The first unofficial Six Metre European Championships were arranged in Geneva, Switzerland in 1953. The story of the European Championships starts in 1978, when Yacht Club Italiano offered the Coppa Giovanelli trophy as a prize and prepared the deed of gift. The aim was to complement the World Cup races, which were held every other year.
Since Bénodet, France in 1994, classic yachts have been presented with separate prizes and since 1998 classic yachts have had separate fleet and trophies.
(Source: “The Six Metre – 100 years of racing”. Pekka Barck and Tim Street. 2007)