Audi Etchells Worlds - a three horse race

by Rob Kothe on 24 Nov 2006 Never mind the fact that Australia has the best cricketers, Australia is getting hammered by the New Zealanders, the American’s and the Brits in the 2006 Audi Etchells Worlds off Fremantle.

Tomorrow, there will be 70 boats on the water for the eighth and final race of the 2006 Worlds, but it will be a three horse race. Alastair Gair’s Auckland, New Zealand team, on 18 points leads Massachusetts sailor Jud Smith on 20 points, with Ante Razmilovic of Great Britain third on 26 points.

These crews have gapped the fleet; next is Andy Beadsworth on 37 points ahead of the first Australian Crew, Cameron Miles 51 points.

On the water it was another windy one just like yesterday, with the Fremantle Doctor gusting to 17 at start time and reaching 25's late in the race.

Ante Razmilovic started below Alastair Gair on the lower third of the leeward start line and was first to shift on the left. Razmilovic crossed ahead of Gair and lead for the rest of the race.

Gair’s bowman Derek Scott. ‘‘The Brit’s were very fast, we could not break through. Mark Bulka was close behind all through the race. He was attacking up the last beat, so we had to protect.’

Gair was smiling dockside as he confirmed his crew’s regatta lead. ‘This is our first Worlds and to be in the lead with one race to go is great. We are really happy, now we’ve just got to keep it going.'

Asked about pre-event expectations he commented; ‘‘We would be unhappy to have finished outside the top ten, we would have been really pleased with a top five. We knew we had good handling and speed in the breeze. Now we are just backing ourselves and want to keep charging in the right direction.'

Ante Razmilovic is on a roll with two wins, a fourth and a second. ‘We started middle left. We crossed the Kiwi’s and kept the hammer down; we opened up a lead of 15 boat lengths at one stage but they came down with pressure.'

Jud Smith came off the water in good spirits though he’d just lost the regatta lead, which he’d held for the last six days. 'It was fun to be fast. The start is the big part of the race, we were just OK in that department today rounding about tenth, but on the run we were fast with a new kite, we passed boats on both runs and we gained on the beats too. Tomorrow is going to come down to who gets the best start.’

He is right. The 2006 Audi Etchells Worlds three horse race could well be decided in the first quarter mile tomorrow depending on which crew, the Brits, Kiwis or the Americans, get the jump off the line.

Provisional Results for Etchells Worlds Championship
after 7 races with 6 races to count

Pos'n Bow No Boat Details Skipper/Crew Total Nett 18/11/06

1 29 NZL 950 - Velsheda Alastair Gair/David Ridley/Carl Peters/Derek Scott 41 18 2( 2) [ 23]( 23) 4( 4) 3( 3) 6( 6) 1( 1) 2( 2)

2 77 USA 1061 - Feng Shui Jud Smith/Dirk Kneulman/Andrew Wills/Thomas Saunders 41 20 1( 1) 2( 2) 1( 1) 6( 6) [ 21]( 21) 6( 6) 4( 4)

3 41 GBR 1333 - Swedish Blue Ante Razmilovic/Jez Fanstone/Stuart Flinn 38 26 9( 9) 9( 9) [ 12]( 12) 1( 1) 4( 4) 2( 2) 1( 1)

4 13 GBR 1187 - Anam Chara Andy Beadsworth/James McHugh/Simon Fry 56 37 3( 3) 4( 4) 2( 2) 10( 10) [ 19]( 19) 9( 9) 9( 9)

5 20 AUS 117- Fast Harry (NSW) Cameron Miles/Phil Smidmore/Dave Samson 68 51 4( 4) 14( 14) 17( 17) [ 17]( 17) 2( 2) 7( 7) 7( 7)

6 73 USA 946 - I Love My Wife Craig Healy/Kieth Stahnke/David Gruver 123 53 8( 8) [ 70](OCS) 23( 23) 2( 2) 3( 3) 3( 3) 14( 14)

7 22 AUS 1277 - Critical Balance (VIC) Mark Bulka/Stewart Nichols/Steve Young 85 56 18( 18) 13( 13) 6( 6) [ 29]( 29) 11( 11) 5( 5) 3( 3)

8 55 AUS 1321 - Triad (VIC) John Bertrand/Ian Johnson/Tim Ede 129 59 10( 10) 17( 17) 9( 9) 12( 12) 1( 1) [ 70](OCS) 10( 10)

9 30 AUS 1317 - Una Mas (QLD) Mark Bradford/Graeme Taylor/Steve Jarvin 93 59 5( 5) [ 34]( 34) 5( 5) 4( 4) 5( 5) 8( 8) 32( 32)

10 76 GBR 987 - Bedrock Stuart Childerley/Simon Russell/Roger Marino 90 63 [ 27]( 27) 11( 11) 8( 8) 5( 5) 8( 8) 13( 13) 18( 18)

11 38 AUS 1254 - North Sydney (NSW) Julian Plante/Michael Coxon/Nick Garland/Matt Day 150 80 25( 25) 5( 5) 7( 7) 7( 7) [ 70](OCS) 24( 24) 12( 12)

12 11 AUS 1244 - Dr Evil (VIC) Jake Gunther/Russell Tyson/Richard Ironmonger 151 81 12( 12) 15( 15) 10( 10) 16( 16) 20( 20) [ 70](DNF) 8( 8)

13 47 AUS 1356 - The Croc (WA) Michael Manford/Dean McAullay/Richard Rowell 162 92 15( 15) [ 70](OCS) 15( 15) 14( 14) 22( 22) 10( 10) 16( 16)

14 46 AUS 1215 - Boat X (VIC) Noel Drennan/Peter Ahern/Bill Browne 141 96 [ 45]( 45) 12( 12) 3( 3) 20( 20) 24( 24) 4( 4) 33( 33)

15 53 AUS 866 (WA) Murray Smith/Brad Sheridan/Barrie Sturgeon 126 97 6( 6) 27( 27) 13( 13) 9( 9) 15( 15) 27( 27) [ 29]( 29)

16 27 USA 969 - Happy Ending Chris Busch/Rod Hagebols/Willem van Waay 132 101 7( 7) 7( 7) [ 31]( 31) 27( 27) 29( 29) 18( 18) 13( 13)

17 39 AUS 1326 - Steampacket VI (NSW) Rob Brown/Bruce Wookey/Garry Gudmunson 138 105 33( 33) 3( 3) [ 33]( 33) 8( 8) 9( 9) 28( 28) 24( 24)

18 35 AUS 891 - Bandwagon (WA) Skip Lissiman/ Ben Durham/Kane Williamson 135 105 24( 24) 30( 30) 20( 20) [ 30]( 30) 13( 13) 12( 12) 6( 6)

19 51 AUS 1289 - Two Palms & a Hammock (WA) Peter Chappell/Sam Gill/Michael Hughes 190 120 29( 29) 21( 21) 25( 25) 18( 18) 12( 12) 15( 15) [ 70](OCS)

20 74 GBR 1325 - Festina2 Barry Parkin/Mike Till/Bill Masterman 164 128 35( 35) 6( 6) 35( 35) 19( 19) [ 36]( 36) 22( 22) 11( 11)

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.