Jeanne-Claude Strong wins in Melbourne

by Royal Brighton Yacht Club on 13 Mar 2017 The final races of the 2017 Victorian Etchells Championships got underway just after 1pm at Royal Brighton Yacht Club this afternoon. After another still morning, the southerly settled in at about six knots then steadily built to 15 knots through race one.

Jeanne-Claude Strong and the crew of Yandoo XX – Marcus Burke, SeveJarvin and Tiana Wittey – started strongly and established a clear lead at the first mark. They steadied to hold off an attack from Graeme Taylor on Magpie and David Clark on Fifteen + to take the win and all but cementing the championship win.

At the conclusion of racing yesterday, Bruce McBriar’s Fast Forward ,Graeme Taylor’s Magpie and John Bertrand’s Triad II were in second to fourth respectively, but all carrying a score of 13 points. Triad II were sixth in today’s first race and Fast Forward lost out by choosing the left hand side of the track and dropped to 20th place. Magpie was still in with a chance, 6 points behind Yandoo XX.

After a late start to the day waiting for breeze, Race Office Kevin Wilson was under pressure to get the final race away before the cut-off time of 1500hrs. Following one general recall under the P flag, the black flag was displayed at 1449 and the fleet burst off the line at 1453 with a clear start.

“Even with the black flag, the fleet were really pushing the line – there was only half a metre in it but they got away clean”, commented RO Kevin.

The breeze had freshened to 16 knots at the start and was over 20 as the boats were finishing the sixth and final race of the series. The average breeze axis held steady at 185 degrees all afternoon.

The last race was a closely fought contest with several crews finally finding their pace. David Clark, Andrew Smith and Ian Johnson were the first boat home on Fifteen +, two boat lengths ahead of Chris Hampton’s Tango. John Warlow and the crew of Land Rat weren’t far behind, then Magpie and Jukes of Hazzard who crossed ahead of the new Victorian Champion, Yandoo XX.

A sixth place in the final race was enough to give Jeanne-Claude Strong a four point margin on the series score. Congratulations to Jeanne-Claude, Marcus Burke, Seve Jarvin and Tiana Wittey on Yandoo XX for an impressive display of sailing in one of the most unforgiving fleets in the country.

“We have really been focusing on our consistency”, said Jean-Claude after racing today.
“You don’t even have to win a race to win the series, but if you can finish in the top five every time you are likely to be on the podium”, she said.

From Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Jeanne-Claude has been sailing with Marcus Burke and Tiana Wittey since 2004. Seve Jarvin joined the team last year ahead of their win in the Queensland Championships. Yandoo XX is coached by Neville Wittey.

Reigning Australian Champion Graeme Taylor, with his crew of James Mayo and Steve Jarvin on Magpie, finished second with a seven point lead over David Clark, Andrew Smith and Ian Johnson on Fifteen +. Last year’s Victorian Champions,John Bertrand, Bill Browne and Jake Newman on Triad II were fourth.

International Race Officers Kevin and Ross Wilson are based at Black Rock, just five miles south of RBYC, and have been sailing and running races on this part of Port Phillip for years.

“These autumn wind patterns can really make for some difficult conditions”, said Kevin. “We had AP flying every morning as the sea breeze was slow to arrive and even then it took some time for the axis to steady”, he said.
“The standard of these sailors is outstanding and well done to Jeanne-Claude for such a consistent series – that’s what made the difference”, observed Kevin.

In a first ever for an Etchells regatta in Australia, racing was streamed live via a YouTube link with on-water and aerial drone video combined with tracking and commentary.