Etchells Worlds – The 2012 Champion is crowned

by Rob Kothe and the Sail-World Team on 25 Feb 2012 The ninth and final race in the Etchells World Championship 2012 was scheduled to start on the Manly Circle at 12 noon, Saturday 25 February. However there was a delay due to the lack of breeze. Light cumulus clouds dotted the sky, the offshore swell was around 0.5 metres.

The match up everyone was waiting for was between Tom King (Iron Lotus), the Sydney 2000 Olympic Gold Medallist and winner of the 2011 Mooloolaba Etchells Mid-Winter series and the Etchells World Championship 2012 leader with just this one race to sail, and Graeme ‘GT’ Taylor (Magpie), second on the leader board.

King was looking for a quiet top ten result while ‘GT’ needed to see his Iron Lotus rivals over early; black flagged, anything that might give him the advantage.

Race 9 was set course #1, 2.2nautical miles, 010 axis.

The starter’s gun fired and the fleet was away. Individual recalls on the pin end; OC Peter McNeil (Iris III), James Howells (GBR - Gelert ) and Matthew Chew (Gen XY).

Noel ‘Nitro’ Drennan (Boat X) was leading the tack towards the first mark, ahead of Chris Hampton (Tango 1990). Tom King started to the left of the middle on the port start line and was fifth, tacking left again for clear air as he could not progress in Cameron Miles’ (The Hole Way) dirty air.

Graham Taylor (Magpie) was 13th about 110 metres off the pace, John Bertrand (Triad) probably around 20th, Jud Smith (Roulette) was buried mid fleet another 100 metres back. The wheel stopped for his Roulette crew.

Drennan was first around, Taylor and King went around the mark, overlapped in about eighth or so. Taylor gybed and King covered and the two boats came down the centre of the course.

This Championship was now King’s to lose. With Bertrand and Smith well back, Taylor had to win and have King finish 14 or so places back and that was not going to happen.

Cameron Miles, the 1999 World Champion, closed right up on Drennan, and it looked like he would roll him. But no Drennan escaped. Tom King sailed through 'GT' and was in eighth place and on track for a championship result.

John Bertrand was 16th and Jud Smith 20th, a good recovery from Smith. But he had to sail through the America's Cup icon by three or so places in the next lap to finish up on the podium.

Taylor was now around 250 metres to the right of King and that separation helped a little as he was back ahead of the series leader.

Drennan approached the left hand pin at the bottom of the course, he rounded and headed left ahead of Miles, Hampton and Dave Clarke (Fifteen). Mark Bulka (Perfect Balance) went right from the right hand mark and was third in the race.

Tom King went left and was fifth. 'GT' went right, well he had to try something but it did not work, and he was back in 10th.

From opposite sides of the course Taylor and King came together again, Taylor on starboard forced King to tack. But King had what he wanted, he engaged with his nearest leader board rival and was on track, coming to the top mark for the last time, to win the 2012 Etchells World Championship.

Bertrand was 16th and Smith 28th. Not a lot of fun. ‘GT’s’ podium place was unthreatened. Taylor was three places ahead of his rival and needed King to incur a penalty at the top mark or the battle was all over.

Drennan continued to chew up the course, he was 100 metres ahead of Miles, then came Mark Bulka, Clark and Michael Manford (The Croc). Taylor was just 30 metres ahead of King.

Smith was on port, having made enormous gains on the beat. Bertrand was on starboard and the two were about 200 metres apart as they both headed for the starboard lay line approaching the top mark. Smith bounced away, and attempted a port lay line entry - a never say die sailor.

Down the run the wind continued to build to around 12 knots, from 030.

Drennan extended heading down the run and was two hundred metres ahead of Miles, who was about two lengths ahead of Bulka. Taylor was seventh, King eighth, Smith 15th. Bertrand advanced up to 10th while Smith dropped back a little.

Drennan headed upwind to the finish, well clear of the fleet. With the finishing line in sight, it was ‘Nitro’ leading Cameron Miles, Dave Clark and Mark Bulka, fighting hard. King was giving Taylor no peace at all and that allowed Bertrand to close up to his rivals, he was ninth. Smith suffered out on the left and was 18th.

At the finish it was Drennan, one minute 19 seconds ahead of Miles, then Clark, Bulka, Tom King fifth, Manford, then Taylor, Hampton, Tim Patton (BER – Incentive) with Bertrand 10th and Smith 16th.

The 2012 Etchells World Championship was decided (at least provisionally).

Tom King and his Iron Lotus team of Owen McMahon, Ivan Wheen and David Edwards won the title from Graeme Taylor and his Magpie crew of Grant Simmer and 'Mothy' Steve Jarvin. John Bertrand’s Triad finished third, with crew Tom Slingsby and David Giles.

Provisional Results:

1 25 AUS 925 * Tom King 2 6 3 2 2 14 - 16 4 5 38
2 47 AUS 947 Graeme Taylor 4 1 - 12 10 7 10 11 3 6 52
3 03 AUS 1383 John Bertrand 5 21 4 6 3 8 1 - 31 10 58
4 08 AUS 876 David Clark - 27 20 15 8 1 3 2 7 3 59
5 66 AUS 1377 Jud Smith 3 19 1 3 5 1 17 - 33 17 66
6 06 AUS 1306 Cameron Miles 12 8 2 7 rdg - 33 7 13 19 2 70
7 15 AUS 1215 Noel Drennan 30 10 9 1 10 21 9 - 42 1 91
8 32 AUS 1325 Peter McNeill 11 rdg 9 10 14 6 13 20 12 - 75 dnf 95
9 57 AUS 1387 * Mark Bulka 31 - 43 17 23 22 19 4 1 4 121
10 27 USA 1227 Vincent Brun 7 2 6 - 46 4 15 38 20 32 124
11 31 AUS 831 Brett Ellis 20 12 14 22 15 - 40 15 5 23 126
12 70 AUS 875 Murray Gordon 1 15 13 16 - 40 24 21 16 21 127
13 64 AUS 864 Matthew Chew 21 11 18 4 35 2 19 22 - 41 132
14 10 NZL 950 Alastair Gair 6 30 5 12 12 11 47 21 - 75 dnc 144
15 20 AUS 1320 * Dirk Van Der Struyf - 47 27 21 13 18 26 7 18 18 148
16 56 AUS 1356 Michael Manford 15 4 27 7 45 6 - 57 48 7 159
17 61 AUS 1361 Mark Tonner-Joyce 29 5 - 75 dsq 15 9 17 23 13 48 159
18 69 HKG 1269 Mark Thornburrow 13 23 - 75 bfd 17 16 18 8 8 56 159
19 33 HKG 1333 Ante Razmilovic 16 29 37 - 53 20 23 3 6 26 160
20 38 AUS 1338 * Mark Langford 22 13 - 75 dsq 5 25 4 24 46 42 181
21 74 AUS 874 Chris Hampton 11 - 58 29 21 19 30 30 44 8 192
22 40 AUS 1254 Peter Merrington 34 3 23 - 51 13 22 41 23 36 195
23 26 AUS 1226 John Savage 44 33 8 9 - 51 5 36 47 14 196
24 37 AUS 1337 * Rupert Henry 36 18 7 32 23 25 - 51 26 29 196
25 07 SUI 1187 James McHugh - 62 14 5 rdg 18 43 61 31 11 22 205
26 67 AUS 867 Tom Braidwood 19 28 - 56 11 30 38 5 41 33 205
27 30 AUS 1347 Vaughan Prentice 10 34 - 48 30 27 20 27 45 15 208
28 21 SIN 1021 * Jervis Tilly 32 16 60 44 8 12 29 - 75 bfd 12 213
29 44 AUS 1244 Douglas McGain 8 22 11 - 54 39 35 50 38 13 216
30 01 AUS 1401 * Richard Hammond 14 - 60 59 38 28 9 33 14 24 219
31 63 AUS 963 Grantham Kitto 18 - 75 dnf 22 31 41 42 10 29 35 228
32 04 AUS 1384 Steve OÕRourke - 56 37 28 19 11 29 43 37 40 244
33 35 AUS 1358 Mark Richards 23 7 35 50 31 37 - 65 27 37 247
34 24 AUS 924 * Damien King 42 31 - 75 dsq 24 47 16 34 32 27 253
35 68 AUS 868 Jeanne-Claude Strong 48 - 75 dsq 41 62 36 39 6 9 16 257
36 49 BER 1249 Tim Patton 41 44 33 34 14 56 - 58 28 9 259
37 23 AUS 1392 David Rose 39 26 46 20 49 33 18 - 53 34 265
38 62 AUS 1362 * Ross Lloyd 38 25 26 26 37 32 - 55 36 50 270
39 18 USA 1198 * Scott Kaufman 39 rdg 32 40 43 17 34 37 - 64 30 272
40 22 AUS 1192 * Jamie Woods 61 24 16 - 75 dsq 26 36 22 30 60 275
41 19 AUS 991 * Jake Gunther 28 - 75 ocs 49 75 dnc 29 44 26 17 11 279
42 12 AUS 1250 * Matt Whitnall 46 45 20 - 48 44 47 14 24 43 283
43 72 AUS 882 Brendon Jukes 52 17 31 28 53 48 - 56 43 28 300
44 55 GBR 987 Robert Elliott 25 - 61 24 41 60 43 49 15 44 301
45 75 GBR 1331 James Howells 9 - 75 ocs 50 39 56 27 48 2 75 dnf 306
46 05 AUS 511 * Gordon Hinds 45 41 42 35 46 - 53 39 10 49 307
47 39 BER 898 Mark Watson 24 - 66 38 64 21 41 54 25 45 312
48 11 AUS 1311 * Paul Henshall 35 - 62 39 57 55 45 12 54 19 316
49 14 AUS 1144 * David Healey 68 38 19 27 - 69 58 42 35 31 318
50 36 AUS 936 Shane Deussen 17 52 62 33 38 55 - 72 58 20 335
51 02 AUS 1268 * Robert Weir 51 42 30 29 - 68 52 28 51 53 336
52 52 AUS 1052 Chris Rabbidge 26 35 36 52 24 49 52 - 75 dnf 63 337
53 65 AUS 1024 * Guyon Wilson 54 39 25 60 - 65 46 46 34 51 355
54 54 GBR 1354 David Franks 50 36 32 40 42 - 67 67 50 46 363
55 73 AUS 1273 Ed McCarthy 60 57 34 37 32 51 - 64 60 39 370
56 16 AUS 1163 Mark Anderson 59 40 - 75 dsq 47 64 28 59 57 25 379
57 34 AUS 1134 * David Seaton 43 47 64 36 48 - 69 32 52 64 386
58 09 AUS 1399 Ian Crisp 55 48 51 45 - 63 50 44 39 61 393
59 41 AUS 941 * Phillip Coombs 37 - 75 ocs 43 75 bfd 66 62 25 49 47 404
60 53 AUS 1253 * Mark Doyle 33 63 54 49 54 59 - 70 59 52 423
61 43 AUS 1343 Peter Gardner - 75 dnf 75 ocs 52 25 52 68 60 40 55 427
62 59 AUS 869 * John Paul 63 51 61 65 34 - 72 66 67 38 445
63 58 NZL 1058 John Melville 53 46 47 66 57 31 - 75 dns 75 dnc 75 dnc 450
64 60 UAE 1386 * Jan Muysken 57 54 57 61 59 54 - 68 56 58 456
65 46 AUS 1346 * Michael Bellingham 40 56 45 - 75 bfd 58 70 53 61 75 dnf 458
66 45 AUS 1385 * Jason Ward 65 49 58 42 - 71 60 69 63 59 465
67 29 AUS 892 * Craig Coulsen 49 64 44 56 67 64 63 69 - 75 dnc 476
68 71 AUS 1291 Don Wilson 69 65 55 63 - 70 65 35 68 57 477
69 51 ITA 1351 Marco Cimarosti 66 50 - 75 dnf 75 dnc 61 66 45 62 62 487
70 50 AUS 1150 * Bill Steele - 75 dnc 75 dnc 75 bfd 67 50 57 62 55 65 506
71 28 AUS 1288 * Robert Holm 64 55 53 59 - 73 73 71 66 66 507
72 48 USA 1248 Leon Christianakis - 75 dnc 75 dnc 75 dnc 75 dnc 62 71 40 70 54 522
73 17 AUS 1117 * Ian Anderson 67 59 - 75 bfd 58 74 75 dnc 61 65 67 526
74 42 AUS 943 * Burke Melia - 75 dsq 53 63 55 72 63 75 dnf 75 dnc 75 dnc 531

* Corinthian status