Recent additions to the archive

We are delighted that in recent months we have had a steady flow of people getting in touch wanting to share their knowledge and their archives with us. As a result the online collection has been quietly growing as we have been adding more to the site. It now contains hundreds of archive records for you to view and download.

Here is an overview of some of the records that have been added over recent weeks. Please note that not all of our collections are online yet so if you have any specific enquiries please do get in touch.

Gitana Junior II

Gitana Junior II. Image from archive record FDBC.1.4.

At the end of March we were contacted by the owner of Gitana Junior II, who sent us photographs and certificates for the boat. Built in 1986 by Phillipe Durr, he is currently on Lake Como in Italy undergoing restoration. The owners are planning to join the Six Metre fleet in the near future. You can see all of the information on her here.

Kyria

Followers of Six Metres on social media may well be aware of the long term restoration of Kyria. Kyria has belonged to the same family for many years and has now been passed on through three generations. Based in Wales in the UK, the home restoration project has been many years’ work for her owner. She is now beginning to take shape with veneers recently being added to the hull. You can follow Kyria on Instagram and you can see her profile and archive records here.

Greg Stewart collection

Prompted by our spring newsletter, Greg Stewart got in touch with a set of documents and photographs relating to the Six Metres in the USA. A handful are now available to view in the archive, with more to come when copyright agreements are in place.

Six Metres racing out of Harbor Springs, Michigan in 1932. Image from archive record GRSW.1.2.

Greg’s documents were particularly helpful in filling in some gaps dating from the 1970s. The International Six Metre Association was formed in June 1970, followed by the first World Championships in Seattle in 1973. Greg’s collection includes a World Cup edition newsletter from 1973 and a regatta programme from the 1970 North American Six Metre Championships. The records can be seen here.

Zenith

We were recently contacted by a previous owner of Zenith (Fife, 1924). The gentleman had owned Zenith during the 1970s and ’80s and had taken an interest not only in the history of his own boat, but the class as a whole. A file of paperwork was duly handed over, and we are now working our way through digitising and cataloguing the collection. It is of particular interest as the documents date from the period just before and during the formation of BISMA and the 1980s UK revival of the class. Paperwork from this period is rare, simply due to the low number of Six Metres sailing in the UK at the time. The first part of the collection can be seen here.

British American Cup crew medal, 1924. Image from archive record AWDN.8.1.

Whilst researching this first set of archives, we made another Zenith connection.  Zenith was first owned by James Lauriston Lewis, who then gave her to his daughter Elizabeth as a gift. Elizabeth was an accomplished sailor and went on to crew in Zenith in the 1924 British American Cup. Elizabeth’s grandson has been researching his ancestors’ history, and has kindly allowed us to include his extensive research notes – as well as some fabulous photographs and trophies – in the archive.

A new Six Metre Story

Finally, we have added a new Six Metre. Drawn from the new Zenith records, this story was written in 1991 by one of Zenith’s previous owners. John Reeve-Fowkes owned Zenith between 1952 and 1971 and sailed her as a cruising boat with his family and friends. His recollections of owning her include details of her post-war restoration as well as some hair-raising accounts of their adventures. You can find the story here.