YC de France), which was over the line at the start and did not return, causing him to drop to fifth overall.
On the dock, Pepe Lis, tactician of Classics race winner Titia, reflected on the conditions and looked forward to the remaining races. “We’ve been here for three days with high humidity and rain, making it hard to see the windward marks—also the leeward ones. It’s been really tough. When we set out, the conditions were good, around 12-14 knots with good visibility. At the start, we managed to get off cleanly, not too close to the windward side. There were nice shifts, ten to fifteen degrees, and we hooked into the first right, did a little left, and led from there, just controlling the fleet. The most challenging part was locating the leeward mark, which was quite tricky. The day after tomorrow we expect very light winds, and the direction is unpredictable, as will Saturday. We have three days left to race three times in very challenging conditions. But we’re in a better position now than further back.”
Before today, the Open Division was tied among Basil Vasiliou’s Jane Ann (New York YC), skippered by Steffan Lindberg, Rainer Muller’s Junior (SN De Geneve), helmed by Loic Forestier, and Henrik Andersin’s Oiva (Nylandska JK). For Jane Ann, however, the race was disastrous, finishing tenth and dropping to fourth overall. A sixth-place finish was just enough for Junior to take the overall lead, tied on 20 points with Violeta Alvarez’s Stella (RCN Sanxenxo), which won the race impressively. Oiva finished seventh, one point behind the leaders in third place. Jane Ann fell to fourth, four points behind the leader, tied on 24 points with Jeremy Thorp’s Battlecry (Royal Yacht Squadron).
Back ashore, Open Division race winner Violeta Alvarez was pleased with her team’s performance. “It was really wet and foggy, but we enjoyed it. The hardest part was locating the marks. We struggled to see where we were, but kept pushing and made some extra tacks just to find the windward mark. My crew is fantastic; they’re all great. Pablo [Inglesias – tactician] was a bit stressed because he couldn’t see the marks and the conditions were so shifty, but overall, it was a good day. Our attitude stays positive, singing songs even during the rain. We call ourselves the Happy Team and will continue to enjoy whatever lies ahead.”
Classic Division Race Summary
Classic Division race five was won by Titia, who led right from the start and never looked back. Catalin Trandafir’s Essentia from the CYC Constanta followed, leading Bribon around the top mark, setting the stage for a fierce competition. Essentia did her best to defend her position, but Bribon moved further left on the second leg and secured second place near the second windward mark. Essentia tried to challenge Bribon in the final stretch but crossed the line third, with Titia victorious. The final placements were Titia first, Bribon second, Essentia third, Astree III fourth, and Aida fifth.
Open Division Race Summary
Stella had an excellent start in the Open Division and maintained her lead throughout the race. While Stella pulled ahead for a comfortable win, the battle intensified for the runner-up spots among Rainer Muller’s Duclop (SN de Geneva), helmed by Frank Narbone, defending champion Dieter Schoen’s Momo (SC St Moritz), Eugenio Galdon Brugarolas’ May Be XIV (RCR de Cartagena), Jeremy Thorp’s Battlecry (Royal Yacht Squadron), Jan Eckert’s Ginkgotoo (SN de Geneve), and Junior. The poor visibility made the race extraordinarily challenging, but Duclop ultimately finished second with May Be XIV in third. Momo achieved her best result of the regatta in fourth, followed by Battlecry in fifth and Junior in sixth.
The Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo warmly welcomed the sailors with excellent apres-sailing hospitality, including a selection of local beers, wines, and products. The club’s drying facilities also proved invaluable once again!
Three races remain in the eight-race series, concluding on Saturday, October 5.
Open division standings after Day 3:
1. SUI77 – Junior – Rainer Muller/Loic Forestier – 2, 9, 1, 2, 6 = 20
2. ESP116 – Stella – Violeta Alvarez – 7, 2, 3, 7, 1 = 20
3. FIN81 – Oiva – Henrik Andersin – 5, 1, 5, 3, 7 = 21
4. USA 105 – Jane Ann – Basil Vasiliou/Steffan Lindberg – 1, 8, 4, 1, 10 = 24
5. GBR89 – Battlecry – Jeremy Thorp – 4, 3, 2, 10, 5 = 24
Classic division standings after Day 3:
1. ESP 16 – Bribon – His Majesty King Juan Carlos – 1, 2, 1, 2, 2 = 8
2. FIN80 – Astree – Ossi Paija – 2, 1, 2, 4, 4 = 13
3. ESP72 – Titia – Mauricio Sanchez-Bella Carswell – 4, 3, 7, 1, 1 = 16
4. ESP50 – Alibaba II – Miguel Lago Cereceda – 5, 8, 3, 7, 6 = 29
5. FRA11 – Fun – Louis Heckly – 3, 5, 6, 3, OCS = 32
Complete results: toa.6meuropeans2024.com/results
Tracking: 6meuropeans2024.com/en/tracking-2
Event website: 6meuropeans2024.com
