True gems at Etchells Queensland State Championship

by John Curnow on 4 Oct 2016 The sun was not out for the last race of the 2016 Etchells Queensland State Championship in Brisbane. In fact, later in the day the rain would fall quite heavily. So it may not have been the perfect weather they had come to enjoy on the preceding days, but it did bring a Nor’wester of solid strength to the waters of Moreton Bay.

Without the sun you may have felt there would be no sparkle, yet the crammed leader board ensured there would always be some true gems to be found by some gentle brushing and blowing to clear the decks, as it were. Indeed the whole fleet looked set to shine, and with all of them finishing the last race of the series and only for the day, inside three minutes and one second of each other, it was very much the Etchells that shone.

Inside the treasure chest there were some standout performances, however. Apart from all the volunteers of the host, Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, the crew of Yandoo XX certainly took the task with aplomb. Jeanne-Claude Strong, Marcus Burke, Seve Jarvin and young Ashleigh Swadling took second place to finish with a one-point buffer at the top of the table and collect the title. Swadling was only competing in her first ever Etchells event, so could be we’ll see more of her again soon.

Strong commented afterwards, “What a great regatta. Absolutely fits in with the palm tree rule, which should be a prerequisite for all Etchells regattas! This is a world-class venue and welcome. Lovely to have Ash with us for her first Etchells race. Marcus did a magnificent job, as always, and I also loved sailing with Seve. He is a top tactician, and the one who got us to do that unforgettable pin start onto port. Congratulations also to Fifteen+ and all the other crews who made for a very tight competition.”

Overnight leader, Fifteen+, nearly collected the chocolates and they worked tirelessly to try and make it so. The crew on board comprised of David Clark, Will Howard, Sasha Ryan and Mark Langford. Clark said, “We achieved our objectives in signing off on new equipment. Our crew worked really well, and all the positive energy allowed us to maintain momentum...” Of course that momentum he speaks of is solely geared up towards the impending NSW Championship and then the Australian Championship in January 2017. Without wishing to put the hex on them, this crew will be a serious contender for both.

Edging out, The Usual Suspects (representing NZL were Lincoln Fraser, Ben Fraser, Geoff Woolley and Tim Hannah), for third place was, Encore. Not bad for a crew that has not sailed together for 20 years. Mind you, last time they did they were third at the Etchells World Championship…

Skippered by Australian Sailing’s Performance Director, Peter Conde, and crewed by Brian Hillier and Myles Baron-Hay, Encore won the last race. Indeed that was their second bullet (win) for the regatta, and but for gear damage in the second race which they could not finish, the final result may well have been very different! Speaking of that, the very busy Conde said, “Yes. That was a lack of maintenance and it won’t happen again.”

“This was our first time back together since 1996 and the Worlds at Cowes. We really enjoyed it and hope to do more together soon. That depends on the availability of leave passes and fun tickets. We are long term mates and everyone’s keen, so here’s hoping.”

'This is a great place to sail - just superb and the club puts in too. Who knows about the Worlds in 2018? We will just have to see. Encore is a 26-year-old hull. She’s still competitive and we don’t mind trying hard either! We are happy with results, but self-inflicted errors can damage a regatta pretty smartly. Overall it was really fun, which is the main thing.”

In signing off, an elated Brisbane Fleet Captain in the hard working Noel Paterson said, “We started on time at 1100hrs in a Nor’nor’wester of 12-16 knots, which held pretty steady and provided for very close racing. Well done to the on and off water team at the club. Special thanks also to my crew for getting the boat sorted, so that we could hit the water running.

Ultimately the gems seem to surround the crown that is the Etchells, which is the premier One Design class in the country. Sailors of all ages and both sexes mix to enjoy hard racing and wonderful camaraderie, which is the real stone in the centrepiece. Should you be looking to investigate all things Etchells, then start by going to www.etchells.org.au