Momo & Bribon to Defend Six Metre European Championship Titles in Sanxenxo
by Fiona Brown 29 Sep 13:50 PDT
29 September 2024
6mR Europeans 2024 in Sanxenxo, Spain © SailingShots by Maria Muiña
The International Six Metre fleet has convened in Sanxenxo, located on Spain’s beautiful Galician coastline, to prepare for the 2024 Six Metre European Championship.
The current defending champions, Dieter Schoen’s Momo from Switzerland in the Open Division and His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain’s Bribon in the Classic Division, will both be defending their titles against teams from France, Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Romania, Switzerland, Spain, and the USA.
Sanxenxo is a well-known venue for the Sixes, as the Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo (RCNS) hosts a significant portion of the Spanish fleet and previously staged the 2021 European and 2022 World Championships.
International Six Metre Association President Louis Heckly expressed the sentiments of the sailors, stating, “We’re thrilled to return to Sanxenxo for this year’s European Championship. The RCNS is an excellent host club, and we can anticipate a top-notch regatta. It’s great to see so many nations represented in the entry list, and we’re pleased to welcome Basil Vasiliou and the Jane Ann team all the way from the New York Yacht Club. I had the good fortune to win the Classic World Championship when we last visited, so I can only hope my luck holds again this year!”
In addition to competitive racing, sailors will experience a warm social ambiance courtesy of the RCNS. The regatta commenced with a lovely Welcome Ceremony, where participants enjoyed delicious local wines and cuisine in the RCNS race village as the sun set. There will be daily après sailing meetups and an exquisite Gala Prize Giving Dinner on Saturday evening.
Leading up to the Europeans, several teams participated in the RCNS Regata Rey Juan Carlos I, Galicia’s largest annual sailing regatta featuring approximately 160 boats, which occurred from 27 to 29 September. In the Classic Division, His Majesty King Juan Carlos indicated that Bribon is in excellent shape for the Classic European Championship title defense, winning by six points over Finland’s Ossi Paija and his team on Astree III, with Spain’s Javier de La Gandara Alonso’s Aida finishing third.
In the Open Division, Momo had a strong showing at the Regata Rey Juan Carlos I, but it was Violeta Alvarez and her crew from Sanxenxo sailing Stella who claimed victory by five points over Nick and Fotis Lykiardopulo’s Aera. Third place ended in a tie on points, with Jan Eckert’s Ginkgotoo narrowly edging out Momo for the final podium position on countback. Results from the warm-up regatta are available here.
Racing for the Six Metre European Championship will commence on Monday, 30 September, and continue until Saturday, 5 October, with a total of eight races planned over six days. You can follow the races on Facebook and Instagram and via live tracking, which will activate just before the start of each race. Results will be posted on the event’s website.
For further details about the 2024 International Six Metre European Championship, including the list of entries, visit 6meuropeans2024.com.
