Getting ready for the 2022 6mR Worlds Cup

The Xacobeo Trophy has a historic international registration for the Xacobeo 6mR Worlds, vibrating with the atmosphere of international teams. 

This weekend the Pontevedra estuary will start preparations for the first 6mR races, and about 50 international teams are expected in June. Normally in March, with the start of the Spanish Cup series, the 6 Metre fleet has a dozen teams, but this time, thanks to the influence of the World Championship, the registration rises to about 15 more teams with high international influx. 

The president of the International Six Metre Class, Louis Heckley, has recognized that the Spanish fleet has received them in a fantastic way and helped a lot to have all the boats in the water in a day and a half, demonstrating the great efficiency in the work. He adds that it is fortunate that the 2022 Worlds will be held in Sanxenxo and that "we are going to have quite a few more boats in the Worlds and Galicia."

The 6-meter class

This international class is a class of classic racing boats. It is a construction class, which means that not all boats are identical, but are designed to meet a specific measurement formula. 

Although it may seem confusing, six meters, the name of the class, does not refer to the length of the boat, but to the product of the formula. The 6mR boats are, on average, between 10 and 11 meters in length. 

About 50 teams are expected to attend the Xacobeo 6mR 2022 Worlds in Sanxenxo, Spain. This will be the first time a 6mR world championship will be held in Spain.

High international influx

We will be able to see Swedish, British, Portuguese and Swiss teams in addition to the Spanish fleet. In addition, the Olympic medalist Nico Rodríguez aboard "Titia", the world champion Chuny Bermúdez aboard "Scoundrel One" and the reigning world and European champion, Pedro Campos and the "Bribon 500" have signed up. 

On this occasion, the Spanish Cup series will be held over three days instead of two days. This is due to the international influence in 2022, which has led the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo, host and organizer of the event, to extend the competition program of each series to three days. 

Flexible location

The extension of the racing days will allow the participants to reach June with more races in the four possible regatta courses. These are held in the Pontevedra estuary, a completely unique place.

Within a radius of six miles, Alejandro Martín, will set up a race course depending on the wind direction at any given moment, which allows a fantastic capacity for improvisation in case the wind direction changes. This means that Martín will be able to move the fleet from the entrance of the estuary to the vicinity of the island of Ons if necessary.  

Sanxenxo and its interest in big events

Sanxenxo marina has been the scene of major events since 2000. Over the years, the Audi Challenge, the Corte Inglés Master, the King Juan Carlos Regatta, the Vaurien and Cadet World Championships, the Spanish Optimist Championships, the President of the Xunxa Trophy or the famous start of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2005 have been held here. 

In addition to all this, the RCNS (Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo) has put a lot of interest in the 6 Meter fleet. The ISMA (International 6 Meter Class Association) has allowed the venue to host in consecutive years a European Championship (September 2021) and a World Championship (June 2022). 

This helps to energize and deseasonalize the summer seasons to Sanxenxo and the region of the Salnés. In addition to powering an international base for two years, not only with sports activities but also helping to generate employment with storage, maintenance and optimization. 

Marta Giráldez, the president of the Mancomunidade do Salnés recalled that the celebration of these international nautical sports events is very important because "it attracts many people and is a great showcase open to the world, not only for Sanxenxo but for the whole region". 

She was joined by the mayor of Sanxenxo, Telmo Martín, who said that the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo has demonstrated its experience and professionalism during the European Championship, and that they were looking forward to the World Championship in June 2022.