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This year I grew a yellow courgette called Atena. It grew well and has produced lots of courgettes but the skins on them are thick and tough. Even a 6 inch courgette needs peeling before cooking. Previously only when they got very large did I have this sort of problem.
Any ideas as to the cause. Anyone grown this variety before.

Could be variety.  I grow Gold Rush - or un-named but yellow skinned variety sold here in spring - and have never had hard skins unless I miss one and it gets beyond zeppelin stage.

Some pale varieties like Fruhliana (?) have thicker and even warty skins... but compensate with denser flesh.

Atena / Atena Polka has been my yellow courgette variety of choice for some years. I find it reliable to germinate and grow and it produces many fruit over a long season. I wouldn't say the skins were tougher than the other varieties I grow, certainly not as tough as a marrow, but I'd generally be aiming to pick them by 6" long for steaming as vegetables. Any longer than that would be roasted in chunks or used for soup or ratatouille.

I grow Atena, and the yellow ball type too. I find it best to harvest at around 6"/15cm the skins are easier then

My guess is it the global warming issue again which is knocking the growing seasons out of kilter IMHO

I would say the toughness is down to watering or lack there off!

I see it as a similar situation to blossom end rot, which is also down to watering or lack there off!

Furthermore, I am finding I have to water a bit more scientifically than I did in the past.

In the past, I generally could tell if plants needed watering by how their leaves hung/lay.

Now that I now do a lot more containerised gardening, I can't judge the situation as well!

I have bought myself a combination moisture/light/Ph meter to help me decide!

With many of the 'modern' composts I find that the compost surface looks to be dry, so I water, where in fact I find my compost can be quite wet, and if I am not careful the compost can become saturated to the point it 'drowns' the plant because the saturated moisture prevents air getting to the root system!

But as I said this is OMHO