Sensational start to Etchells Worlds

by Rob Kothe on 6 Sep 2005 It was almost a surprise as the 72 boat fleet was away at the first attempt in the first race of the 2005 Etchells Worlds on San Francisco’s Berkeley Circle today.

In the practice race yesterday, there were four general recalls before the fleet sailed away on an I flag. Today there was a bulge in the line between the Committee Boat and the Midline Boat and it appeared there might have been a host of boats over, but only two came back.

Fast off the line was Craig Healey’s ‘I Love My Wife’, Jeff Pape’s ‘No Justice’, Russ Silvestri’s ‘Leverage’ and tucked in just a little back was Samuel ‘Shark’ Kahn helming ‘Pegasus 1278’. Glorious conditions, with 14 knots from 225.

Most of the fleet had decided right was the place to be. However the wind built and shifted left, funneling down from the Golden Gate Bridge, as the fleet sailed up towards Angel Island.

Out on the left Craig Healy and Shark Kahn were amongst the group that found the favorable 15 degree shift. Healy was first to the top mark with impressive speed, he rolled over Kahn who under-laid the mark by a length and was almost pinned on port tack. Third behind them was Jeff Pape and Russ Silvestri, ahead of Dennis Conner.

Down the first run the fleet split across the Bay, with Kahn’s tactician Jeff Madrigali positioning perfectly for the gybe, to lead into the bottom mark. However Healy came back on the second beat and led round the top mark by less than a boat length.

Kahn edged underneath the leader to squeeze around the offset mark. Behind them, more than 30 seconds back, were Jeff Pape, Tito Gonzales, then Russ Silvestri and Judd Smith.

As the wind continued it was surf city on the second run, with Kahn extending to a 30 second win from Pape and Silvestri, on the beat back to the finish line.

It was a happy fleet that sailed into the Richmond Yacht Club Marina under spinnaker, but when the sailors strolled up to the notice board the mood change for ten of the fleet. The OCS’s were Vince Brun, John Jansheske, Jeff Pape, Dennis Conner, Jeff Moseley, Russ Silvestri, Jeff Warlow, Jim Carrick, Craig Healey and Jim Gregory.

As a result of the OCS's the just 16 year old Hawaiian sailor Shark Kahn won from won from Bill Palmer from Newport Beach. In third place was current North American Etchells Champion Judd Smith from Marble Head

Fourth behind them was Stuart Childerley, from Curdridge UK and fifth was Miami sailor Tito Gonzales. Current Canadian National Champion Hank Lammens sailed into sixth place ahead of the 1984 Wolrd Champion Iain Murray.

Jeff Madrigali from Team Pegasus commented dockside, before the number of OCS's were unknown, ‘There were a lot of boats ahead of us at the start, we were a bit nervous, we were close, but we had a pretty good angle, so I am sure we are OK.

‘We had a great race with Craig, it was a lot of fun, and the lead kept changing. I hope he is not OCS.

'The defining moment in race for us was the second run. Craig ran down right on us, but Shark held him out and between us we did a really good job of adjusting the sail trim and positioning the boat just as they were about to roll us, and we held them out round the mark and that was the boat race.

We might have won the first race, but this is a great fleet and it’s going to be a long week.’

More photos by Chuck Lantz: www.chucklantz.com


Final Placings, after Protests: (All protests were dismissed by the International Jury )

2005 Etchells Worlds

Race No. 1 9/5/2005


Wind 18-22 K from 225

72 Boats Start: 13:10 Course: 225

SAIL # Bow No SKIPPER-CREW Mark 1 Mark 3 FINISH POINTS COMMENTS

USA1278 71 Samuel Kahn, B Lee, J Madngali, A Finglas 2 1 1 1

USA889 11 William Palmer III, T Corkett, Jr., B Cavanaugh 6 6 2 2

USA1300 63 Jud Smith, H Frazer, A Wills 8 7 3 3

GBR987 79 Stuart Childerley, S Russell, R Marino 15 8 4 4

USA928 68 Tito Gonzales, B Mauk, B Batzer, D Gonzales 7 4 5 5

CAN1298 93 Hank Lammens, M Lammens, P Gow 14 12 6 6

AUS1223 13 Iain Murray, G. Szabo, A Palfrey 11 14 7 7

USA1168 33 Peter Vessella, S Gordon, M Carter 31 23 8 8

AUS1088 73 Rob Brown, G Gudmunson, B Wookey 9 13 9 9

USA1226 66 Philippe Kahn, F Loof, M Ivey 20 16 10 10

USA1212 32 Steve Girling, J Kemoe, E Doyle 21 15 11 11

GBR1302 81 Ante Razmilovic, D Bedford, S Fry 16 22 12 12

USA1210 14 Brian Thomas, M Brink, H Schreiner 35 26 13 13

USA522 53 Brian Camet, A Camet, D Camet 22 19 14 14

AUS1315 86 Peter McNeill, P Smidmore, J Mayjor 28 28 15 15

USA126 60 Doug Jorgensen, N Busek, K Currier 34 25 16 16

USA1309 22 Buddy Cribb, E Delisser, T Banks 17 24 17 17

AUS1160 43 Rob Bird, G Johnson, N Gray 12 20 18 18

USA1081 88 Frederic Lafffitte, J Laffitee, M Renoir 23 17 19 19

USA905 19 Wayne Clough, D Wiard, S Pickel 27 9 20 20

AUS1102 96 Steve O'Rouke, S Condie, G Boyd 38 27 21 21

USA1232 80 Marvin Beckmann, L Horvat, M Curtin 24 31 22 22

USA1283 69 Andrew Whittome, K Burrell, L Bekins 30 29 23 23

CAN973 97 Kirk Palmer, T Stamper, S Spence 29 30 24 24

GBR1123 28 Ed Warwick, T Wetherell, B Dunning 18 21 25 25

GBR1075 12 Cordelia Ellis, D Rickard, S Allan, A Peake 42 32 26 26

CAN1328 85 Dirk Kneulman, D Smithers, C Guthrie 36 41 27 27

GBR1195 65 Jamie Boag, J McCarthy, A Yates 48 34 28 28

USA666 62 Ben Wells, J Hardesty, B Erkelens 32 36 29 29

USA1234 18 David Levy, K Clausen, R Harring, T Grimes 43 44 30 30

AUS1275 94 Jason Antill, J Antill, M Phillips 19 35 31 31

USA1157 64 Robert Capita, G Mitchell, I Storer 41 38 32 32

USA1169 51 Tom Hughes, B Pistay, J Stewart 37 39 33 33

USA1073 42 Peter Duncan, W Barton, T Blackwell 65 42 34 34

HKG1051 41 Mark Thornburrow, T Parsons, A Webster 53 57 35 35

GBR1323 59 James Howells, N Miller, C Mitchell 33 47 36 36

USA1137 52 Shannon Bush, E Ellis, C Dickey 46 40 37 37

USA1177 50 Chris Clark, R Sherry, T Dawson 51 45 38 38

USA977 31 Tom Oller, G Papilion, T Austin 66 50 39 39

USA530 34 Jeff Wayne, 54 53 40 40
BER1249 47 Tim Patton, W Thompson, J Carter 47 46 41
41

USA556 95 David Steffan, D Gervais, R Broward 45 60 42 42

USA1241 16 Ken Womack, J Taylor, J Peine 58 55 43 43

USA922 23 Dale Hoffman, 57 62 44 44

USA1230 77 Tom Malone, B Pascoe, J Langlois 52 51 45
45

USA966 45 Michael LaPort, D Scoggin, D Rumbaugh 26 52 46 46

GBR1250 82 Jervis Tilly, C O'Carroll, P Tindale 59 58 47 47

USA658 20 William Melbostad, B Moore, M Dowdy 39 48 48 48

USA901 91 John Sutak III, S McCormack, R Smith 61 61 49 49

USA971 44 Kjeld Hestehave, D Loysen, J McCann 60 56 50 50

USA1205 25 Vern Neff, M Erickson, J Mellen 64 65 51 51

AUS1013 24 Tony Hirst, D Herlihy, D Sampson 68 66 52 52

GBR1110 36 Howard Sellars, M Till, J Owen 71 69 53 53

USA491 26 Chris Ericksen, T Carter, C Rulla 55 59 54 54

USA1126 40 Rick Kaiser, G Whitley, K Paisley 40 63 55 55

USA1307 35 Jeff Nehms, E Kim, C Grant 50 64 56 56

AUS913 70 Steve Moore, R Davis, C Milner 63 67 57 57

AUS1150 83 Bill Steele, S Hadlow, ? 62 54 58 58

USA547 84 John Gilmour, A Minkwitz, T Huntly 67 68 59 59

USA1096 55 Donald Shillingburg, G Hodkinson, B Dyett 70 71 60 60

NZL746 74 Peter Delaney, T Henderson, G Henderson 56 72 61 61

USA429 98 Karen Thomas, T O'Connell, C Jones 69 70 62 62

USA1000 30 Vincent Brun, B Mitchell, B Terhaar 10 11 OCS 73

USA1306 49 John Jansheske, C Ogletree, M Liljedahl, S Phelan 72 43 OCS 73

USA873 46 Jeff Pape, C Busch, R Hagebols 3 3 OCS 73

USA1060 72