The Swiss and European 6mJI Championships were held at the SNG in July. Over two weeks, the two events brought together around fifty of the finest boats and some of the best helmsmen in the class. The spectacle was remarkable, both ashore and on the water.
Text ) Vincent Gillioz
Photos ) Maria Muina
With around fifty boats – twenty Open and thirty Classic – the 6mJI fleet brought the Geneva club’s main quay to life for almost two weeks, first for the Swiss Championships and then for the Europeans. Twelve nations were represented, and more than 350 sailors and accompanying guests took part in this exceptional event. Attendance reached a record level for a competition of this kind.
A challenging national championship
The Swiss Championships served as a curtain-raiser. They gave competitors, some of whom had travelled a long way, an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the sailing area. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. An unsettled westerly flow and thunderstorms made life difficult for the race committee. Only four races could be completed for the Open fleet during the first two days. The national event could not, however, be validated for the Classic fleet, which managed to sail only three races. Nevertheless, the British yacht Erica, owned by Violeta Alvarez, came out on top after the three races, ahead of the Finns on Astrée III and the Italians on Dan.
In the Open fleet, Duclop, helmed by Éric Monnin, won this opening contest convincingly. With one victory and three second places in the four races, Monnin displayed remarkable consistency. He took the championship with just 7 points. His closest rival, Jan Eckert on Ginkgo Too, scored 19, while Loïc Forestier, third on Junior, finished with 23.
Stepping up a gear
The intensity clearly increased at the European Championship, where competitors enjoyed magnificent conditions. Lake Geneva provided near-perfect weather for the crews. A northeasterly Bise wind, together with well-established thermal breezes, allowed the fleet to enjoy some superb racing. Christophe Amberger, president of the organising committee, was delighted with the conditions: “The championship took place in exceptional conditions,” he said at the end of the competition.
The standings were reshuffled in every race, with the leaders changing regularly throughout the week. Four races were sailed during the first two days. The committee then decided to hold just one race per day, so as not to bring the event to a close too quickly. Class rules limit a championship to eight races. Some competitors regretted this restriction, whose relevance is open to debate. Given the conditions, ten or even twelve races would probably have been possible.
In the Open fleet, Momo, Eau Vive, Junior and Duclop engaged in a fiercely contested battle. Junior, which had remained in contention for a podium place for much of the championship, had to concede defeat two days before the finish, despite its potential. Éric Monnin, meanwhile, built his campaign methodically. Five podium finishes, including three victories, enabled him to pull clear. At the halfway stage, with everything still to play for, the Swiss sailor was nevertheless careful not to become overconfident: “We are in a good position. But several boats can still win this championship. It is impossible to predict who will come out on top.”
The title did indeed go down to the final race. Éric Monnin eventually secured the European crown, finishing just two points ahead of Jamie Hilton’s Eau Vive and nine ahead of Dieter Schön’s Momo. “The situation was not that straightforward,” Éric Monnin explained. “We knew we could still lose a point to Momo – that was not the case with Eau Vive, for which we were the only rival. We told ourselves that one point is only one point, and that we had to take the advantage from the start. That is what we managed to do.”
A close battle in the Classic fleet
In the Classic fleet, Bribón, naturally one of the main attractions of the championships, drew admiring looks on the club’s main quay and commanded respect on the water. Living up to its reputation as a benchmark in the class, the crew claimed another European title – its fifth. “If there is a secret to our success, it is the crew. We are very good friends and have an excellent team spirit,” skipper Ross MacDonald summed up. He ended the competition with a victory, just as Duclop did in the Open fleet.
It is worth noting that the winning yacht belongs to His Majesty King Emeritus Juan Carlos of Spain. The 88-year-old monarch followed every race with great enthusiasm and even took part in two of them.
Violeta Alvarez on Erica and Swiss sailor Reinhard Suhner on Mecara completed the podium in this category. Philippe Durr, one of the most decorated sailors in the metric classes, was also competing with his magnificent Astrée. He finished seventh and was the second Swiss competitor in the Classic fleet.
On shore and on the water
Praise for the Société Nautique de Genève was unanimous. The club organised this prestigious fortnight with its customary professionalism. The quality of the welcome, the efficiency of the organisation and the commitment of the volunteers, all of whom helped make this historic event a success, were widely praised. Visiting competitors enjoyed a sailing area that was as demanding as it was spectacular, as well as a club capable of staging a major international competition with the precision for which it is renowned.
The social events held throughout the fortnight – the Banque Heritage evening, the title sponsor’s event, the gala dinner, the Swiss Party and the prize-giving ceremony – also played a major part in the overall success of the championships.
The SNG was, of course, no stranger to hosting major events, having welcomed the 8mJI on several occasions for high-profile international competitions. But these championships once again demonstrated that it remains one of the world’s leading centres of metric-class sailing. These Swiss and European Championships will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on all those who took part.
