Three year plan starts with Melbourne Audi Etchells Worlds

by Tracey Johnstone on 13 Mar 2009 Nearing the end of his eighth Etchells World Championship, being held on Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne, San Diego skipper Kjelef Hestehave is already focused on the prize in 2011.

Bouncing between Etchells and his 73-foot maxi yacht for the last 17 years, 57-year-old Hesteave has now made the commitment to put his big-boat program on hold and focus on his greater passion, the Etchells class.

“For the last three years we have been doing the big boat more intensely than the Etchells. Starting this year the Etchells is going to take precedence,” Hestehave said.

Before putting the big boat campaign on hold Hestehave most recently campaigned the custom-built sloop Velos in the 2008 races to Hawaii and Puerto Vallarta.

Hestehave came to the Etchells class in 1991 after campaigning a Star. “When I was younger I had a Star and I was much thinner. I was telling my wife how great a sailor I was one time a boat show and then I saw how close the boom was to the deck and realised I could never get under the boom again. I happened to see an Etchells and said ‘that boom I can probably get under’ so we ended up buying an Etchells.”

Since joining the Etchells class, Hestehave admits he has become very intense about the class. He and his team have found racing the Etchells has helped them to improve their big-boat racing skills.

“The starts, the manoeuvring around other boats and getting the timing down are all valuable lessons. We do very well on the big boat because of the Etchells.”

Hestehave is racing with San Diego 44-year-old sailmaker Chuck Skewes and 48-year-old Irishman John McCann. Both have known Hestehave for many years and have competed with him on both the maxi yacht and the Etchells.

When not racing Etchells, Skewes competes across a range of boats. “I do a lot of big boat sailing. I also do another 70 footer project and a 50 footer project out of San Diego. For me the attraction of the Etchells class is the competition. These guys are the best in the world. This is what it is all about.”

Cheeky Irishman McCann, having recently relocated back to Ireland, mixes up his racing between the Etchells and IRC boats in Europe. “I race a 40-foot boat designed by Mark Mills called Mariners Cove. It is probably the top boat of that size in Europe.” McCann has also competed in the America’s Cup where he was alternate bowman for Dennis Conner’s 1991/92 campaign. He still ensures he has time to race the Etchells as he enjoys the top level competition.

The team expected to be placed in much stronger position in the 2009 Worlds fleet. “I thought we would come here and do better than what we have done so far. The first day was very tough. The last couple of days we are getting in focus.”

His current Etchells from the Sydney builder Phil Smidmore was launched only four weeks ago so the team have had little time to prepare the boat for the Audi Etchells World Championship stepping on board the boat the day before the Invitation Race.

At end of race day five day and with eight races under their belt, the San Diego Yacht Club team are placed 32nd. Their best result was in today’s race eight where they finished 7th. With one race to go their target of finishing in the 20s to 30s is still possible.

On completion of the Melbourne Worlds the boat will be shipped to Ireland in readiness for the next Etchells World Championship. Hestehave and Skewes will then rush back to San Diego to prepare for the Etchells Mid-Winters which start on 27 March.

After that ? With two boats on the east coast and two on the west coast of America, and the next Worlds in Ireland, there will be plenty of Etchells events for the Hestehave team to choose from in the run up to the San Diego Etchells World Championship in 2011.

Ful results and Championship information http://www.audietchellsworlds2009.com.au/