John Bertrand wins Audi Etchells Race 5

by Rob Kothe on 22 Nov 2006 The 1983 America's Cup winning skipper Australian John Bertrand won Race 5 in the 2006 Audi Etchells Worlds, off Fremantle. Bertrand showed a host of sailors from America's Cup campaign's past and present, how to win against the best.

Bertrand famously took the America's Cup from the New York Yacht Club, who had held it for 132 years. The losing skipper Dennis Conner had planned to be in Fremantle for a rematch against his old foe Bertrand. Conner was injured during the Heathrow Airport bomb scare in August and was a scratching from this International Etchells fleet.

Today Bertrand showed a host of sailors from America's Cup campaign's past and present, how to win against the best. He finished six boat lengths ahead of 1999 Etchells World Champion Cameron Miles. American Craig Healy was third, a boat length back.

Bertrand commented. ‘One of the toughest fleet we’ve ever sailing in, the depth is phenomenal and every boat that crossed us, or that we cross seems to have an Olympian, an America’s Cupper, or a top coach. In this fleet the difference between breaking through or be absorbed back into the fleet is like the thickness of a hair, the racing is really really close.

'We had a good start and we found clear air, we rounded in second place, our down wind speed was very good and we sailed through Craig Healy and broke away from there. We are just only half way through the regatta, so anything can happen from here. Hopefully the old stagers can give it a bit of nudge.'

Second placed Cameron Miles. ‘We finally got a good start; we went the right way, kept our lane.' Laughing he commented; 'We thought Bertrand was retired from International yachting. If he is retired we should have won that race.'

Craig Healy was smiling . ‘We were OCS on the first race, so we’ve been very conservative all week. Today we had some space, as the guys below us were over early. We were close with John Bertrand up the beat and we stayed tight from there.’

Yesterday’s winner Ante Razmilovic finished fourth, current America’s Cup campaigner Mark Bradford who sails for BMW Oracle was fifth, Kiwi champion Alastair Gair finished sixth, WA local Rob Bird was seventh and dual Etchells world champion Stuart Childerley was eighth. From that famous 1983 campaign Rob Brown was ninth and Skip Lissiman, the current National Etchells Champion was 12th.

The series lead has not changed. Jud Smith (USA) leads the series on 31 points, but behind him there has been a reshuffle. Ante Razmilovic (GBR) on 35 points, Alastair Gair (NZL) is third with 38 points, Andy Beadsworth (GBR) also has 38 points. John Bertrand is the leading Australian on 49 points.

Here are the series points after five races.

Provisional Results for Etchells Worlds Championship after 5 races with 5 races to count

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