Etchell National Championships - Rooster celebrates her 40th birthday

by Bronwen Ince on 25 Oct 2013 At the 2013/14 Etchell Nationals, Rooster AUS113, owned and skippered by Southport Yacht Club's Sailing Administrator Kelvin Holdt, Rooster was built in November 1973 and will be celebrating her 40th birthday.

Rooster is a hot contender for the Gold Coast Etchells fleet, currently leading the results in the Southport Yacht Club 2013-2014 Etchell Club Championship series, and is extremely familiar with the offshore racing condition of the Gold Coast. Originally names Carabella II, the one design vessel was the first Etchell built in Sydney, Australia by Savage Fibreglass Boats, and measurements were undertaken by D.O.Heywood for owner K. McKann sailing out of Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, in December 1973.

Other SYC competitors will also be competing in the Etchell Nationals with Scott McInally skippering Rebound, Greg Forgan-Smithwith Betelgeuse, and SYC's Kelvin Holdt sailing with crew members,past Olympian Matthew Percy andprevious Australian Women's Match Racing Champion Sophie Lahey.

Will Rooster be in front of the pack?'No way,says current owner Kelvin Holdt, but we will be looking to beat some of the newer boats around the track which for us is a great achievement as the old girl is getting somewhat tired and also flex’s a fair bit, but we have a blast sailing Etchells which would have to be the ultimate one design yacht'.
Southport Yacht Club will be full of action over the week, with five days of offshore racing and social events for both competitors and visitors.