Etchells teams to compete for Gertrude Cup 2016 in Cowes

by Louay Habib on 31 Jul 2016 Etchells teams from yacht clubs from around the World have arrived in Cowes to compete for the Royal Thames Yacht Club's Gertrude Cup. The invitational event for the Etchells Class has attracted teams from Australia, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Malta, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and United States of America. Four days of fleet racing in the UK's premier sailing waters based in Cowes and the Solent, with a full on and off the water programme.

A fleet of matched Etchells is provided, each crew sails a different hull each day to ensure fairness. Fully rigged, with new matching sails and prepared, ready to race, by the Cowes Etchells Fleet. The helm must be Corinthian, but there are no other crew restrictions. The intention is to run a minimum of three races per day, over the four day schedule. A gala dinner will be held at the Royal Yacht Squadron on Tuesday 2nd August 2016 and The Gertrude Cup includes a full social programme.

Mark Thornburrow's team from the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is back to defend their 2015 Gertrude Cup win. Jeanne-Claude Strong's Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and Tom Carruthers' San Diego Yacht Club finished last year's event tied on points with the Royal Honk Kong, who won The Gertrude Cup on count back. The 2015 Gertrude Cup was incredibly competitive, throughout the event, with seven different winners over the 10 races, while more than half the fleet scored at least one podium result.