Shaun Holbeche

6M Owners, Following on from the results of the class ballot held earlier this year, Graham Bantock, MYA Technical Officer, has revised the 6M class documents appertaining to the rules, measurement and certification of our 6M boats. These documents are now available to use on the MYA 6M class website page. Below is an overview from Graham of the process to date and how it can proceed going forward. Please pay special attention to the final paragraph regarding the way certification can be implemented and by whom. I would like to thank Graham for his work on this. We now have a firm rule base with greater clarity that will take us forward for years to come. I hope we will see a further wave of boatbuilding and refurbishment over the winter with more measured and certified 6 Metres on the water at events up and down the UK. Shaun Holbeche Class Captain. The MYA website page for the 6M class has been updated with the revised class rules, certificate and check list which completes the work required to bring the class rules fully up to date after the ballot of 6M COG members. The 2017 version of the class rules contained many errors and omissions that needed correction and needed bringing into line with the current ERS and other related technical rules. As an emergency measure an interim version was issued without consultation with the owners. In 2025 a ballot of the owners was conducted to establish their preferences concerning the class rules and the current class rules are listed here. If you participated, thanks for your input to this. Measurers and owners should know that nothing concerning the way in which boats are certified has changed except that boats, except their sails, can be certified by a class measurer who is not an Official Measurer. Sails continue to be certified by an Official Measurer (anyone listed as a Sail Measurer on the MYA website).

A message from Vinnie Zammit, Event Organiser: Hi All, Hope you are all well and looking forward to the National Championship. Weather forecast looks good with a WNW breeze covering both days. At a recent AD Hoc Committee meeting it was decided that due to the increase in Entry fees and Parking Charges, NMYC would Reimburse the Parking Charges for the Competitors Entering the Event. Furthermore some of our Lovely Wived Have volunteered to provide a small Buffet on both days This will be served at the Lunch Break. If any more of the wives like to help out please feel free to contact Valerie on Valerie.zammit@gmail.com that way we will bring more than just sausage rolls. Valerie will be contacting you soon to arrange things. Due to the small entry the closing date has been extended to Thursday 15th May. So, get around and try and persuade other 6M sailors to Enter. Vinnie Zammit Event Organiser

All 6M Skippers, A reminder that your National Championship is taking place this month at Norwich MYC. Everyone with a certified 6M is welcome to enter the premier 6M event of the year, held once again by Norwich MYC at their sailing water, Whitlingham Great Broad where parking, cafe and toilet facilities are available to entrants. Get your entry in now at https://www.mya-uk.org.uk/events/ before the entry closes. See you there! Shaun Holbeche, 6M Class Captain.

John, I quote: "This was put forward simply for the benefit of those who struggle with sail changes on the new round tube masts and feel disadvantaged by the process. The proposal is for ONE additional mast, as identical to that first measured as possible, within tight manufacturers and building tolerances. Outside of these tolerances, alternative combinations of tube size, length or weight are not acceptable." Line 1/. I have already suggested practical, easy to implement remedies to reduce any difficulties that individuals might have with changing a sail. Nobody is at a disadvantage when changing sail. there is no race on shore, no time limit to change. Skippers have been changing sail on the mast for a very long time, including when round masts (they are not 'new') were the only type available. We are closely aligned to the full size Six Metres. They have a crew of four besides the helmsman to do sail changes, so model yachts with two people, on land, making the sail change sounds right to me. So what has changed in 2025? Absolutely nothing. To be frank, prospective owners (should) know the rules before they purchase a boat. There are SEVEN other MYA classes to choose from if sail changing on the mast is really such a big deal. Line 2/. How are owners going to achieve these objectives? What tight manufacturers/building tolerances - simply the one percent, but anything else is fine? Well the reality is that the 2nd mast may well be rather less than 'as identical as possible'. How are you going to check and determine how owners have constructed their mast so as not to gain a performance advantage, or is that a disadvantage that you and one mast skippers just have to bear? I don't see why they should. Line 3/. "alternative combinations of tube size......are not acceptable". This is not in the proposal but you are now including it in your requirements. Well it's just pie in the sky anyway because anyone with a groovy mast is going to have a very hard time replicating anything approaching a groovy mast in round tube form, because nobody makes 12.7mm round tube in the UK, let alone any with the same, unique bend characteristics as groovy. Therefore they can only construct a second mast that is of a different diameter with significantly different in characteristics from their primary mast, and that mast will be of limited use as a spare because of likely sail mounting differences. Any first owners with round tube could comply if exactly the same materials are available and constructed identically. But owners could simply say that they are (perhaps legitimately) unable to source the same material as that used in the primary mast and construct one of their own design and specification while remaining within the 1% tolerances. Owners of second hand boats won't have a clue what they are looking at and what tube to use for their second mast to create a 2nd mast that is as identical as possible to the primary. Can anyone simply look at a primary round tube and know where it was sourced from, what modulus it has and then find that specification to buy in the marketplace? No. Will any owner,measurer or Race Officer/Protest committee be able to judge how the finished mast/boom compares to the primary mast and whether it is fair to other competitors, in the event of a dispute or protest? No. And we haven't even touched on another variable that the owner can introduce, namely differences to the position of shroud mounting points on the mast and the deck plus the spreader design, to influence mast characteristics and performance. Are we going to have rules for that too, so that single mast owners are not disadvantaged? There are none in the proposal. In conclusion, these 2nd masts are not going to be anything like identical in many cases. This rule change will benefit those with deeper pockets, or the builder who knows what they are doing making a rig, or the technically savvy owner who can design a superior mast for a given condition. And as a final thought, note that this 2nd mast does not have to be used as the vehicle for a sail change down due to higher wind speeds. There is nothing to stop it being used purely tactically, in what would be regarded as normal conditions. In fact, how do you know that, privately, an owner won't have more than one '2nd mast' available, each measured, with different characteristics to suit different wind and water conditions. How would that be policed? Just a thought. Welcome to the Rabbit Hole. Pay as you enter. It's dark. Dig at your own risk.

John, Thanks for your observations. The proposal is the proposal, as written in black and white. We are voting on the whole proposal of which the principle is but a part. The idea that we are voting for a proposal and that afterwards, if accepted, the gurus are going to dump the rules changes made in the proposal we have voted on and then cook up new rules that unequivocally deliver an accurate 2nd mast that matches the primary mast in all respects is 1/. a pipe dream. It's impossible to achieve and 2/. would be rather undemocratic. A 2nd mast will likely be open to being gamed for performance hikes that will be very difficult to outlaw and nigh on impossible to police. I believe that some owners with groovy masts would utilise an allowed 2nd mast if they perceive it would benefit them in terms of performance or otherwise. Regarding the tolerances, the proposal allows for a 5% variation in dimensions and, as I have highlighted in my comments, that allows some serious differences to the performance of the 2nd mast versus the primary. Some masts could be even more than 90mm different. I was using a typical Rococo mast size as an example and they tend to be on the shorter side. The 5% weight variation is less problematic but could theoretically put a boat out of its rating if the owner was careless. As I have already said in my comments, sail changing is not a race. What's the rush? It takes as long as it takes but it will be greatly facilitated by skippers pairing up and helping each other and will no doubt greatly reduce any wear and tear. Are east coast skippers all allergic to each other or something? Owners may find that trying to manoeuver a 2nd mast with main sail on it in high winds and trying to get it in the hole, plus reattaching the shrouds, then maybe putting the thrashing jib back onto the mast equally trying. Shaun Holbeche.

Introduction to the ballot from the Class Captain Fellow Six Metre owners. This ballot is being initiated to reflect considerations arising from the current rule set that has been in use for some years now and more recent developments since their last iteration. Developments have emanated from such things as the Equipment Rules of Sailing (ERS, the full-size sailing equipment definitions that are now used in model size rules) which need to be taken on board. Likewise, technical advances in electronics and the move away from free sailing Six Metres that could potentially escalate owners’ costs unnecessarily. They are also intended to refine, simplify and tidy, making it easier for owners and measurers to understand and implement the rules correctly and to allow for an accepted regime for ‘grandfathering’ of older boats as the full-size class has previously done. I recommend reading the MYA Technical Officer’s introduction for a fuller understanding of all the issues and how use the ballot form. As part my role as class captain I feel obliged to look after the interests of the class and all its owners as best I can and to help it in a favourable direction so that we can continue to enjoy our boats now and into the future. I therefore recommend the changes to the existing rules within this ballot. I don’t have any particular feelings about the grandfathering options, but option B probably fits closest to the full-size 6m practice. Not many owners/boats are affected by this issue since most of the fleet has been created under more recent rule versions. I strongly oppose the two-mast proposal. Please read my reasons below. It’s a longish read but it is important that you understand where this may take us. You might think that at face value it is attractive but there are significant arguments against it . Thank you. Shaun Holbeche, Six Metre Class Captain. 1/. What is the Radio 6 Metre class? You might wonder why I’m asking this but not everyone knows what or where this model class originates from and its significance. It was created in the years prior to WW2 to replicate and follow the full sized Six Metre class (formed in 1907). It was a chance for the working man to sail a boat that mimicked those full-size competitors who competed nationally, internationally and at the Olympics. The first UK model Nationals (free sailing of course) took place in the early 1930s. The R6M class is unique amongst the MYA classes in being based on a full-sized class. It is something that’s unique, with connections in the wider sailing world that no other MYA class can boast. They have even been used as tank and sailing test boats for the mighty 12 Metre Americas Cup yachts, Six metres and the little one man 2.4 Metre yachts. So, this class is strongly based on its full-sized counterpart. They are the reason for the existence of our models and that’s the point. Aside from some details that cannot be replicated in model form, we maintain a fidelity to the word and the spirit of the full-size rules. We use the very same formula to rate our boats as the full-size. It’s been like that for nearly 100 years. The full-size class still flourishes and so does ours. They have had rule changes and amendments and so have we. There are some things that they have not allowed though. Using two masts is one of them. You don’t lift out a full-size mast and boom and pop in another one complete with mainsail attached to change or reduce a sail. Nor should we. We should respect our origins and our history, not be like almost all the other MYA classes (no criticism of them intended). 2/. Why has this rule change been proposed? I was approached by the proposer, Geoff Josey from Broads RYC with the idea of having a second mast because: ‘I have found the one mast restriction particularly frustrating in that I find it very difficult to change the mainsail at Filby and it's even worse when it's windy. I am told it's easier with a groovy mast ! Groovy masts are no longer readily available !’ Geoff demonstrated backing for his idea from other Broads members and so I offered him the following: ‘Having looked at the issue and the results of your Broads club survey I see no reason why you cannot have a club only agreement where you may utilise a second mast of the same height, same boom length, same spar cross-sections and same weight as the primary measured mast, allowing an alternative mainsail to be pre-rigged on it and thereby facilitating rig changes at Filby. It would be an arrangement for club sailing of Broads members at the club water only and could not be utilised for any inter-club, open or nationals event. I note that the vote was not unanimous. The use of a second mast falls outside the accepted national class rules. In fairness to all it should be accepted that it is possible for those who do not employ a second mast to have enough time to change their sailplan without prejudice when others are doing so that do have a second mast pre-rigged. I hope this arrangement will satisfy the requirements of your club members.’ This was rejected: ‘The key points of your reply have been discussed, informally, at our club and there is no desire to go down a route where we sail Six Metre class boats which are outside the current national class rules. In fact, it would potentially create a very undesirable situation for those wishing to attend open or national events.’ I cannot think of any reason why that should be the case. Nor can anyone else I have asked. So, the problem was raised as a local individual/club problem and a local solution was offered and rejected. To quote from the proposal now before us: ‘This proposed change is intended to make it easier to change the sails when required for any reason. Currently, to quickly change the mainsail can be difficult.’ I would suggest that further local solutions could be considered. The use of a temporary club windbreak erected as necessary to help skippers. Likewise, skippers pairing up to help each other make a sail change would make the task easier and avoid any wear and tear. We are that sort of class aren’t we? The need to ‘quickly change the mainsail’ is a not a requirement of R6M racing. We race on the water, not ashore. If conditions are such that a race officer is approached for a break for sail changing, then sufficient time should be allowed for this to happen. There is always the lunch break for a sail change too. Time is not an issue. Many hundreds of owners have changed their sails on the mast over many years and have not felt the need to change the rules. So why now? (Incidentally, I don’t think there is much difference between groovy and ring sail changing speed/difficulty if any. I have had a groovy and presently use rings so I know what both are like). 3/. Learn to love your top suit. Let’s get some further perspective here, because you are going to be using it for most of the time, more than 90% in fact. R6Ms are not a tippy, dippy semi-submersible that often needs a sail change. I have sailed my 6m at Fleetwood and around the 6m circuit since 2016. My first ever 6m race was at Broads RYC. Ironically there was hardly a breath of wind. Since then I have used my second suit main either three or possibly four times in all that time. I’ve never used my third suit ever. Some of you have a ‘skinny’ main. I don’t use one but part of the skill of sailing a R6M is knowing what sail to put on the night before or at the start of the day. As the wind increases in strength a well-appointed rig can be progressively de-powered to cope with the conditions (and conversely powered up as the wind lightens). This is another skill in the skipper’s repertoire along with handling gusts efficiently. As we approach more marginal conditions, I have often seen skippers who do not know how to do this effectively and therefore think they should be changing sail when in fact there is no need to, and they might be disadvantaged when racing downwind if they do. The ways to depower are freely available on the internet for full size yachts and those methods work for ours. You can ask for advice too. So, let’s get the problem in perspective and let’s not erase hard earned skill and judgement from R6M racing. 4/. There are costs and practical problems involved. One of the great attractions of the R6M class is that for a potential £500 you can get rather a lot of attractive, second-hand boat with a couple or three suits. Which other class can offer so much boat, capable of winning the Nationals in the right hands, for that money? R6Ms are a bargain and we should continue to aim to attract sailors who are put off by the high costs of some other classes. You don’t need to spend big to have good racing, certainly not in our class. So why would you want to increase the cost of going sailing your 6m by spending a significant amount of money for the parts (maybe £200 for a carbon mast/boom rig?) and then build it. Is it cost effective for the use it will get? Can you be bothered building it? Of course, you might think ‘well, I’ll have a spare mast’. But, if your principal measured mast is a groovy mast and you have no second groovy blank already in your possession you won’t have much flexibility. You will have to use a round mast as your second mast and your main sails will not be interchangeable between masts. If you possess a skinny main and a second suit main you may have to convert them to ring mounting too. All time and extra cost. If during a race day you need to change down from the skinny to a second suit main then you are no better off having two masts. Don’t forget there will be the cost of going and getting your second mast measured. Time, fuel etc. You will need to take your boat, battery and primary mast with you because they will need to be weighed too - see later. You will also need to have the second mast pre-rigged to take with you when you go sailing. Otherwise, there is absolutely no point in having it. Can you get a second, full height, rigged mast/boom/sail in your sail box? No? You need to make a new box then. No sail box? Maybe buy a soft bag then. Not so good for protecting the sail but there you go. Can you get it in the car? Maybe, maybe not. Some 6m sailors with smaller cars travel to sailing with bare poles and put their main sail on at the water. It’s common procedure in the A Class fleet. Finally, can you get your nearest and dearest in the car with this extra encumbrance? I’ll draw a veil over the scene at this point. 5/. Other problems. ‘The proposed rule change is NOT intended to give any performance advantage to anyone having Two mast and main boom combinations over those wishing to continue with one.’ The proposal puts forward a 5% allowable discrepancy in weight and dimensions. I believe this is too wide. It would allow a main boom to be, for example, about 25mm shorter on an average Rococo 2nd mast. It provides an opportunity for owners to take advantage of this to create a rig that can be mounted lower in the boat to take advantage of the shorter boom downwind in waves and on a reach, plus the obvious upwind advantage of a lower rig in stronger winds. The mast could be made around 90mm shorter too, which would give a very handy reduction in windage. Furthermore the 5% weight discrepancy of a 2nd mast could put a boat outside of its certified displacement measurement if a boat is near to the maximum/minimum 100g limit above/below certified displacement. It could all get complicated for you and your poor measurer. More to measure, more to check, including the accurate weight of the boat in racing trim to make sure you stay within . A way will also be needed to mark the mast as measured. We are trying to clarify, streamline, refine, simplify, and make the rules easier to understand and implement correctly. This proposal is going in the opposite direction and will make this harder. A 2nd mast could also be used for further advantage. It could be constructed differently but within tolerance to provide different characteristics that produce a performance gain in particular wind conditions compared to the primary, measured mast. Some of you may be thinking that ‘different masts, different sizes, weights and characteristics - this is ok in other classes I sail so what’s the problem?’ Firstly, the proposal says it is not intended to give any performance advantage to an owner with a 2nd mast versus a single mast owner. I think it will fail that objective. That’s because it needs to be the same as the prime mast but it can’t be, even if you try and rework the rule proposal. The MYA Technical officer tells me that the rule itself can be worked on if the proposal is voted through as a principle and subsequently made fit for purpose. I’m not convinced. Many owners will not be able to produce a near identical mast in performance terms even if it is weight and dimensionally very close to the primary measured mast, not least because it may not be made from the same mast stock (round versus groovy), plus the round will be a different diameter to a groovy, as will its internal construction and possibly its carbon fibre modulus (stiffness) and wall thickness compared to the primary measured groovy mast or primary round mast. An automatic performance difference is guaranteed. With judicious construction a knowledgeable owner can further enhance differences in their favour. All of that contradicts what the proposal advocates. Secondly, I refer you back to the overarching point 1/. It’s a Six Metre. No full size Six Metre (or any other Metre rule boat) is allowed a second mast and certainly not a performance enhancing 2nd mast. The two mast model boat loses its fidelity to the class it is meant to portray. I’m quite sure that this proposal has been made in good faith. However, I contend that this proposal undermines the basic DNA of the Six Metre Class, its beginnings, its relationship to the full-size class that it still emulates, how it has developed and how it can remain an attractive, superb value for money option in the model racing family. This proposal doesn’t match its stated objectives and could divide the ownership unnecessarily by allowing advantages to some unless there is sufficient policing of the fleet enforcing strict adherence to second mast rules. Ask yourself, how that is going to be achieved when I frequently see something as simple and visible as the ‘J’ measurement rule being broken? Wouldn’t you rather sail something a bit special, a bit different, a class where the performance of different designs is well balanced and the skipper skill is to the fore? Or do you want to throw money at it for the sake of an occasional problem, real or perceived, that can be worked around with your mates? Do you want to sail a Six Metre, or do you really need an eighth class of yacht with multiple masts? The class is not broken. So let’s not try and ‘fix’ it and thereby create problems please. Lets go sailing instead.

I will be putting some thoughts here soon. Shaun Holbeche, 6m Class Captain.

Thanks Damian.

I never got my Centenary shirt despite being a competitor. I was told it would be sent on. I look out the front window every day waiting for the postman..............

Eric, They turn up on a regular basis. I just did a quick search and found this used one for sale on Facebook. Looks a good deal for the asking price of £395. Everything you need. Even includes a radio. That's fairly typical. Secondhand you are talking £300 - £450 depending on the condition, number of rigs and extras such as a bag, stand, Tx, Rx, batteries, spares etc. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/975355414168965/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Acf8b313d-7675-4b58-a35e-d130c4ee9d51 I don't know of any clubs in the Midlands sailing Lasers at the moment though I know one or two Laser owners in the Midlands. Perhaps you could start them at your club as your one design class? If you get a handful in the club then run an open meeting and publicise it. You will get entries, and advice from experienced skippers on the day. A five cell AA 2200 - 2400mAh should last all day. A morning or afternoon of sailing will use something like 950-1100mA worth of recharge, so less than that of actual capacity. Shaun.

Eric, to address the points you raise: " Spent far to much effort on steering the boat both upwind and running. " Upwind you now know why that is. Downwind, the boat will tend to want to luff up a little because the sail is to leeward of the hull and there is no jib goose-winged to help balance it. It will be exacerbated if there is some flow across the sail from the mast to the leech and then further increased if a larger camber is set . In a full size Laser the helm can shift his/her weight to heel the boat and change the underwater shape of the boat, thereby inducing a turning moment to counter the sail. We can't do that of course ! One trick that the Laser skipper can do that is hardly ever practised with intent by two sail model yacht skippers is running by the lee. It takes some practise to do well but it will almost guarantee straight running. However it's real use is more for tactical advantage. It's not something your novice sailor should be concerned with though. " I presume you are meant to set the winch drum position so you use all the revolutions of the winch , (Fully sheeted in set attachment point of sheet line close to bow?) As it was on the boat the elastic tension band and sail sheet was going round the drum and starting to pull sail in! " Correct, or at least most of the winches' capacity. In addition the end point for fully out should finish up with the sheet line attachment point not too far from the deck eye. This should mean that the boom can, if needed, be eased a little beyond perpendicular to the hull centre line, which can help with running by the lee in more extreme circumstances. As I said though, not something that your novice should worry about. Have fun with it ! Shaun.

Hi Eric, If the boat is set up properly with the correct choice of sail for the conditions then the Laser is a very entertaining proposition and provides one design fleet racing in a bomb-proof package. Do not worry about mask rake per se. Mast bend is part of the equation. This is induced by the pocket luff of the sail and the amount of tension on the leech. Think of the sail in the similar way to a Marblehead swing rig sail. On the Laser rear-most boom slider has multiple jobs: of controlling leech shape, partly controlling the camber of the lower part of the sail and to a lesser extent influencing the mast bend. Note that because the mast is, by design, flexible (fibreglass) it reacts to the wind forces and gusts and will automatically de-power to some extent by flattening the sail and/or opening the leach. So, as a starting point the rear slider should be positioned so as to allow the projected sheet angle beyond the clew to reach the mast at about half way up. The camber should be set with the inhaul slider, around three fingers deep. These are starting points with the sail set in a wind-filled state, on the water. It may not look like that on the bank on the ground and out of the wind due to the fact that the sail's clew is not in a fixed position. Boom angle upwind: This is a monosail boat. If you pull it in towards the centreline like an IOM the boat will be very slow, luffy and go sideways bigtime. The boom needs to be angled so that it projects a line outside of the stern corner of the deck by roughly 20mm as a starting point. Upwind: Too much weather helm? - Increase the twist by moving the slider a little further out. This will also decrease the camber (and weatherhelm) as well, unless you wish to maintain it by easing the in-haul to compensate. Decreasing camber alone will also have some effect. Adjustments need to be quite small as they can have a significant effect. There is interplay between sail choice, inhaul, twist and boom angle whereby a balanced upwind state can be achieved. As always practise and experience improve your outcomes. Compared to an IOM or other two sail classes you will probably find that you will want a touch more weatherhelm than them to achieve the best results but each skipper is different! Downwind: The more important dictator of which sail to use is what happens downwind. As with other classes if the bow is starting to dive its time to consider changing down to a smaller sail. Before that happens there is some 'between rigs' overlap between the sails as to which is fastest at certain windspeeds upwind and downwind. I often hear Lasers being maligned. People try one, often one that is poorly set up, maybe with the wrong sail on it for the conditions, find it a real handful in a good wind and dismiss it as a bad job with a slow winch. Lasers are bombproof. The hardware very rarely breaks - you don't have to worry about them. Once you have one the running costs are miserly. The winch is not an RMG, but it's extremely reliable and cheap as chips. Plus everyone else has exactly the same so you are at no disadvantage. In fact just one part of the skill and challenge of sailing a Laser is anticipating when to sheet in/out at bouy roundings, gusts and in traffic. They provide a fleet with a robust boat on a level playing field and of a size that makes them ok to see at that distant windward mark. Rigging takes about two minutes. Sail changes using separate rigs take seconds. There is an art to sailing them fast. You have to pay them attention. They are involving as you really have to actively engage with them to sail them to their full potential. You can't treat it like a two sail boat that sails itself upwind while you think about what you want for tea. ( I'm ducking! ). It's the same downwind. And you have to do all this while doing all the strategy and tactics as normal. I wonder if some people simply shy away from the challenge. Well, we like them at Fleetwood. https://www.rclaser.org.uk/ as a starting point for more information. I'm happy to answer any questions about them too. Shaun Holbeche.

An Octavia would measure and likely still be competitive. They tend not to be sailed though. I've not seen one.

Some of the GB pre- Renaissance designs no longer measure due to rules changes, so we're either grandfathered or made redundant. I don't think GB would regard them as competitive now anyway.

Even if John's boat had been on starboard he would still not have been entitled to redress because the none of the conditions of 62.1 or E6.6 were met.

All, I believe the home page is back up now but as I am away from a regular PC I have only seen it on a mobile phone so a confirmation from someone to say it's all ok would be good. I had to reload it from the editor function. I've no idea why it went AWOL ! Shaun.

Hi Gareth, I would suggest making the fin so that it is a uniform naca profile top to bottom. That is the norm (unless you were being exceptionally clever). The thickness will then depend on the chord length at different fin depths. I believe the latest Bantock designs have a keel box rather than the keel bolt running up to deck level. The later is more user friendly for dismantling to transport, if that is required. The former is going to be slightly lighter.

Hi Eric, The sails in the top picture belong to a six metre yacht. From the information I have K701 is a unique design and the boat was called 'Heather' though this might not have been it's original name. The designer's surname was Alexander and was owned by B. Wilde (probably Brian Wilde) of the Bournville club. Though the boat was given a sail number there is no record of it's notification or first registration. The hull will be likely be in the region of 1300 to 1400mm length overall with overhangs at the bow and stern, a vee shaped displacement hull with a longitudinal fin keel with the lead incorporated into it and possibly the rudder hanging off the back of it or maybe a separate rudder mounted further back. Have a look at the 'classic' boats that have been sold on the six metre website here: http://sixmetresailing.weebly.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html and at full size classic six metres. The mast ( there should only be one) will likely be about 1750-1800mm high above deck and will be through deck mounted onto the keelson. Bill Green is the registrar for six metres and may have more information about the boat than me as there is every chance he has seen/knows it. Shaun.

Older ones occasionally come up for sale on ebay but they are usually heavier and not competitive today.

I think you mean the Roger Stollery designed 'Pieces of Eight' ? Shaun.

Hi Richard, Contact Damian Ackroyd for the lowdown on keel trim tabs. They are on Driskys and most of the A class/6m Hollom designs. Derek Priestley is another possibility - he has a Hollom A class 'Hard Tack which has a trim tab. I think you will need a channel with a three position switch on your TX though. Cheers, Shaun.

A report of the open meeting at Fleetwood on the 26th January can be found on the Six Metre website. Worth a look here: http://sixmetresailing.weebly.com/report-fleetwood-open-26120.html Shaun Holbeche.

The results for this year's 2002 Trophy competition have been collated and can be seen on the Six Metre Sailing website here: http://sixmetresailing.weebly.com/2002-trophy-series.html

Just a line to flag that the Six Metre Sailing website has not one but two Rococos up for sale. Both look very attractive propositions too. http://sixmetresailing.weebly.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

Hi TC I saw that on ebay myself. It's a Revival 6m, designer Graham Bantock. Mike Ewart and I were discussing it the other weekend and had both independently come to the same conclusion. It's best suited to lighter wind strength so is an ideal complement to your Tern. Which club are you a member of? Shaun.