Apprentice leads his Master at Audi Etchells Nats

by Di Pearson on 20 Jan 2006 Sydney sailor Rob Brown and his crew of Bruce Wookey and Garry Gudmunson on Steam Packet VI have taken the lead from John Bertrand/Ian Johnson/Tim Ede (Triad), at the Audi Etchells Nationals today

‘Browny’, a former skiff world champion, has posted some excellent results in the Etchells, winning the 2005 Winter Championship and the Milsons Goblet. His crew also finished a credible 12th at the 2005 Worlds - second best of the Aussies and Brown says they are looking to improve on that result at the 2006 Worlds in Perth later this year.

He and his Steam Packet VI crew were sixth coming into today’s two races, but managed two excellent results, third and second placings to lift them up into the lead in front of Bertrand (Vic), who scored 17th and sixth places to drop him just two points behind the Sydney crew.

‘John and I are having a good friendly rivalry here – it’s like Master and Apprentice, except the Apprentice is leading the Master today. We are playing off to see which of us wins the Masters division of these Nationals.’

The two have known each other a long time. Bertrand steered Australia to its historical win of the America’s Cup and Brown was with him as reserve trimmer.

Commenting on today’s race, Brown said, ‘it was one of those really tricky ones – massive shifts, but we are very happy with the way we are travelling. There is a lot of talent here – a lot of depth. We are taking each day as it comes, and if we win, well that’s great, but I won’t be cut up if we don’t.’

Unlike a number of others sailing the Royal Brighton Yacht Club event, Brown and crew do not have a new boat or new sails. ‘We have the boat we took the last Worlds and the same sails. We are looking forward to the Worlds and will get a new boat and gear for that.’

Today’s winners though, were Rob Bird/Graeme Johnson/Nic Gray (Rhapsody in Blue, WA), winners of Heat 5 and the lone GBR entry, Nils Razmilovic/Brian Hammersley/Adam Turk sailing Boat X, winners of Heat 6.

Razmilovic, who sails Etchells from Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, is here visiting family and enjoying some summer sailing. ‘Me and my crew are thoroughly enjoying being here, but it was tough out there today. We had the remnants of the northerly fighting the sea breeze that was coming – it started dying and we got big 30 to 40 degree shifts. It was kind of hard work,’ he said.

The Brits went for a pin end start, despite the boat end being favoured. 'There were too many at the boat end – we went for clear air and got away well. We were up front for the whole race. When we went downwind, a few would haul us in, then going back up, we got away again.’

Coming up the last leg to the finish, Mark Bradford’s crew from Brisbane got a great lift on the left side and passed the Brits to cross the line first. However, Bradford was scored OCS and is believed to be protesting.

‘Nils deserved that win,’ said Brown. ‘He got away well and worked hard to lead the entire race.’

So far, six of the seven races of the series have been sailed. Results could change dramatically tomorrow when the final race of the series is sailed and the race drop comes into play.

Sail Yacht Skipper 1401 1402 1403 1404 1405 1406 Total Stand- ing

AUS1326 STEAM PACKET VI Robert Brown 2 13 6 20 3 2 46 1

AUS1321 TRIAD John Bertrand 14 7 2 2 17 6 48 2

AUS1320 RHAPSODY IN BLUE Rob Bird 11 5 15 19 1 10 61 3

AUS1244 DR. EVIL Jake Gunther 10 18 5 4 9 17 63 4

AUS1011 QUANTUM LEAP Chris Jackson 1 30 4 3 6 22 66 5

AUS865 FAST FORWARD Bruce McBriar 7 6 19 7 23 15 77 6

AUS1277 BALANCED A-TAC Mark Bulka 17 20 1 6 26 8 78 7

AUS1079 INTERNATIONAL MEN OF MYSTERY Craig Cobbin 13 23 23 5 12 3 79 8

AUS1273 NORTH SYDNEY STATION Michael Coxon 8 10 21 14 5 30 88 9

GBR1340 BOAT X Nils Razmilovic 21 21 13 21 14 1 91 10

AUS1131 LITTLE G David Clark 6 4 38 13 4 27 92 11

AUS1335 FREE ADVICE Cameron Miles 61 17 3 1 10 4 96 12

AUS924 BARRY WHITE S. Cunnington/D. King 18 3 10 30 8 41 110 13

AUS1312 SQUEAKY CLEAN Robert Davis 16 24 17 16 22 16 111 14

AUS1254 ODYSSEY Julian Plant 4 14 7 15 13 61 114 15

AUS1124 ROULETTE Mark Johnson 5 1 11 27 45 32 121 16

AUS867 WAR OF THE ROSES David Rose 27 9 18 29 19 24 126 17

AUS925 ET Rod Jones 45 11 16 35 2 18 127 18

AUS1134 SYNERGY Matt Whitnall 35 19 26 33 21 5 139 19

AUS1143 SQUID Chris Pratt 9 16 8 34 30 42 139 19

AUS1290 GANESH Rob Weir 20 47 9 17 35 14 142 21

AUS1317 1317 Mark Bradford 24 8 12 26 11 61 142 21

AUS1274 THE NURSE Ross Lloyd 19 48 31 9 15 37 159 23

NZ1295 UNLIMITED POTENTIAL Barry Thom 30 29 27 24 32 21 163 24

AUS1136 BOHICA David Royal 33 25 25 12 42 26 163 24

AUS1192 ECHO BEACH Mathew Chew 36 15 14 11 31 60 167 26

AUS1025 WALK ON WATER Greg Mellody 12 39 29 61 18 9 168 27

AUS1026 JACKS HUT Barry Fairley 34 52 32 18 28 7 171 28

AUS1121 BANANAS IN PAJAMAS Jason Farnell 23 2 24 43 53 29 174 29

AUS415 WATERLOO BAY Noel Paterson 25 22 20 25 44 44 180 30

AUS831 STRENGTH & HONOUR Mathew Mitchell 31 45 36 31 27 12 182 31

AUS1293 THAT'S LIFE Ian Crisp 26 34 35 42 20 38 195 32

NZ1314 ADDICTION Lindsay Kennedy 32 35 49 8 36 35 195 32

AUS1288 MAGIC BUZZ Steve Gunther 46 12 61 23 7 46 195 32

AUS949 IMPACT II Garrath James 41 26 37 10 61 23 198 35

AUS1319 PANTHER Stephen O'Rourke 29 36 28 38 49 19 199 36

AUS1311 MYSTERY TAXI Paul Henshall 15 42 42 61 34 13 207 37

AUS994 CREWS CONTROL Brendan Garner 28 28 46 54 41 20 217 38

AUS1250 BUSHFIRE Jervis Tilly 33 33 30 37 51 40 224 39

AUS1189 THE ARCHER Clark Swan 51 27 50 45 25 36 234 40

AUS1213 WHO'S YA DADDY Mark Griffith 3 31 51 28 61 61 235 41

AUS1144 BULLET David Bull 43 37 54 22 39 47 242 42

AUS1030 CREATURES OF THE SWAMP Peter Ahern 40 55 22 61 37 33 248 43

AUS872 COUNT BORIS' SECRET RENDEZVOUS Nick Knezic 61 43 33 50 40 25 252 44

AUS1024 VOODOO SPIRIT Guyon Wilson 53 49 45 52 47 11 257 45

AUS913 NEVER ENOUGH Steve Moore 38 40 55 32 56 39 260 46

AUS1291 THE DON Don Wilson 49 58 53 53 24 34 271 47

AUS1257 TEMPTRESS David Lawrence 37 54 41 47 33 61 273 48

AUS826 HUSTLER David Healey 42 41 43 46 55 51 278 49

AUS1048 FREQUENT FLYER David Atkinson 47 32 40 41 57 61 278 49

AUS1334 BE COOL David Morrell 44 44 44 61 46 45 284 51

AUS947 MAGPIE Chris Hampton 61 51 56 36 54 31 289 52

AUS1287 COBRA IV Andrew Plympton 61 53 39 61 16 61 291 53

AUS747 FUNCTIONAL OVERLAY Niesje Hees 61 38 58 48 58 28 291 53

AUS885 ANTARES Connor Jeffreys 54 46 57 44 43 48 292 55

AUS850 SLICK Brian Case 52 59 52 39 29 61 292 55

AUS1141 MEN'S SHIRTS,SHORTS SKIRTS Peter Stubbings 48 57 47 49 48 43 292 55

AUS1082 ENIGMA Mary Hanna 39 50 48 51 52 52 292 55

AUS1013 SILKY Tony Hirst 50 56 61 40 38 49 294 59

AUS882 JUKES OF HAZARD Brendon Jukes 55 61 34 61 50 61 322 60