Bertrand-Palfrey-Slingsby star team- Etchells Spring on Lake Macquarie

by Anna Wrack on 2 Oct 2009 The annual Etchells Spring Regatta, held over the October Public Holiday weekend, has been boosted by the recent entry of Victorian sailing legend John Bertrand and a star crew.

The event, now in its 10th year, has become a popular early-season tester in recent years, attracting quality fields and producing very close and exciting racing on the flat waters of beautiful Lake Macquarie an hour and a half north of Sydney. Six races over two days seems a testing and popular format. At last year’s event, two points separated the top three boats after the end of the weekend.

This year, however, the early-season regatta has particular relevance for Etchells racers of the highest calibre, as the club is hosting the Australian National Championships in January 2010, just three months away. Many of the 35 teams entered this weekend will be keen to hone their skills and gather some local knowledge in preparation for the Nationals. The entries comprise 25 from NSW fleets (13 local), six from Victoria, two from WA and two from New Zealand.

The local fleet currently boasts many prominent racers in the class, as well as a number who have excelled in other classes, and the fleet will be looking for a local winner this weekend.

Local entrants include: Peter McNeill, former World Champion (2004) and multiple State title holder; Tom Woods, former 505 World Champion and current holder of the trophy (The Albert Mitchell Trophy); Gary Boyd, former Olympian and now Etchells regular, racing with twin brother John; Tom Braidwood, Volvo Ocean racer and recent addition to the local Etchells fleet; Kane Sinclair, former National Champion in the Cherub class and podium finisher at last year’s regatta; and the Wyborn twins, Todd and Dean, dominant racers in the local fleet last season, when they took out both the Fleet Championship and Pointscore titles.

However, the locals will have it tough. Legend John Bertrand has confirmed his entry, together with crew of Olympians Andrew Palfrey (Star Class) and Tom Slingsby (Laser).

The achievements of these need no further elucidation to those who follow yacht racing even slightly! Suffice it to say, John Bertrand has yet again put together a ‘dream team’ and is here to do business. He wins the Etchells Nationals on a regular basis (including this year in Adelaide) and came very close to taking out the Worlds at his home club of Royal Brighton in March, denied in part by an OCS mid-series. Bertrand will be keen to erase that memory by returning to the winner’s rostrum this weekend and at the Nationals in January.

The strong Victorian contingent includes Steve Gunther, brother Jake Gunther, and Ian Johnston, all regular front runners at major Etchells regattas and potential winners this weekend. The NSW entries include: Rob Brown, skiffs legend and former Etchells National champion; Julian Plante, former Etchells Winter Nationals champion; Nev Whittey, multiple State title holder in the Etchells class and crewing with Matthew McCann on this occasion; and Nigel Nattrass who has recently acquired a new North American Etchells and ran well at the Winter Nationals in Mooloolaba, finishing ninth in his first regatta with boat and team.

New Zealander Alastair Gair who finished third at the Etchells Worlds in Fremantle will keep the locals honest.

From further afield, WA is represented by Rob Bird, multiple State title holder in the Etchells class, and Gary Smith, who now bases a boat on the east coast in order to compete regularly in major regattas. New Zealand is represented by Lindsay Kennedy and Alastair Gair, the latter a consistent front runner in the class over the last few years, who has come very close to taking out the biggest prizes on a number of occasions and will be keen to set the record straight this time around.

The local fleet will be keen to build on this weekend and make the Lake Macquarie Etchells Spring Regatta THE start-up event to the season - a must-attend part of the Etchells calendar and itinerary, in much the way that the Winter Nationals at Mooloolaba has evolved.

Regatta organisers Tom Woods, Fleet Secretary, and Mark Phillips, Fleet Captain and current Club Captain, are confident that the weekend will produce some very exciting racing and believe it will prelude a stunning event in January. They are pleased to advise that Ross Wilson is on board as the Principal Race Officer and he will be back again with his brother Kevin in January for the Australian Championships.

The weather forecast earlier in the week was for stormy weather, but more recent forecasts have improved. Mark and Tom are optimistic that racing should be on for both days (Saturday and Sunday), although with the possibility of a lively 20+ knots on Saturday, easing to 10-16 knots on Sunday.

Approximately 150 entrants and their friends/families are in for an exciting and fun time at Lake Macquarie Yacht Club this weekend.

'Capture the Spirit'!


List of Competitors 2009 Lake Macquarie Spring Regatta Oct 3rd & 4th:

Sail No Skipper Crew Crew Crew Club State
724 Bruce Cheek L Smith B Chetham LMYC NSW
750 Todd Wyborn Dean Wyborn Brendan Quinlan LMYC NSW
832 Peter McNeill Dean Williams Phil Barber LMYC NSW
867 Tom Braidwood Darren Senoggles Stephen Chapman Ben Lamb LMYC NSW
883 Gary Smith Brad Sheripen Mick Mc Anally RPYC WA
925 Tom King David Edwards Ivan Wheer Abbey Ehler RSYS NSW
940 Julian Plante Nick Garland Angela Farrell Michael Dunstan RPAYC NSW
950 Alastair Gair Dave Ridley Derek Scott Anna Alfluite RNZYS NZ
991 Jake Gunther Stuart Skeggs Ben Gunther RBYC VIC
994 Paul Minter John Minter Ross Bull CSC NSW
1049 Doug Williams Chris Blanch Darren Cooney LMYC NSW
1082 Richard Hammond Rodger Gain Richard Lawson RSYS NSW
1084 Kane Sinclair David Gleadhill Mark Phillips LMYC NSW
1118 Greg Eddy Stuart Eddy Roy Waghorn GSC NSW
1146 Ian Knight Graham Prosser Paul Morrish LMYC NSW
1164 Gary Boyd John Boyd Tony May LMYC NSW
1165 Doug Flynn Calvin Gardner David Baker CYCA NSW
1191 Peter Johnson Bryce Johnson Joel Anthill LMYC NSW
1192 Tom Woods Keith Jensen Dean Blatchford LMYC NSW
1213 Aaron Hampo Gary Van Dyke Anthony Patterson LMYC NSW
1219 Matthew McCann Jean Claude Strong Neville Wittey RSYS NSW
1223 Chris Hampton Ben Morrison Ben John Durham RBYC VIC
1254 Peter Merrington Andrew Coates Geoff Bonourrie RPAYC NSW
1288 Steve Gunther John Collingwood John Shalley RBYC VIC
1291 Don Wilson Brett Connor Neil McDonald GSC NSW
1314 Lindsay Kennedy Peter Waters Trevor Swindburne GH NZ
1318 Ian Johnston Tim Ede Phil Smidmore RBYC VIC
1336 Robert Griffits Robert Tiedman Peter Cornford LMYC NSW
1338 Mark Langford Paul Garaty Lisa Garaty Jason Dean LMYC NSW
1362 Jeff Rose Craig Mc Callum Fred Haes MYC VIC
1367 Rob Bird Graeme Johnson Nil Gray RFBYC WA
1374 Rob Brown Bruce Wookey Garry Gudmunson RPAYC NSW
1380 Nigel Nattrass Christian Brook Anthony Elliot RSYS NSW
1383 John Bertrand Tom Slingsby Andrew Palfrey RBYC VIC
1386 Jan Muysken Paul Grundy TBA RSYS NSW