Jud Smith favourite for Cowes Etchells Worlds

by Rob Kothe on 9 Jun 2007 Current World Champion Jud Smith, from Marblehead, Massachusetts, has continued his world class form and he is the early favourite for the 2007 Etchells World Championship, will be held in England on the Solent from the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club from 25 to 30th June.

Crews must qualify for this regatta so only the very best teams from across the globe will compete and currently an entry of some 70 boats from eleven nations is anticipated by the organisers. Forty five boats are already registered three weeks before the Championships.

After his victory in Fremantle, West Australia in November, Smith won the Jaguar series in Miami in January and with his new crew, the highly respected David McClintock and Steve Girling recently took the North American titles again.

Smith heads up the Doyle Sails One Design program along with another Etchells World Champion Dave Curtis. Just as he did when he won the 2006 Audi Etchells Worlds in Fremantle, the veteran Etchells sailor is not planning to sail in the Pre-Worlds titles, but will instead concentrate on setting up his sails for the Solent conditions.

'I've not sailed on the Solent for some years. At this time of year, we could get anything from light to strong strong conditions. We have a great crew, Dave and Steve are two of the best Etchells sailors I have sailed against. We are chartering a boat from Cowes based Etchells builder David Heritage. We will arrive in time to decide which of two masts we will use. We have a number of different sets of sails to select from, before we take them to measurement.'

Another international competitor who has already qualified for the championship is New Zealand’s rising star Alastair Gair and his young crew from Auckland, who came a close second to Jud at the 2006 Worlds in Perth and are the current New Zealand Etchells National Champions. Gair is currently second in the Australian Mid Winter titles and should be close on the pace in Cowes.

Although the UK qualifying trials have yet to be completed those hoping to be part of the strong British home team include Nils and Ante Razmilovic, whose brotherly rivalry in the class is legendary. Ante was top performing Brit at the 2006 Worlds finishing in third place and will be hoping for even greater glory in 2007.

Former Olympian Andy Beadsworth, who came fourth at the ‘06 Worlds, is another leading British candidate. Andy came to prominence as a youth in the Laser before going on to represent Britain in the Soling at the Savannah and Sydney Olympics and win no less than five British National Match Racing Championships.

Immediately prior to the World Championship the Solent will also host the Etchells British National Championship, hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble. Racing will run from 16-18 June and although the boats will be based in Hamble they will race on the World Championship waters giving the crews ample opportunity for practise.

Sail-World.com has covered the last four Etchells World titles in details and will once again be providing detailed coverage of the 2007 World Championships.

Royal Corinthian Yacht Club

Boats in class 'International Etchells Class'

Sail No Name Crew Owner

Hobe El Bahar D Muller, TBA Marco Cimarosti ITA 836

Count Boris' Secret Rendezvous John Coates, Rod McIntosh Nick Knezic AUS 872

Quay Largo Simon Ford, Christine Ingate Tony Kongats AUS 917

Shamal Hugh Evans, TBA Tim Herbert-Smith GBR 927

Evelina Paul Kelsey, Ron Thompson Paul Kelsey GBR 937

Conjurer Paul Derham, John Alexander Alex Lacy USA 954

Loup Garou IX David Walters, David Ross Jamie Clark GBR 957

Ragtime TBA, TBA Rob Goddard GBR 962

Bedrock Andrew Yates, Sam Richmond Robert Elliott GBR 987

Warlord David Rickard, Ed Peel Lars Engelbert SWE 997

Mayhem Keith Tippell, Jon Halliday, Charlotte

Lamport

Tim Daughton GBR 1009

Matatu Dubh Peter Crab, David Burrows Richard Burrows IRL 1015

Blue Genes Jeremy Turnage, Peter Rogers Ben Cooper GBR 1039

Quest Tim Parsons, Alex Webster Mark Thornburrow HKG 1051

Feng Shui Anatole Masfen, Andrew Wills Jon Andrews NZL 1058

Slieve Elva Crispin Winser, Tom Alexander Sam North GBR 1067

Golli Gosh Richard Bouzaid, tba Gavin Gerrard NZL 1127

Dragon Lady Peter Jenkins, Roland Lennox-King Bill Steele AUS 1150

Wobbegong Tim Powell, Jonathan Taylor Doug Flynn GBR 1165

Life is Good Tom Piper, Tom Dawson Chris Clark USA 1177

Snatch Justin Eede, Alex Dobson Andrew Oddie GBR 1193

Mano Tom Fitzpatrick, Jack Norton Frank Norton IRL 1194

Best Mate Peter Williams, James Ward Chris Torrens GBR 1196

Palaver Mal Parker, Wade Morgan Noel Drennan AUS 1215

Dr. Evil Andrew Cooper, Russell Tyson Jake Gunther AUS 1244

Darling S Tony Knap, Peter Martin Tim Patton BER 1249

Bushfire Cian O'Carroll, Pete Tindale Jervis Tilly AUS 1250

White Pointer John Grey, Tim Fenelon Richard Grey/John Grey IRL 1251

Take 2 Alastair MacLeod, Mark Ingram Richard Merriweather/Alastair

MacLeod

GBR 1267

Ladies Who Launch Katie Dwyer, Laura Fitzpatrick, TBA Mary O'Loughlin AUS 1271

9 Eddy Warwick, Barry Dunning Mike Sparks GBR 1297

Wiki Wiki 3 Ron Rosenberg, Bill Bennett Tom Hughes USA 1306

Raging Rooster Tom Blackwell, Bill Barton Peter Duncan USA 1327

Stampede Neil Payne, Jon Mortimer Julia Bailey GBR 1329

Snow Patrol Paul Reilly, Tom Murphy Dan O'Grady IRL 1330

Hex Vladimir Kulinchenko, Henry Bagnall James Hudleston GBR 1331

Gelert Phil Lawrence, James Howells James Howells GBR 1332

Swedish Blue Jez Fanstone, Stuart Flinn Ante Razmilovic GBR 1333

Freelance P Lawrence, M Adams Laurence Mead GBR 1339

Matatu Brian Hammersley, Charlie Cumbley Nils Razmilovic GBR 1340

David McClintock, Steve Girling Jud Smith USA 1351

Arbitrator Stephen Bailey, David Heritage Graham Bailey GBR 1352

Lady Susan Iain Morrison, Graham Murray Ted Fort GBR 1353

Elvis Graham Sunderland, Mark Watson David Franks GBR 1354

Dawn Raid Oscar Strugstad, Simon Fry Andy Beadsworth GBR 1361