The first ever K6 class racing event got under way in fine style in the Carrick Roads, Falmouth, yesterday hosted by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club.

This exciting new class enjoyed superb racing under sunny skies with 5-10 knots of breeze. The boats provide a combination of tactical racing with real asymmetric performance downwind. First out of the chocks in the opening race were Martin Wadhams, Amanda Davies and Philippa Chapman, rounding the windward mark a boat length ahead of Jim Hunt and Greg O’Brien. Hunt/O’Brien picked the shifts downwind and gained the lead which they held to the finish. Jock Blair and Andrew Gray pulled strongly through the fleet to close up on the leaders and finish third behind Wadhams/Davies/Chapman.

The second race again saw Wadhams/Davies/Chapman lead at the windward mark and this time they held it right to the last beat, but a knot in the spinnaker halyard on the last drop slowed them down and allow Hunt/O’Brien to close up. After a tacking duel to the line, the psychological damage took its toll and Hunt/O’ Brien won by half aboat length. Myles Mence and Simon Morgan also made the most of the final lap to climb to third slot.

With four races scheduled for day, and similar condition forecast, it will be a testing day of competition for the K6 sailors.