Six Metre Worlds

A look at the fifty strong entry list who start racing next week in Cowes

J D Sarraquigne and his yacht Bravade IV will be working hard to defend their title in the 2007 Six Metre World Championship when he comes to Cowes to compete against a record number of 50 International Six Metres from around the world.

The fleet is gathering from Monday 16th July to prepare for the event, whose racing starts on Thursday and continues through to Monday 23 July. The crew list reads like a who’s who of Metre Rule history. It includes America’s Cup designers Doug Peterson and Ian Howlett, and America’s Cup helmsmen and crew, among them Lawrie Smith and team members from Valencia.

While the Six Metre Class has never been as competitive as it is today, it is steeped in history. The fleet, which will be the largest Six Metre fleet that has ever been seen in the UK, includes Classic sixes from the early 1900s as well as Modern yachts - technically innovative examples that have been designed and constructed within the last few years.

2007 is a special year for the Six Metres as the Metre Rule celebrates its 100th anniversary. Most of the Sixes here in Cowes will go on to compete in the four day Metre Centenary regatta immediately after the Worlds finish.

A feature of the week is the staging of a 2-race revival of the British American Cup which was first conceived in 1921 when a group of American and British yachtsmen raced in six-metres. Four boats on each team raced alternatively in the Solent and at Seawanhaka, NY, until the 1950s. Four of the UK’s classic Sixes, which took part in the original events, will face four of the original American yachts, some now with owners of other nationalities, to race for team victory.

The elegant Classics include Doug Peterson’s 1931 built Bobkat II and Sean Cullinan’s Cailin which was built before 1914. Boats to watch out for in the honours lists include Olympic legend Thomas Lundquist campaigning his Swedish modern Six Sting, and Battlecry which was runner up two years ago. Scoundrel will be campaigned by Rob Grey, and is believed to be one of the fastest sixes, built by the late Bruce Owen.

Classic Division

Boat Name	Sail No.	Nationality	Owner/Charterer	Year of Build
Aida	GER59	German	Katrin & Bjoern Storsberg	1936
Beausobre	SUI15	Swiss	Jean-Daniel & Pierre Guex	1930
Bobkat II	US54	American	Doug Peterson	1931
Cailin	F23	Irish	Sean Cullinan	pre-1914
Carin II	CAN8	Canadian	Chris Wittstock	1939
Dix Aout	FRA111	French	Pierre-Paul Heckly	1950
Duet	K15	British	D K Walters & Andrew McIrvine	1926
Erica	GBR57	British	Peter Andreae Esq	1938
Fagel Bla	SWE6	Swedish	Fredrich Dahlman	1937
Finvola	GBR19	British	Jurjen Lunshof	1925
Fiona	NED46	Dutch	Jan Willem Ypma	1935
Flapper	N71	American	William N Booth	1939
Lisbeth V	SWE136	Swedish	Johan H Larson	1932
Maida	GBR1	British	Richard Rankin	1932
Maybe VIII	FRA105	French	Andre Chaudoye	1953
Melita	GBR42	British	David Roberts	1934
Mena	GER30	German	Dr Thomas Kuhmann	1946
Nada	K12	British	Peter Harrison	1930
Nancy	US60	American	Bill Green	1932
Noreg	N72	Dutch	Marc Heijke	1939
St Kitts III	GBR66	British	Andrew Thomas	1936
Sun Ray	DEN64	Danish	Erik T Larsen/Hans J Oen	1939/2005
Titia	GBR22	British	Andy Postle & Brian Pope	1952
Toy	FIN44	Finnish	Kenneth Peranen	1938
Victoria	GBR69	British	Martin Belvisi	1933

Modern Division

Boat Name	Sail No.	Nationality	Owner/Charterer	Year of Build
Battlecry	GBR89	British	J Korn & J Phelps	1988
Bear	GBR102	British	Rees Martin	1989
Berta	SWE121	Swedish	Lars Engelbert	1988
Bluebird	SWE124	British	Robin Richardson	1981/9
Bravade VI	F116	French	J D Sarraquigne	1988
Conch Fritters	BAH1	British	Robert Leigh-Wood	1985
Cream	GBR100	British	Nick Morgan	1978
Courage IX	GER118	German	Dietrich Gruenau	1989
Fleau	SUI77	Swiss	Bernard Haissly	1981
Georgia	GBR99	British	Tom Richardson	1990
Gubbrora	SWE135	Swedish	Claes Ahlin	1985
Jungfrun	SWE133	Swedish	Peter Norlin	1986/1995
Kirlo	GBR81	British	Ian Howlett	1981
Scoundrel	GBR96	British	Rob Gray	1989
Scoundrel 1	GBR86	British	Robert Bicket	1986
Shadow VI	GBR93	British	Richard Farman	1988/98
Sting	SWE 123	Swedish	Thomas Lundqvist	1989
Tempest	GBR105	British	Avia Willment	1986
Temptation III	SUI104	Swiss	Beat Furrer	1982
Thisbe	HKG2	British	Don J L Wood	1987
Tsigane	FRA107	French	Stefan O'Reilly-Hyland	1982
Valhalla	GBR106	British	Paul Smith	1981
Wildcat II	GBR94	British	Andy & Cathy Ash-Vie	1989