JOHN BERTRAND VERSUS DENNIS CONNER IN ETCHELLS

by Peter Campbell on 23 Aug 2001 John Bertrand and Dennis Conner, the two skippers who fought out the America’s Cup off Newport, Rhode Island, back in 1983, at the helm of the
International 12-metre class yachts, Australia II and Liberty, will clash again next week.

This time they will be at the helm of International Etchells class yachts as they contest the World Championship at Lymington on the south coast of
England, Bertrand steering his boat from Melbourne, Two Saints and a Magpie, Conner at the helm of Menace from San Diego.

A fleet of 56 yachts from Australia, Bermuda, Denmark, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand and the USA will contest the six race series
on Christchurch Bay, starting next Monday.

Australia, which will host the World Championship at Mooloolaba in 2004, will be represented by eight boats – Silky (Tony Hirst), Fine Dining (Jason
Antill), Dragon Lady (Bill Steele), Pacesetter (Cameron Miles), AUS 243 (Julian Plante), Frontier Psychiatry (Wayne Mercer), Two Saints and a
Magpie (John Bertrand) and Masquerade (Barry Topple).

Cameron Miles won the 2000 World Championship, sailed from his home club, the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club at Pittwater, his crew at
Lymington comprising Phil Smidmore and James Mayjor, who was a member of his winning crew in 2000.

Bertrand will be sailing with his regular crew from Melbourne’s Royal Brighton Yacht Club, Ernie Lawrence and Bill Browne. The boat’s name, Two
Saints and a Magpie, refers to the Australian Rules football teams they each support – St Kilda and Collingwood.

Conner, a former Etchells World Champion, has enlisted two outstanding Australian sailors to crew for him in his Australian-built boat – Olympian
and World Etchells champion crewman Steve Jarvin and young Brisbane sailmaker Mark Bradford.

Bradford, a relative newcomer to the Etchells one-design class, finished runner-up to Michael Coxon in the Australian Winter Etchells Championship
at Mooloolaba in June.

In addition to Conner, the strong USA contingent includes sailmaker Robbie Doyle, while leading Britain's big entry is British champion Stuart
Childerley.

The web site for the 2001 Etchells World Championship is: www.etchells.org.uk/news.htm



Further information: Peter Campbell – 0419 385 028 or email – peter_campbell@bigpond.com