NEVILLE WITTEY'S HAT-TRICK IN ETCHELLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

by Peter Campbell on 11 Feb 2001 Olympic yachtsman Neville Wittey today won the final race to take out his third successive New South Wales State championship in the International Etchells keelboat class on Lake Macquarie, near Newcastle.

Wittey, who represented Australia in the International Soling class keelboat at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, went into the final race equal on points with local sailor Peter McNeill.

Neither yachtsman could afford another poor race in the seven heat series, so the final race became a question of each going 'going for broke' to achieve the best possible place in the highly competitive fleet.

Wittey, steering Yandoo XX, got the gun while McNeill, at the helm of Tom Pepper XVIII, finished third in a closely contested race, second place today going to Elvisha (Julian Plante).

Overall, Wittey finished with 26 points, McNeill 28, third overall going to Pittwater sailor Mark Richards, steering Steam Packet, on 34 points, followed by Melbourne skipper Ian Johnson on 42 points with Bananas in Pyjamas,

Wins were spread through the fleet, with Wittey winning race one and seven, Richards also winning two races while other winners were Michael Coxon (North Sydney Station), John Bertrand (Two Saints and a Magpie) and Mark Doyle (Miramar).

However, none could match the consistency of the top three helmsmen and their crews, with Bertrand placing ninth overall, Coxon 11th and Doyle 20th in the 42 boat fleet from New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

Final placings:

1. Yandoo XX (Neville Wittey, Sydney fleet) 1-9-4-9-19-2-1, 26 points.
2. Tom Pepper XVIII (Peter McNeill, Lake Macquarie fleet) 18-3-3-12-4-3-3, 28 points.
3. Steam Packet (Mark Richards, Pittwater fleet) 2-1-6-1-17-27-7, 34 points.
4. Bananas in Pyjamas (Ian Johnson, Port Phillip fleet) 4-13-9-10-2-4-20, 42 points.
5. Alchemy (Greg Cassidy, Sydney fleet) 9-7-2-4-20-15-12, 49 points.

Further information: Peter Campbell - 0419 385 028