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2019_EtchellsNats_D4_HavocPresentation_6180-1200x1106.jpg

January 19, 2019 John Curnow0

Best was yet to come?

Arguably it was, but you certainly had to wait for it… Mind you, there was nothing wrong with the theory overall. Get them out there nice and early, enjoy a race in absolutely stellar conditions, complete the series, get the boats back on their road trailers, and then finally, have a presentation in the convivial surroundings of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.

Havoc out on the water ensuring they were on pace for the last race of the series.
Havoc out on the water ensuring they were on pace for the last race of the series.

So yes, once the Answering Pennant had been given a couple of airings, and the cloud that was causing all the issues had finally moved on overhead towards Lota, the breeze settled into its familiar ENE and 8 knot mode. We were off. However, the dreaded U Flag that had been capturing victims all week, felt it need to have the last say, and how. Overnight leader, Gen XY, along with Tango, would be sent home for being On Course Side. Doh. Very sad for Matt Chew, Brian Donovan, Ben Vercoe and Mitch Kennedy, who up until that point had been so, so consistent, and also kept their noses very clean.

The Championship had now opened up, and how. Yet it would not be long before some very, very seasoned sailors with CVs the envy of anyone would stake their claim. Before that occurred, some others put heir bows in front. The first was the Log, with Mark Bradford, Vaughan Prentice, Darren Hutchinson, and Mitch Miller on board, who lead us up to the weather mark for the first time.

Just back in to Etchells is Kirwan Robb with his crew of Darren Jones, Same Tiedermann and Hugo Allison.
Just back in to Etchells is Kirwan Robb with his crew of Darren Jones, Same Tiedermann and Hugo Allison.

Then on the run, Forte (Mark Crier, Andrew Harry, and Robbie Gibbs) took over. On the next work to windward, however, it all happened. AUS 1461, Havoc, charged through to be in the lead at the weather mark, and then stepped on the gas from there on.

Colin Beashel, who was doing main, with Richie Allanson on the bow and Iain Murray as Skipper, commented afterwards, “It is nice to finally win an Etchells Australian Championship. Obviously I have not won one of them before, and it is a good feeling. It was good sailing with Richie and the Big Fella, and it is always nice to sail those blokes. It’s a good, tricky venue, with great racing, and nice sunny weather. Perfect conditions, really.”

Ray Smith’s, The Cure, with David Chapman, James Farquharson, and Sarah Johnson as crew.
Ray Smith’s, The Cure, with David Chapman, James Farquharson, and Sarah Johnson as crew.

Tide came into the calculations today, and it was noticeable by virtue of not having been much of an influence over the preceding three days. “Yes, it was challenging. It was certainly running up that left hand side more, and the water was choppier. We were in a bit of trouble early on, but managed to get over there, and into the pressure, and from there, back into the race itself. It was definitely the secret to the equation. Better tide, better pressure, and allowed us to deal with some of the other little flicks to the right that came later in the second work, and third too for that matter.”

Asked if we would see more of him in Etchells, Beashel said. “I don’t know. See what happens. I might be doing the NSW States (Gosford next month), as the Big Fella has something on, so I might have a steer. But it is all downhill from here at the moment. Maybe I should stay off the tiller, and keep to the middle!”

Noel Drennan with Billy Merrington and Lewis Brake on Les Freaks Sont Chics.
Noel Drennan with Billy Merrington and Lewis Brake on Les Freaks Sont Chics.

Interestingly, Richie Allanson is the only one from the crew to have won an Australian Etchells Championship previously. In fact he’s done it twice; once at Brighton and the other at Fremantle. So he’s two up on the other two members of the crew, even though both of them are previous World Champions in Etchells amongst their many, many accolades.

“I am certainly looking forward to Gosford next month, and I am a buzzing a little right now as it all sinks in. This was much needed after our Worlds campaign, where we had the potential to do well, but fell short, which is a tough thing to go through. So to bring it together this week was a big thing for the programme.”

Just 2 Funny, James Hodgson, Trevor Martin, and Stuart Kennedy.
Just 2 Funny, James Hodgson, Trevor Martin, and Stuart Kennedy.

“We had some different set ups on board for this title, and it is a good looking future. We are planning on doing Texas (2019 World Championship at Corpus Christi), and long term we are getting ready for Freo (2020 Worlds).”

“We do really feel for the Gen XY crew, who had been doing so well. However, the ball was in our court, it was not a given, and it is good to see that we rose to the challenge. Winning the last race sets a good tone. The practice race (which they won) was our first since the worlds, and the three of us had not raced together since September.”

“The competition is hot in Etchells, and the bar has been raised, so you have to get cracking and think. There is lots of talent sailing around, and the class is a good position”, Allanson finished by saying.

RQYS Commodore presents Iain Murray, Richie Allanson and Colin Beashel with their loot for winning the 2019 Etchells Australian Championship.
RQYS Commodore presents Iain Murray, Richie Allanson and Colin Beashel with their loot for winning the 2019 Etchells Australian Championship.

Iain Murray was clearly very happy with the win too, “Been sailing Etchells that long and I think the memory is not what it was, so to get a national title is great, as I have not sailed that many of them (but has won at least five State titles). It is nice to come up here and win, and great to be sailing with Richie again, and Colin who I have been sailing against since we were ten years of age, so it has been a long journey.”

“We have been in opposing camps, and to be here sailing together as one team, which Richie has been the conduit for is fantastic. Colin and I live in the same suburb and we are sharing it and enjoying it, which is terrific.”

Martin Hill, Julian Plante, Mat Belcher and Sean O’Rourke climbed onto the podium to be third overall, as a result of a solid day. Hill, the reigning World Champion, spoke afterwards, saying, “We won the first race, which was great. From then on we were pretty consistent, and in the top ten mainly. No UFDs either, which certainly hampered a lot of crews here this week. We came into this regatta knowing about a couple of weaknesses, downwind especially; so learning to sail through the fleet was another positive from it all. We had to earn it all, especially when coming back from being quite deep, so we are pretty happy.”

Part of the fleet with Moreton Island as the backdrop.
Part of the fleet with Moreton Island as the backdrop.

“I think it was a great step forward for our next World Championship campaign. It is such great racing because of the crews you are up against, and I just love it. I could do another race, it was just so beautiful out there.”

Taking out the Corinthian Division (no pro sailors on board) was Animal House. The finished in 8th spot overall, which is also such a good effort and tremendous sign of their improving pace throughout the week, as Dirk Van Der Struyf, Ben O’Brien and James Hannah had not sailed together before.

Van Der Struyf commented once back ashore, “Yesterday I had hoped we would be talking again today, and here we are. My wish has come true and it is nice to be here on the dock after a fourth today, which was a good result. The boat is going well, and the boys are working brilliantly as a team. A mistake free race was also an added bonus, and Ben and James picked the shifts really well, especially downwind.”

Close racing is assured with Etchells and what a location – Moreton Bay in Brisbane
Close racing is assured with Etchells and what a location – Moreton Bay in Brisbane

“Really pleased to be sailing at the front of the fleet with some pretty talented company. When you’re crossing tacks with the Big Fella (Havoc) and GT (Magpie) it is really rewarding for the crew and myself. It makes us want to come back for next time. I think we might look at Mooloolaba as our next event on the East Coast. In the meantime we have the WA titles in March with my local crew.

Brisbane Fleet Captain, Noel Paterson, commented on it all, “Well, following on from the 2018 Worlds, I think we put on a regatta that you would love to come and sail at. The weather really turned up, with some of the best Champagne sailing I have seen, this time from a RIB unfortunately, as I did not sail. I hope people leave feeling they had a great regatta. We are pretty pleased, our volunteers did a sterling job, so yes I am pretty happy to have another super regatta all completed.”

Corinthian winners, Animal House, Dirk Van Der Struyf, Ben O’Brien, and James Hannah.
Corinthian winners, Animal House, Dirk Van Der Struyf, Ben O’Brien, and James Hannah.

Ultimately, well done to all the competitors, the Brisbane Etchells Fleet, RQ and the countless volunteers for a great regatta. Etchells racing continues next month with the NSW State Championship from the delightful Gosford Sailing Club. The West Australian and Victorian titles follow on from that. Please keep and eye on Facebook, and the Australian Class website for updates.

 

ENDS

 

More information at:

https://www.facebook.com/EtchellsAustralia – including live video from on the water

https://www.etchells.org.au

https://etchellsbrisbane.com

 

Image Name Caption © Holder
2019_EtchellsNats_D4_AnimalHouse_6069.jpg Corinthian winners, Animal House, Dirk Van Der Struyf, Ben O’Brien, and James Hannah. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D4_Fleet_1245.jpg Close racing is assured with Etchells and what a location – Moreton Bay in Brisbane John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D4_Triad_1261.jpg Just back in to Etchells is Kirwan Robb with his crew of Darren Jones, Same Tiedermann and Hugo Allison. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D4_Just2Funny_1275.jpg Just 2 Funny, James Hodgson, Trevor Martin, and Stuart Kennedy. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D4_TheCure_1268.jpg Ray Smith’s, The Cure, with David Chapman, James Farquharson, and Sarah Johnson as crew. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D4_LandRat_1279.jpg John Warlow’s, Land Rat, with Todd Anderson and Will Thompson were second in the Corinthian Division. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D4_Fleet_1283.jpg Part of the fleet with Moreton Island as the backdrop. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D4_HavocPresentation_6180.jpg RQYS Commodore presents Iain Murray, Richie Allanson and Colin Beashel with their loot for winning the 2019 Etchells Australian Championship. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D4_LesFreaksSontChics_1229.jpg Noel Drennan with Billy Merrington and Lewis Brake on Les Freaks Sont Chics. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D4_Havoc_6105.jpg Havoc out on the water ensuring they were on pace for the last race of the series. John Curnow

 


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January 18, 2019 John Curnow0

Short, sharp, and certainly very sweet!

Chris Hampton, Sam Haines and Charlie Cumbley on Tango.
Chris Hampton, Sam Haines and Charlie Cumbley on Tango.

Rumours of no wind towards the tail of the 2019 Etchells Australian Championship would appear to have been great over-exaggerated. For sure it is not exactly blowing dogs off chains, but awesome seabreezes that kick in from 6 knots and go to double that, are utterly delightful. Some grass fires around the surrounds of Brisbane certainly remind you that it is the height of Summer, but on Moreton Bay, 27 Etchells and their crews are having a wow of a time.

Now some may be having more wow than others, but the smiles are there regardless, and with just the one race today, the emphasis certainly was on sweet. Not one sailor I spoke with afterwards had any other comment to add than just than one word! So evidently, it was worth the price of admission alone. Flat seas that were lucky to make much more than 1/3 of a metre, a tide that was on its way in for the duration of the race, and the consistent wind that settled in at 045 and just pinched right to 055 during the course of the race just made it all the better.

Clubhouse leaders for the night, Gen XY.
Clubhouse leaders for the night, Gen XY.

Talking of doing better, no one was able to match Gen XY (Matt Chew, Brian Donovan, Ben Vercoe and Mitch Kennedy) who made every post a winner today to be atop the table with a five point buffer over Havoc (Iain Murray, Colin Beashel, and Richie Allanson), and a further six away from third placed, Triad (Kirwan Robb, Darren Jones, Hugo Allison, and Sam Tidermann).

Matt Chew said ashore, “Thanks. It’s always a good feeling, and leading for the whole race is definitely a handy way to get the result.” Asked what you do to try and keep the head cool in preparation for tomorrow he added, “I don’t know exactly. We’ll go home, and try to have the same race again as today. Do the same things, check our wind readings, come of the start line well, and tack when we knock. That’s pretty much what we’re going to go for.”

Seems the Sailing 101 manual was very much on their minds. “It did feel like that today. Almost easy, as everything happened to plan, and we kept our noses clean.”

Corinthian leaders, Animal House.
Corinthian leaders, Animal House.

Leading the charge for the Corinthian trophy is Animal House. Dirk Van Der Struyf, Ben O’Brien, and James Hannah have a more than handy 12-point lead over second placed, Land Rat (John Warlow, Todd Anderson, and Will Thompson), and sit in the top ten overall tonight, as well. Talking with very affable Van Der Struyf again for the second day running, he commented, “Yes, and I hope I am talking with you again tomorrow! It is excellent to be in the top ten tonight. We had a pretty good day, and despite a poor leeward mark rounding, and a man overboard (he got back on safely), we did OK with our seventh place.”

“So it wasn’t all simple sailing, but it definitely was enjoyable. Glamour conditions, and Race Management was spot on, so with good boat speed, and going well, we are certainly happy tonight. One to go, and hopefully we keep it nice and simple.”

Noel Drennan, Billy Merrington and Lewis Brake on Les Freaks Sont Chics.
Noel Drennan, Billy Merrington and Lewis Brake on Les Freaks Sont Chics.

Having just won his first International Cadet national title as Skipper in Hobart only days ago (and is the youngest to ever do so), Hugo Allison is loving his time aboard Triad (with Kirwan Robb, Darren Jones and Sam Tiedermann), which is in third place tonight. The crew inform me that he is quite adept at nudging Jones when it is time to tack or gybe, but let’s hear form the young fellow himself, “Thanks. Yes, I won it twice before as crew, and one of those was with Sam Tiedermann as the Skipper.” So he is no stranger to the podium.

“I am having a really, really good time. It is my first time on the Etchells, and I’m really enjoying it. It is good, and I am loving being in the thick of it. It is my first time sailing with Twirler (Jones), who’s calling the shots. He’s doing really well. I sailed with Kirwan in the SB20 in Hobart, so we know each other already. It is also really cool to be out there with all these highly regarded sailors.

Simone Wood, Thomas Quigley, Adam Lavis, and Samantha Costin are part of the RQYS Youth Development Programme and loving their Etchells experience.

Seeing as the focus is on youth entering the Etchells Class, lets talk with the crew from Tumba Rumba, who are also having the very first ever foray into this premier One Design class. Simone Wood is skippering, with Adam Lavis on the main, Thomas Quigley is trimming, and Samantha Costin is pinch hitting for the crew with the kite hoist and spinnaker pole.

Wood commented, “It has been pretty interesting. The boat is owned by my parents, and as she’s a bit older we are certainly putting a lot of love back into her, and with no experience on Etchells at all. Every time we come off the water we have about an hour or two’s maintenance to perform. It has been tough, but we’re certainly getting there now.”

“The coolest thing has been to actually see how close the fleet is. Tom and Adam are both from skiff backgrounds, so this is wonderful to be up in the fleet, even if our boat is not in the best of form yet.”

Tom commented about the grandeur of the fleet by saying, “It is a bit nerve-wracking, seeing all these big names, like Iain Murray, Graeme Taylor, and Martin Hill, but I know we rounded one of the marks just behind Murray, so we know we can get the boat up to pace and competitive with everyone else. Now the challenge is to hold on. If we have time to practice and train ahead of the regattas, then we could do even better, and climb the ladder.”

Second place Corinthians, Land Rat.
Second place Corinthians, Land Rat.

Adam spoke about tactics, “We kind of have a bit of a chat about it, but Simone has the last say.” Wood certainly appreciates all the input, commenting, “All the data is important, and there is enough brains on board to figure it all out.” In unison they all felt that it had been more than rewarding and are very keen to pursue more Etchells events.

Racing continues tomorrow from the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in Manly, with just the one race needed to complete the series. Please keep and eye on Facebook, and the fleet website for updates.

 

ENDS

 

More information at:

https://www.facebook.com/EtchellsAustralia – including live video from on the water

https://etchellsbrisbane.com

https://www.etchells.org.au

 

Image Name Caption © Holder
2019_EtchellsNats_D3_FairDinkum_1146.jpg Fair Dinkum – yes that does look good – Grant Hudson, Dean Horton, Matt Parrot, and Ariane Saroch. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D3_DawnRaid_1174_LesFreaksSontChics.jpg Noel Drennan, Billy Merrington and Lewis Brake on Les Freaks Sont Chics. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D3_Tango_1183.jpg Chris Hampton, Sam Haines and Charlie Cumbley on Tango. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D3_HappyHour_1192.jpg Happy Hour in their first ever Etchells regatta – Drew Carruthers, Becky Moloney, Daniel Moloney, and mark Matthews. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D3_DawnRaid_1197.jpg Dawn Rain, Ian Johnson, John Collingwood, and Tim Ede. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D3_LandRat_1205.jpg Second place Corinthians, Land Rat. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D3_AnimalHouse_6017.jpg Corinthian leaders, Animal House. John Curnow
2019_EtchellsNats_D3_GenXY_6050.jpg Clubhouse leaders for the night, Gen XY. John Curnow