Etchells World Championship 2014

by New York Yacht Club on 23 Jun 2014 Etchells World Championship 2014

What: The class's 46th annual world championship will be sailed from Tuesday, June 24, to Saturday, June 28, on Rhode Island Sound. The event will be run by the New York Yacht Club in cooperation with Sail Newport. The event website can be found here.

Where: The sailing will be off the coast of Newport, R.I., on Rhode Island Sound. The boats will be stored at Sail Newport with registration and social functions split between Sail Newport and the New York Yacht Club at Harbour Court.

When: The sailors will leave the docks between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. each morning and return in the late afternoon. There is a practice race on Monday, June 24, at 1300. Racing for the regatta is scheduled to start each day at 1200 (except for Saturday, when the first race will start at 1100). The full regatta schedule can be found in the Notice of Race.

Why: The Etchells is known worldwide as the class of sailboat in which the world's top professional sailors compete for fun. The 95 entries in this year's regatta—which is very close to a record for the class—includes America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race champions and Olympic medalists. This year's fleet includes:

• Etchells World Champions from 1986-2013; 18 years of Champions represented
• 21 Olympians, including medallists from every Olympic class
• 22 competitors with America’s Cup experience
• 6 competitors who have competed in the Volvo Ocean Race (previously Whitbread Around the World Race)
• 49 sailors were named a Collegiate All-American, while five earned the InterCollegiate Sailing Association Sailor-of-the-Year award.
• 2 former Rolex Yachtsmen-women of the year.
• 60 competitors are 35 or younger
• 22 female competitors with 4 female skippers and 1 co-skipper

Competitors of note include:
• John Bertrand (AUS): skipper of Australia II (1983 America's Cup winner), Olympic medalist and former Etchells World Champion. This is Bertrand's first visit to Newport since winning the America's Cup
• Zach Railey (USA): silver medalist in the Finn class in 2008 Olympics
• Brad Butterworth (NZL): winner of the America's Cup with Team New Zealand and Alinghi
• Grant Simmer (AUS): navigator for Australia II in 1983, winner of the America's Cup with Alinghi and Oracle Team USA. Current general manager of Oracle Team USA.
• Stephen Benjamin (USA): silver medalist in 470 class in the 1984 Olympics
• Lynne Shore (USA): Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, Olympic gold medalist in the 470 in the 1988 Olympics
• Taylor Canfield (ISV): 2013 ISAF Match Racing World Champion, currently No. 2 in the world International Etchells Class Association