The Xacobeo 6mR Worlds continues to depend on the COL

Day two of Racing in Sanxenxo once again sees a lack of wind in the Ria de Pontevedra. Despite the Race Committee's utmost efforts to start racing, the boats were forced to return to shore without competing in the two programmed races.

On Friday, racing has been brought forward and programmed for an earlier time of 10:30 h.

The COL, a cut-off low, situated to the west of the Rias Baixas, continues to complicate wind conditions in the Ria de Pontevedra. The fleet participating in the Xacobeo 6mR Worlds, who were yesterday unable to race due to the lack of conditions, were once again forced to wait several hours until finally, after several attempts from the committee to establish a racecourse, were unable to compete in the general classification.

At around 11:30h this morning, the Race Committee gathered the fleet at the racecourse in front of Sanxenxo, aiming to start the first race at the programmed time of 13:00h. The breeze, however, did not last long enough to sound the start gun, and as such the committee opted to send the fleet back to shore, to wait for conditions to allow the third day of racing to commence in the World Championships.

Finally, when it seemed that the wind had found a stable westerly seven knots, the teams headed back out to the racecourse and racing was programmed to begin at 17:30h. However, the wind once again shifted and a new south-westerly direction meant that the race was once again suspended. It was the last attempt of the day before the wind definitively dropped ahead of the storm, and the day was brought to an end.

Today was the second consecutive day without wind in the Ria de Pontevedra. There are two days of racing left to finalize the Xacobeo 6mR Worlds and the aim of the committee is to try to hold the greatest number of races possible.

As such, Friday's aim is to utilize wind conditions in the morning and racing has been brought forward to 10:30h.

Youth and experience at the Xacobeo 6mR Worlds
Forty boats, fifteen nationalities and over two hundred sailors, have come together this week in the Salnés region of Galicia for the Xacobeo 6mR Worlds. They include world champions, Olympic medallists, and great figure from different generations of the world of sailing.
Today we spoke with Vigo-born Nicolás Rodríguez García-Paz, medallist in the last Olympic Games and crew member in Sanxenxo of "Meerblick" alongside Cantabrian Jane Abascal, winner of the first gold medal for Spain in Moscow '80 and defending the world title on board Bribon 500,

"This is a spectacular class because it spans the modern to the classics, and that is a really lovely mixture," Nico Rodriguez began to explain, "experience teaches us to avoid error, and that is what we can see among so many experienced sailors. There is also new energy, enthusiasm, attitude and strength, a little mixture of everything, and it is clearly a truly wonderful learning opportunity."

The young Vigo sailor also added,
"The great thing is that it doesn't matter how old you are, the younger crew members have come to learn from these boats, and it is interesting for us to be competing alongside such high-level sailors such as there are here: from America's Cup, round-the-world racing etc. It is without a doubt the best way to keep learning and evolving, and the truth is, we hope to bring a little energy and determination into the mix to be able to defeat them."

Abascal added, "the fact that there are young people in the class from Olympic categories, which is where the highest level of sailing can be found, is incredibly positive. The 6 Metre class continues to improve, there are more and more increasingly competitive teams, and it means that it is essential to continue to progress."

"Olympic sailing is the highest level a sailor can reach, and although the younger sailors have less experience in these boats, they bring their experience in teamwork, technique and tactics."

PROVISIONAL PODIUM

Classics
(Position/Boat/Skipper/Country/Results/Points)
1. Bribon 500, Ross McDonald (ESP), 4+1=5
2. Essentia, Catalin Trandafir (ROU), 1+6=7
3. Dix Août, Louis Heckly (FRA), 3+4=7

Open
(Position/Boat/Skipper/Country/Results/Points)
1. Momo, Dieter Schoen (SUI), 1+2=3
2. Scoundrel, James Hilton (USA), 7+1=8
3. Rebecca, Johan Larson (SWE), 5+3=8