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Mena

Mena was designed and built in 1946 by Camper & Nicholsons for A.J. Newman. She was the first British Six built after the war and first appeared at Cowes Week that year. Although she raced regularly in the Solent and took part in two British-American Cup trials, she never sought to race internationally. However, she does have two claims of note; she was one of only three British Six Metres to survive after the final crash of the British Fleet in 1956 (the others being Thistle and Catherine) and she remained unchanged right up to 1984.

In 1982 she was bought by Roger Hill and put back into racing condition, sheathing her in glass fibre. Together with Philip Beck and Razzle Dazzle, they tried to resuscitate the British fleet. After that she went to Mumbles in South Wales, owned by David Brewer. She was found there by Tim Russell in late 1984. Invited to the first ever British Open Championships at Cowes, she was unfortunately crashed on the motorway, so returned in a battered state to South Wales.

In 1986 she was bought by Nigel Biggs who sailed her single-handed round to Cowes to the second British Open Championships where, helmed by Tom Richardson, she finished first of the “Ancient” Six Metres. By 1993 she had been bought by Bill Trafford who had sheathed her, fitted her with a modern aluminium mast and taken her to Jersey. In 1998 she was brought back to Cowes by Anthony Gibb and Ian Henderson who sailed her back across the Channel. Restored by Lallows at Cowes and fitted with the former mast and boom from Asterix (now Cream) she won the British Open Classic Championships at Fowey. Soon after she was bought by Dr. Thomas Kuhmann who beautifully restored and updated her and has been a stalwart entry in most subsequent international events, with his 6th position in the Europeans at Brunnen being perhaps his best.

Mena (G30) came in 5th in the Classic Division of two European Championships: 2004 in Porto Rotondo, Italy; and 2006 in Flensburg, Germany.

She changed hands again in 2017 and is now regularly raced with the Spanish fleet, as well as competing in international competitions.

Information kindly supplied by Fiona Brown/Tim Street.

Boat ID
1946UK02
Boat Names
Build Year
1946
Build Country
UK
Sail Numbers
First number recorded: K52 (1947) Other numbers: GBR52 GER30 (used from 2003) Last number reported: GBR52 (2016)
Restored or rebuilt
Significant Dates
Boat Measurements
Rule Number
Website

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