Please select your home edition
Edition
Leaderboard June to September

2019 Sinebrychoff International 6 Metre World Championship at Hanko, Finland - Day 4

by Fiona Brown 9 Aug 2019 01:01 BST 1-9 August 2019

As the boats left the dock for the fourth day of competition at the 2019 Sinebrychoff 6 Metre World Championship in Hanko, Finland, there was a palpable sense of tension and anticipation. Ahead of the competitors lay two final races to decide the winner of the Open Division, with the leading three boats, Philippe Durr's SUI Junior, Patrick Monteiro de Barros's POR4 Seljm and Hugo Stenbeck's SUI132 Sophie Racing were all holding 15 points apiece and Henrik Andersin's FIN78 Evalina was just a single point behind them. A final show down of epic proportions was hotly anticipated!

As the boats docked out a light southerly breeze took them down to the race area where the committee was set up and ready to go for race seven of the eight race series. There was an initial slight postponement to allow the wind to settle, but then off the Open Division boats went in a steady 5-6 knots. The breeze held in for the Classic Division start and all was looking good.

At the Open Division's first windward mark Richard Goransson's SWE137 Inga From Sweden VIII headed the fleet from Sophie Racing with Seljm third. Junior rounded in 11th place, but the pack was tightly bunched so it was all still to play for.

They came down the run and as they passed through the up-bound Classics fleet the wind began to drop, but with no significant current to worry about the boats were all still making reasonable progress and they were able to round the leeward gate and head back upwind behind the Classics. Seljm now led from Inga From Sweden VIII with Sophie Racing third and Junior up into tenth.

Meanwhile in the Classics His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain's ESP16 Bribon Gallant was busy giving the fleet a master class in light airs sailing, carefully picking her way up the tricky first beat in impressive style. But as Bribon Gallant approached the first mark the wind began to drop and before long the entire fleet was barely ghosting along. Bribon Gallant, Louis Heckley's FRA111 Dix Août and Eric Jespersen's USA81 Goose were among a small group that made it around the weather mark, but others were now struggling to keep momentum. Before long everyone was becalmed.

The Race Committee held out as long as it possibly could in the hope that the wind would return, but eventually it was forced to admit defeat, abandon both fleets and call them back to the start area to await breeze. But it was a hopeless case and eventually the A over N signal flags were hoisted and the fleet sent home for the day.

The rules of the 6 Metre World Championship are very traditional in that they allow for a reserve day at the end of the regatta, which can be used if any of the races remain to be sailed. That clause has now been invoked and so the Championship will continue on Friday 9 August when it is hoped that the final two races can be completed.

One of the wonderful features of the regatta has been the excellent social programme supported by event sponsor Sinebrychoff. Despite the fact that the regatta will now continue for an extra day, the planned Sinebrychoff 6 Metre World Championship Gala Dinner went ahead as plannrd, allowing the crews to come together for a wonderful traditional formal dinner at the spectacular waterside art deco Hanko Casino. Whilst it may not have been possible to present the silverware, nothing stops the 6 Metre fleet enjoying a good party!

The forecast for Friday's final racing day is unfortunately for further light winds. Race Officer Mikael Lindqvist and his team will be watching the forecasts extremely closely and will update the competitors on their hopes for the final races at the 09.00 competitor briefing in the morning.

Provisional Results after Day 4: (top five, 6 races)

Open Division

  1. SUI77 Junior - Philippe Durr - 1, 3, 2, (9), 8, 1 = 15pts
  2. POR4 Seljm - Patrick Monteiro de Barros - (9), 1, 1, 7, 3, 3 = 15pts
  3. SUI132 Sophie Racing - Hugo Stenbeck - 2, 4, (BFD), 1, 4, 4 = 15pts
  4. FIN78 Evalina - Henrik Andersin - 3, 2, 4, 5, (9), 2 = 16pts
  5. ESP16 Stella - Violeta Alvarez - 8, 5, 11, 2, 1, (DSQ) = 27pts
Classic Division
  1. ESP16 Bribon - Pedro Campos - 1, (11), 1, 2, 2, 1 = 7pts
  2. FIN67 Djinn - Karl-Gustav Pihl - 6, 1, (17), 1, 1, 5 = 14pts
  3. FIN80 Astree III - Ossi Paija - 3, (17), 2, 6, 3, 10 = 24pts
  4. USA81 Goose - Eric Jespersen - (10, 6, 3, 10, 5, 2 = 26pts
  5. FRA111 Dix Août - Louis Heckly - (8), 7, 4, 3, 8, 4 = 26pts
Quick Links:

Related Articles

Save the Date - Cowes Classics Regatta 2026
The dates now confirmed after a highly successful 2025 event As the curtain comes down on what has been a remarkable Cowes Classics Week 2025, thoughts at the Royal London Yacht Club and the Royal Thames Yacht Club turn towards the hosting of Cowes Classics Regatta 2026 with the dates now confirmed. Posted on 5 Jun
Cowes Classics Regatta 2025 overall
Building breeze and sea state create a spectacular conclusion Ahead of an oncoming, breeze-filled front from the west, the superb race management teams, under the watchful eye of Principal Race Officer Tim Hancock, elected to send all the fleets out early on the concluding day of Cowes Classics Regatta 2025. Posted on 1 Jun
Cowes Classics Regatta 2025 Day 2
Fog lifts on the Solent to reveal the front-runner A dense, wispy fog sat over the Solent this morning, hampering visibility and causing Cowes Classics Regatta Principal Race Officer, Tim Hancock, to call a short delay shoreside to let the sun burn through and leave a simply stunning day for all. Posted on 31 May
Cowes Classics Regatta 2025 Day 1
Perfect Solent Conditions The Solent shimmered and glistened under early summer sunshine and with a brisk building Force 3-4 westerly wind over tide initially before the turn mid-afternoon, the racing areas of Hill Head and Osborne Bay offered near-perfect conditions. Posted on 31 May
Cowes Classics Regatta countdown is on
A week away, and late entries are coming in thick and fast across all divisions We are just one week away now from the start of the Royal London Yacht Club's flagship event - the Cowes Classics Regatta 2025 - and as ever, late entries are coming thick and fast across all the divisions. Posted on 23 May
6mR Worlds return to Seawanhaka Corinthian YC
Oyster Bay and Long Island Sound are renowned as some of the best sailing waters in the world Founded in 1871 and located on Oyster Bay, New York, SCYC is America's oldest yacht club and its association with the Sixes goes right back to the class's foundation in 1907. Posted on 22 May
21st Sandberg PalmaVela overall
A breezy finale in the Bay of Palma A thrilling and intense final day at Sandberg PalmaVela was enjoyed with choppy seas and wind conditions ranging from gentle airs to gusts of up to 23 knots. Several broken masts are evidence how tough the day was for some. Posted on 4 May
21st Sandberg PalmaVela Day 3
Light winds returned to the Bay of Palma again Light winds returned to the Bay of Palma again but that didn't stop the 11 classes getting new races. Posted on 3 May
21st Sandberg PalmaVela Day 2
Ten new classes joined the action Ten new classes joined the action on Day 2, bringing the total to 11 divisions for this edition. Posted on 2 May
21st Sandberg PalmaVela Day 1
Magic Carpet E wins two from two on her debut The Maxi class officially opened racing today at the 21st Sandberg PalmaVela, completing two W/L races in which the newest elite 100-footer, Magic Carpet E, dominated with two clear victories in what was its first-ever races. Posted on 1 May