American Jud Smith wins Audi Etchells Worlds

by Rob Kothe on 25 Nov 2006 Jud Smith, the three times North American Etchells champion and four times Worlds runner up took the gun in the eighth and final race to win the 2006 Audi Etchells World Championship off Fremantle West Australia today.

Smith and his crew of Dirk Kneulman and New Zealanders Andrew Wills and Thomas Saunders, crossed the finish line and shortly afterwards the Star Spangled Banner boomed from the Black Swan, the very same tender that boomed out Men at Work back in 1983 when Australia 11 took the America’s Cup.

Smith won the Audi Etchells Worlds 2006 showing his ability and determination to take the title in the last race of the series.

The Fremantle Doctor was pumping with winds climbing into the 20’s as Smith led from the first mark he was overtaken by his countryman Chris Busch down the run but rounded inside the San Diego sailor. Half way up the beat for the second time, he crossed ahead and was never overtaken again. Smith crossed ahead of Busch, third was Craig Healy.

Ante Razmilovic from Britain needed to beat Smith by two places today, but the best he could do was fourth to finish in third overall.

Andy Beadsworth (GBR) who challenged strongly in the early races finished in 13th in the final race and fourth overall. Former Etchells world champion, Stuart Childerley (GBR) finished in tenth place overall.

Other British result: 22 Barry Parkin, 23 David Bedford, 38 Andrew Cooper, 42 Martin Payne, 45 Doug Flynn, 51 Robert Elliot, 53 Gordon Hinds, 58 Chester Maudslay, 64 David Franks.

New Zealander Alastair Gair who led into the eighth and final race of the series only needed to stay in contact to take the title. At the top mark for the first time the Kiwi’s were 18th; they fought back valiantly to take seventh place and had to be content to settle with second overall.

Smith predicted this morning that, ‘Today it’s going to come down to who gets the best start. He was right. The 2006 Audi Etchells Worlds was decided in the first 500 metres, Smith hit the line with speed and had a clear lane, Razmilovic was slower and Gair was buried and that was the race.

Dockside Smith commented, ‘We had a lot of fun on the boat, it was a United Nations, we got faster and faster all week. The monkey is off my back, after four seconds.

‘I thought that we did not deserve to win the Worlds last year in San Francisco, we just did not have the speed, and we came up short. We are good in under 15 knots, but it took a year long campaign to improve our heavy weather sailing.

‘When we crossed the finish line we wanted to make sure we were not on the OCS board on the finish boat, there were six numbers and we were relieved to see that we were not one of them.’

‘The Australians, New Zealanders and British are better in heavy air, but today we have Americans 1-2-3 so we are learning.‘

Canadian Dirk Kneulman, Smith’s main sheet crew, was the 1998 Etchells World Champion. This afternoon he commented, ’This is better than my win back then. Jud has been the best Etchells sailor around for a long time. We are all just so happy he has his reward at last. It’s been an honour to sail with him.’

 

	Audi Etchells Worlds 2006
	Final Result for Etchells Worlds Championship after 8 races with 7 races to count

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last updated on 25/11/2006
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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.