Stable weather pattern for Etchells NSW State Championship

by Lisa Ratcliff on 25 Nov 2016 Mild to moderate afternoon easterlies and daytime temperatures in the mid-twenties are in store for thirty-eight entries contesting the Etchells NSW State Championship to be sailed off Palm Beach Headland on Sydney’s Northern Beaches starting today, Friday November 25, 2016.

Two world and national champions plus five other national Etchells champions and a raft of state champions will race side-by-side and against titleholders in other classes of boat.

Etchells world (1984), national and NSW state champion and recent class returnee, Iain Murray, made his way to Sydney this week from Fukuoka, Japan for his own sailing endeavours. As America’s Cup regatta director he ran last weekend’s final of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series then hopped on a plane to be a starter at the Etchells spring series.

Murray began sailing with Michael Coxon in the early 1980s before work and Olympic campaigns took over. He had a hit out 20 years ago at the San Francisco worlds, placing a very respectable third, and in 2014 was invited to rejoin Coxon’s Etchells crew.

Murray’s gloves are laced up once again and for the one design state title he’ll helm Northern Havoc together with crew Richie Allanson and Euan McNichol, a step towards his ultimate aim - the 2017 Etchells world championship back in San Francisco.

Under race officers Ross and Kevin Wilson racing is due start with the first warning signal at 1255hrs daily, Friday to Sunday, and the long range forecast indicates a stable weather pattern for the state showdown, the prelude to the Etchells Australian Championship the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club will host January 11-15, 2017.

Today’s forecast is sunny with variable 10 knots winds becoming east to south-easterly 10-15 knots in the middle of the day. Saturday will be partly cloudy with variable winds, 10 knots becoming east to north-easterly 15-20 knots in the middle of the and Sunday’s forecast is south to south-easterly 10-15 knots turning easterly and lightening.

Peter McNeill, another Etchells world (2004) and Australian champion, will be in command of Iris III, and on the start line with the calibre of fellow Australian champion skippers, Graeme Taylor (VIC), David Clarke (NSW), Mark Roberts (SA), Jan Scholten (NSW) and Peter Conde (QLD).

Racing will take place in the Palm Beach circle zone to the east of Palm Beach headland.

Daily results will be available here.

For more information visit website.