Jud Smith leads Audi Etchells Worlds

by Rob Kothe on 19 Nov 2006 A win on Day one followed by a second today and Marblehead MA. sailor Jud Smith leads the 70 boat 2006 Audi Etchells Worlds fleet in Fremantle West Australia.

The ‘Fremantle Doctor’ must have been busy with house calls today as the sea breeze did not lift above 14 knots.

Smith sailing with Canadian Dirk Kneulman, the 1998 Etchells World Champion and two Kiwi's Andrew Wells the New Zealand Optimist coach and 48kg 14 year old Opti sailor Thomas Saunders, sailed into second place and retained the regatta lead.

Dockside Smith first wanted to praise his youngest crewman.

‘The four man crew is really working well. Thomas has been really sailing well. He has some good moves, very mature, he is a good yachtie.’

Then to the racing... ‘The die was cast on the first beat. There was not a lot of wind, you had to commit early; we decided to start in the lower half. The leaders at the windward mark all came off the leeward line, the pressure filled in from the left. Dave Clark was windward end of the leeward line and just sailed away.

‘At the top mark, the Brit Barry Parkin had done a good job and we were third. The first run was risky; we centred ourself to reduce the risk. Michael Manford was battling with us, we discovered he was OCS.

‘I was watching for Mark Bulka, he came 13th today; we rate him as one of the big threats. But there are another 10 or 15 to watch. Andy Beadsworth has lifted a notch after sailing well at the Europeans and Chris Busch is going well. Rob Brown was third today. Stuart Childerley was going well, he just missed one shift, but he will be a threat when the breeze picks up.

And the final modest comment, ‘We were just lucky to survive the day.’

Pittwater sailor Dave Clark opened a big margin to record an 82 second win against what is probably the strongest Etchells fleet of the last decade.

Clark was a trimmer aboard the New Zealand boat in the America’s Cup 1987 in Fremantle.

‘I spent 20 years in New Zealand, but I married a Perth girl and I’ve sailed more in Fremantle than anywhere else. I was tactician aboard Syd Fisher’s (Australian) boat in San Diego in 1992. I campaigned a Soling up to the 2000 Olympics with two Perth guys, David Lightfoot and Mike Hughes.

‘Yesterday a 19th, today a first, we just need to keep accumulating counters!’
There were some observations from other key players.

Dual World Etchells Champion Stuart Childerley had a tough Race 1, going back for a restart though not OCS. ‘We were just a bit too pronounced, better to start the week with a 27th, rather than an OCS. Today we misjudged a cross and had to do a 720.

‘We seem to be going forward, but we just keep making little errors. We have plenty of work to do this week.’

Alastair Gair finished second yesterday. ‘Too far back on the start, a boat rolled us and forced us to the wrong side of the course, finished in the mid-20’s but we will learn from that.’

More information online now at www.etchellsworlds2006.org

Results after two races

Pos'n	Bow No	Boat Details	Skipper/Crew	Total	Nett	18/11/06 RC 1	19/11/06 RC 2
1	77	USA 1061 - Feng Shui	Jud Smith/Dirk Kneulman/Andrew Wills/Thomas Saunders	3	3	1( 1)	2( 2)
2	13	GBR 1187 - Anam Chara	Andy Beadsworth/James McHugh/Simon Fry	7	7	3( 3)	4( 4)
3	27	USA 969 - Happy Ending	Chris Busch/Rod Hagebols/Willem van Waay	14	14	7( 7)	7( 7)
4	20	AUS 117- Fast Harry (NSW)	Cameron Miles/Phil Smidmore/Dave Samson	18	18	4( 4)	14( 14)
5	41	GBR 1333 - Swedish Blue	Ante Razmilovic/Jez Fanstone/Stuart Flinn	18	18	9( 9)	9( 9)
6	17	AUS 1131 - Humpback (NSW)	David Clark/Stephen Barlow/Andrew Smith	20	20	19( 19)	1( 1)
7	29	NZL 950 - Velsheda	Alastair Gair/David Ridley/Carl Peters/Derek Scott	25	25	2( 2)	23( 23)
8	55	AUS 1321 - Triad (VIC)	John Bertrand/Ian Johnson/Tim Ede	27	27	10( 10)	17( 17)
9	11	AUS 1244 - Dr Evil (VIC)	Jake Gunther/Russell Tyson/Richard Ironmonger	27	27	12( 12)	15( 15)
10	38	AUS 1254 - North Sydney (NSW)	Julian Plante/Michael Coxon/Nick Garland/Matt Day	30	30	25( 25)	5( 5)
11	22	AUS 1277 - Critical Balance (VIC)	Mark Bulka/Stewart Nichols/Steve Young	31	31	18( 18)	13( 13)
12	12	AUS 1088 - Sun Tzu (NSW)	Roger Hickman/Phillip Endersbee/Peter Inchbold	32	32	22( 22)	10( 10)
13	53	AUS 866 (WA)	Murray Smith/Brad Sheridan/Barrie Sturgeon	33	33	6( 6)	27( 27)
14	39	AUS 1326 - Steampacket VI (NSW)	Rob Brown/Bruce Wookey/Garry Gudmunson	36	36	33( 33)	3( 3)
15	76	GBR 987 - Bedrock	Stuart Childerley/Simon Russell/Roger Marino	38	38	27( 27)	11( 11)
16	30	AUS 1317 - Una Mas (QLD)	Mark Bradford/Graeme Taylor/Steve Jarvin	39	39	5( 5)	34( 34)
17	74	GBR 1325 - Festina2	Barry Parkin/Mike Till/Bill Masterman	41	41	35( 35)	6( 6)
18	37	AUS 883 - Tusk (WA)	Gary Smith/Mark Lovelady/Mick McAulley	45	45	23( 23)	22( 22)
19	18	HKG 105 - Quest	Mark Thornburrow/Gray Gibson/Mark Parker	47	47	31( 31)	16( 16)
20	54	AUS 916 - Daylight Robbery (WA)	Alastair McMichael/Richard Edinger/Andrew McAullay	49	49	30( 30)	19( 19)
21	78	USA 1153 - Junkyard Dog	Joseph Bainton/Ched Proctor/Tod Raynor	50	50	42( 42)	8( 8)
22	24	GBR 992 - China White	Andrew Cooper/David Heritage/George Cooper	50	50	17( 17)	33( 33)
23	51	AUS 1289 - Two Palms & a Hammock (WA)	Peter Chappell/Sam Gill/Michael Hughes	50	50	29( 29)	21( 21)
24	45	GBR 1332 - Gerlert	David Bedford/Phil Lawrence/Jonathon Taylor	52	52	34( 34)	18( 18)
25	26	AUS 1320 - Rhapsody in Blue (WA)	Rob Bird/Graeme Johnson/Nic Gray	53	53	28( 28)	25( 25)
26	35	AUS 891 - Bandwagon (WA)	Skip Lissiman/ Ben Durham/Kane Williamson	54	54	24( 24)	30( 30)
27	46	AUS 1215 - Boat X (VIC)	Noel Drennan/Peter Ahern/Bill Browne	57	57	45( 45)	12( 12)
28	34	AUS 1143 - Squid (SA)	Chris Pratt/Nick Paterson/Mark O Brien	57	57	16( 16)	41( 41)
29	65	AUS 1273 - North Sydney Station (NSW)	Richard Coxon/Ed Mc Carthy/Graeme Spence	57	57	21( 21)	36( 36)
30	14	IRL 1015 - Matatu Durh	Richard Burrows/David Burrows/Peter Coad	61	61	32( 32)	29( 29)
31	36	NZL 1314 - Addiction	Lindsay Kennedy/Trevor Swinburne/Peter Waters	62	62	20( 20)	42( 42)
32	58	AUS 924 - Barry White (VIC)	Damien King/Simon Cunnington/James Ware/Andy Butler	63	63	26( 26)	37( 37)
33	16	AUS 1124 - Roulette (NSW)	Mark Johnson/Robert Bishop/Nik Burfoot	66	66	46( 46)	20( 20)
34	64	IRL 1330 - Fraculator	Dan O Grady/Paul Reilly/Brian Hammersley	68	68	13( 13)	55( 55)
35	56	AUS 915 (NSW)	Peter McNeil/Peter McLachlan/Rick Maxwell	68	68	44( 44)	24( 24)
36	32	AUS 1119 - Feathers Chalk Beans (NSW)	Michael Jones/Bill Sykes/Roy Ditmarsch	71	71	11( 11)	60( 60)
37	50	AUS 1160 - Liquidity (WA)	Dirk van der Struyf/Reid Fleming/Torvar Mirsky	77	77	49( 49)	28( 28)
38	73	USA 946 - I Love My Wife	Craig Healy/Kieth Stahnke/David Gruver	78	78	8( 8)	70(OCS)
39	52	AUS 781 - Abracadabra (WA)	Gordan Lucas/Geoff Chambers/John Gardiner	79	79	36( 36)	43( 43)
40	80	AUS 1136 - Bohica (SA)	David Royle/Peter Royle/Jon Ward	83	83	52( 52)	31( 31)
41	31	AUS 925 - Oxygen (QLD)	Rod Jones/Bucky Smith/Gregor McAllan-Smith	84	84	14( 14)	70(DNF)
42	47	AUS 1356 - The Croc (WA)	Michael Manford/Dean McAullay/Richard Rowell	85	85	15( 15)	70(OCS)
43	67	GBR 1165 - Wobbegong	Doug Flynn/Mark Cartwright/Tim Powell	85	85	38( 38)	47( 47)
44	57	AUS 1311 - Mystery Taxi (SA)	Paul Henshall/Bruce Henshall/Lyall Milford	85	85	39( 39)	46( 46)
45	28	AUS 963 - The Rat (WA)	Grantham Kitto/Brad Moore/Simon Shaw	87	87	55( 55)	32( 32)
46	43	AUS 1117 - Seven P s (WA)	Ian Anderson/Peter Vos/Gus McBrair	88	88	62( 62)	26( 26)
47	19	AUS 939 - Power & The Passion (WA)	Gordon Blaauw/Andrew Short/Peter Kernot	89	89	50( 50)	39( 39)
48	66	AUS 826 - Hustler (QLD)	David Healey/Noel Paterson/Gary van Lunteren	91	91	53( 53)	38( 38)
49	59	GBR 1036 - Esprit	Robert J Elliott/Sam Richmond/Andrew Yates	91	91	40( 40)	51( 51)
50	10	AUS 1188 - Jaloralee (WA)	Dave Roberts/Brett Shoebridge/Christian Christiansen	97	97	43( 43)	54( 54)
51	60	GBR 937 - Evelina	Chester Maudslay/Paul Kelsey/Guy Manners-Spencer	99	99	59( 59)	40( 40)
52	15	AUS 1150 - Dragon Lady (WA)	Bill Steele/Rob Rooke/Geoff Reilly	102	102	58( 58)	44( 44)
53	42	GBR 1329 - Selection Box!	Martin Payne/Jonathon Mortimer/Steve Birbeck	104	104	48( 48)	56( 56)
54	23	AUS 1312 - Squeaky Clean (VIC)	Rob Davis/Andrew Baker/John Gibson	105	105	70(OCS)	35( 35)
55	82	AUS 1191 - Rangoon Tiger (NSW)	Gordon Hinds/Peter Bellingham/Steve Ingate	107	107	37( 37)	70(DNS)
56	81	USA 1177 - Life is Good	Chris Clark/Tom Dawson/Dick Hodgson	108	108	63( 63)	45( 45)
57	62	AUS 1082 - Enigma (VIC)	Mary Hanna/Ben O Brien/Brendon Garner/Jock Sinclair	108	108	60( 60)	48( 48)
58	70	BER 1249	Tim Patton/Mark Thomas/Simon Wilder	111	111	41( 41)	70(OCS)
59	40	NZL 1240 - Waiwera Infinity	John St Clair Brown/Robert Croft/David Healy	113	113	51( 51)	62( 62)
60	21	AUS 1056 - Upbeat (WA)	Peter Godley/Rod Godley/Geert Buters	113	113	54( 54)	59( 59)
61	25	AUS 872 - Count Boris Secret Rendezvous (VIC)	Nick Knezic/John Coates/Rod McIntosh	114	114	56( 56)	58( 58)
62	69	USA 1283 - Down Under	Andrew Whittome/Jim Gregory/John Callahan	114	114	57( 57)	57( 57)
63	75	USA 1234	Kers Clausen/Kjeld Hestehave/Matt Noble	115	115	66( 66)	49( 49)
64	61	GBR 1067 - Slieve Elva	David Franks/Graham Sunderland/Mark Watson	116	116	64( 64)	52( 52)
65	68	USA 1315 - Lost in the Fog	John Gilmour/Andrew Minkwitz/Terry Dobell	117	117	47( 47)	70(DNF)
66	33	AUS 1022 - Screaming Plum (WA)	Doug Kerr/Greg Kerr/Luke Paterson	120	120	70(DNF)	50( 50)
67	63	GBR 1009 - Mayhem	Tim Daughton/Keith Tippell/Charlotte Lamport/Jonathon Halliday	123	123	70(DNF)	53( 53)
68	48	AUS 617 - Nopropellis (WA)	Frank Van Ruth/Thor Schoenhoff/Daniel Wadsworth	124	124	61( 61)	63( 63)
69	72	AUS 1276 - Etch (NSW)	Jan Muysken/Richard Bryson/Ben Grauer	126	126	65( 65)	61( 61)

The Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (RFBYC) and the Royal Perth Yacht Club (RPYC) are the host clubs, with the Fremantle Sailing Club providing the venue.

Major Sponsor: Audi Australia. Premium Sponsors: Maersk Line, Pro Choice Safety Products, Fontys Pool Wines and Events Corp. Support Sponsors: Perth Integrated Health Clinic, Oakridge Communications Group and Sail-World.com and North Sails.