Bertrand, Slingsby and Palfrey win 2010 Etchells Australian Title

by Rob Kothe on 15 Jan 2010
Today Races 7 and 8 of The Murphy & Nye 2010 International Etchells Australian Championship were sailed from the Lake Macquarie Yacht Club, NSW. Yesterday America's Cup sailor Adam Beashel had shone with two wins, so the pressure was on.

In a masterful display, John Bertrand, Tom Slingsby and Andrew Palfrey on Triad showed just how it should be done and this very talented trio proved it will be a strong force at the 2010 Etchells Worlds in Dublin.

Race 7 finally got away in breeze of about eight knots, with the sun threatening to break through the cloud cover.

As in previous days, many competitors suffered a rush of blood resulting in a general recall.

The fleet settled and at the start Damien King (Barry) five from the pin, had a bad start and was squeezed out. He eventually found a clear lane and went right, crossing the right hand group of the fleet.

Ian Johnston (Bananas in Pyjamas) was well advanced, as was Julian Plante (North Star). John Bertrand (Triad) came from the right of the left hand group while yesterday's winner Adam Beashel (Steam Packet 7) was well to the right.

At the top mark for the first time it was Ian Johnston (Banana in Pyjamas) who led the fleet, with Bill Steele (Dragon Lady) second. King recovered from the bad start to be third, with John Bertrand (Triad) fourth. Nick Knezic (Count Boris Secret Rendezvous) was next, then Plante (North Star), Steve Gunther (Magic Buzz), Mark Thornburrow (Dream On (Racer x)), Glen Nattrass (Ganesh) and Tom Woods (Echo Beach). Graeme Taylor (Magpie) was back in eleventh.

Approaching the mark Taylor was fifth and coming in on the port lay line but could not find a hole, was forced to go round again and dropped back to eleventh. Beashel was buried, deep very deep, 42nd around the top mark.

On the first run down and on the beat John Bertrand (Triad) made some smart decisions, coming back up the middle of the course to take the lead. Julian Plante (North Star) took the same line and did equally well. Damien King (Barry) went further to the right up the beat and dropped from third down to seventh.

At the top mark once again Graeme Taylor came in on port and this time managed to find a space but hardly advanced in the fleet. Conditions dropped to five-six knots, with the sun shining, as the fleet approached the finish.

John Bertrand (Triad) retained his lead to win Race 7 from Ian Johnston (Bananas in Pyjamas) with the fast finishing Tom King (Iron Lotus) third. Julian Plante (North Star) was fourth, Bill Steele (Dragon Lady) fifth, then Brendan Garner (The Moe Szyslak Experience), Todd Wybom (Seven 50), Tom Woods (Echo Beach) and Mark Bulka (Perfect Balance).

Race 7 winner John Bertrand said ‘It’s all or nothing on the right. We played the shifts up the middle.’

The 'mover' in this race was certainly Mark Bulka (Perfect Balance) who was 45th at the top mark behind Beashel. He made up 15 places on the last beat, picked up a shift down the last run and moved up from 20th to tenth.

Bulka was quite pleased to be in the top ten finishers. 'It's a new boat, we don't quite had the rig quite right, but we are getting there' he said.

Race 8

The breeze was shifting, 170 through to 120, which delayed the start of Race 8.

PRO Ross Wilson and the Race Committee set the course at 140, with 1.5 nautical mile legs.

Tom King (Iron Lotus) started fast on the pin, Adam Beashel (Steam Packet 7) was mid line as was Graeme Taylor (Magpie). John Bertrand (Triad) started further up the line.

After the start Tom King kept going left to the Green Point quarry, while Ian Johnston (Bananas in Pyjamas) who started well up from the pin end, also kept that course.

As he did in Race 7, John Bertrand played the middle of the course. With perfect crew work by Bertrand, Tom Slingsby and Andrew Palfrey it was a very convincing display as Triad led into the top mark, ahead of Lindsay Kennedy (Addiction), Chris Pratt (La Vie Dansante), Jake Gunther (The Boat), Tom Braidwood (Fantazia), Tom King (Iron Lotus), Mark Langford (Critical Balance), Mark Bulka (Perfect Balance), Doug Flynn (Wobbegong), Glen Nattrass (Ganesh) and Peter McNeill (Absolute Pearler).

If Bertrand was to win this race, he and his crew would not have to sail tomorrow’s Race 9, as his drop is currently a seventh.

Down the course Bertrand’s white spinnaker continued to annoy the fleet. As Bertrand approached the bottom mark the course was changing to 120.

At the top mark with one lap to go Bertrand was well ahead, 65 seconds in front of Kennedy, Pratt and Gunther, who had moved up by five places. Braidwood was fifth, then Damien King (Barry), Tom King, Langford, Bulka, Flynn, Nattrass and McNeill.

At the bottom mark turning to come up to the finish the lead had extended to 2 minutes and 5 seconds.

Bertrand has shown the Etchells fleet just why he is a champion and Tom Slingsby and Andrew Palfrey, both Olympians, are indeed talented crew.

Bertrand (Triad) sailed away with the race. Lindsay Kennedy (Addiction) was second, Tom King (Iron Lotus) third, Tom Braidwood (Fantazia) fourth with Chris Pratt (La Vie Dansante) fifth. Doug Flynn (Wobbegong) was next then Jake Gunther (The Boat) and Damien King (Barry).

Dockside John Bertrand commented 'There's terrific competition at these Australian titles.

'Today we were in harmony with Mother Nature. Or as they say we are in the zone and it worked out very well for us, we are very pleased with the results. To sail with Tom Slingsby as tactician and Andrew Palfrey ... just a fantastic crew. So little said on the boat, because the team works so well.

'Today it was really tricky, light and variable out there. We tended to sail the middle of the course. When you get into one corner or the other you have no choice, so it has to be pretty powerful reason to be there.

'We had no bias one way or the other, we just sailed the shifts with the breeze splitting between the headlands and it worked out well for us today.

'For me it is just a thrill to sail with these modern Olympians, they are both very much in tune with the wind and boat speed. We get on very well on the boat. When I am about to suggest a change, it’s already happened.

'We are going to Ireland to the do the 2010 Etchells Worlds. You are only here for three score and ten so you give it your best shot and that is what we are going to do.

'A week after the Etchells Worlds in Ireland, Tommy has the Laser Worlds. We have promised Victor Kovelenko the Australian Sailing Team head Coach, to deliver Tommy safe and sound in good body and mind for that event, so he knows we won’t be able to beat up on him too much in Ireland.'

Graeme Taylor (Magpie) smiled, ‘Congratulations to John, Tom and Andrew. They certainly deserved to win. Now we have another battle tomorrow. So far we’ve had good boat speed and we’ve done some good things and we’ve made some costly mistakes, but we look forward to tomorrow.'

Damian King (Barry). ‘After John and the guys, it’s been so close for the rest of us. It will be tight again tomorrow.’

John Bertrand, Tom Slingsby and Andrew Palfrey (Triad) have won the Murphy & Nye 2010 Australian Etchells Championship with one race to spare.

Series Results [One Design ET] up to Race 8 (Drops = 1)
Place	Boat Name	From	Skipper	Series	R8	R7	R6	R5	R4	R3	R2	R1
1	Triad	RBYC	John Bertrand	15	1	1	2	[7.0]	1	2	5	3
2	Barry	SYC	Damien King	43	9	6	9	6	3	5	[21.0]	5
3	Magpie	MYC	Graeme Taylor	46	14	[27.0]	3	2	4	4	13	6
4	Steam Packet 7	RPAYC	Adam Beashel	54	19	[40.0]	1	1	2	1	20	10
5	Banana's in Pyjama's	RBYC	Ian Johnston	58	[28.0]	2	14	5	8	8	14	7
6	Iron Lotus	RSYS	Tom King	58	3	3	11	8	12	[17.0]	12	9
7	Perfect Balance	RBYC	Mark Bulka	64	10	10	6	14	15	[30.0]	1	8
8	North Star	RPAYC	Julian Plante	65	24	4	4	9	[27.0]	16	4	4
9	B Squared	LMYC	Gary Boyd	72	18	[38.0]	20	10	6	14	3	1
10	Fantazia	LMYC	Tom Braidwood	72	4	[23.0]	7	11	18	9	10	13
11	Why be flat	LMYC	Kane Sinclair	78	25	11	12	3	11	10	6	[25.0]
12	Absolute Pearler	LMYC	Peter McNeill	87	11	[30.0]	28.0G	15	5	3	2	23
13	Pedro II	RBYC	Kirwan Robb	103	13	12	16	13	10	[26.0]	22	17
14	Tusk	RPYC	Brad Sheridan	108	27	14	10	[31.0]	21	7	8	21
15	Tango	RBYC	Chris Hampton	113	[41.0]	37	8	19	17	11	9	12
16	Echo Beach	LMYC	Tom Woods	120	[35.0]	8	19	20	14	13	19	27
17	The Moe Szyslak Expe	RGYC	Brendan Gardner	126	23	7	[35.0]	4	28	15	27	22
18	Critical Balance	LMYC	Mark Langford	128	12	18	27	23	13	24	[29.0]	11
19	Addiction	GH	Lindsay Kennedy	129	2	19	22	28	25	22	11	[30.0]
20	Bushfire	RSYS	Jervis Tilly	129	15	[28.0]	13	26	22	20	17	16
21	The Boat	RBYC	Jake Gunther	140	8	41	15	16	9	12	[44.0]	39
22	Seven 50	LMYC	Todd Wyborn	151	36	9	[43.0]	17	31	6	37	15
23	Odyssey	RPAYC	Peter (Billy) Merrin	158	29	21	5	[35.0]	20	18	32	33
24	Dream On (Racer x)	RHKYC	Mark Thornburrow	158	[37.0]	25	31	18	7	29	24	24
25	Wobbegong	CYCA	Doug Flynn	159	6	16	21	33	23	40	[49.0]	20
26	La Vie Dansante	RSAYS	Chris Pratt	162	5	33	25	[59.0F]	30	25	30	14
27	Magic Buzz	RBYC	Steve Gunther	163	31	29	[33.0]	27	19	23	15	19
28	Ganesh	RSYS	Glenn Nattress	171	7	17	32	37	34	[50.0]	16	28
29	The Nurse	SYC	Ross Lloyd	173	[46.0]	20	42	12	44	19	18	18
30	Alchemist	RSYS	Richard Hammond	183	21	13	[44.0]	40	26	31	23	29
31	Miramar	RPAYC	Mark Doyle	193	17	22	23	36	29	32	[55.0]	34
32	Cruise Control	CSC	Paul Minter	200	20	34	28	25	33	[37.0]	34	26
33	Chill Pill	RFBYC	Rob Bird	201	59.0C	[59.0C]	40	29	24	21	26	2
34	Count Boris's Secret	RBYC	Nick Knezic	220	33	15	36	21	35	45	[47.0]	35
35	Ivy	GSC	John Denton	224	22	51	30	42	16	[52.0]	31	32
36	Vertigo	LMYC	Doug Williams	236	[52.0]	39	29	22	43	36	25	42
37	Two Speed	RSYS	Nigel Nattrass	239	[47.0]	43	18	39	38	27	43	31
38	Dragon Lady	RPYC	Bill Steele	246	42	5	[59.0Q]	48	32	35	28	56
39	Dutch Moth	LMYC	Aaron Hampo	248.5	49	[54.0]	26	30	37	28	38	40.5
40	Carabella IV	RSYS	Matthew Mc Cann	250.5	32	47	45	[47.0]	40	39	7	40.5
41	Rapscallion	RQYS	David Healey	254	34	35	37	32	[50.0]	44	36	36
42	Touch Pause Engage	RSYS	Michael Stovin-Bradf	258	44	[45.0]	17	38	39	43	40	37
43	Concubine	RSAYS	Jason Ward	276	50	[56.0]	41	24	36	41	33	51
44	Three Ring Circus	MYC	Trevor Martin	287	40	46	34	34	[59.0Q]	34	54	45
45	Resurgent	LMYC	Christopher Rabbidge	287	[55.0]	36	38	41	42	42	39	49
46	Tian Hou	MYC	Simon Ellis	290	16	31	46	59.0F	55	48	35	[59.0Q]
47	Jazasa	RSYS	Jan Muysken	298	26	48	39	51	45	46	[51.0]	43
48	License To Chill	LMYC	Bryce Johnson	299	39	32	49	44	46	51	[53.0]	38
49	Mens Shirts-Short Sk	RBYC	Peter Stubbings	307	45	42	51	45	[54.0]	38	42	44
50	Go With The flow	LMYC	Robert Griffits	310	43	24	[59.0R]	46	41	57	52	47
51	QRS	RSYS	Alistair Stone	313	[53.0]	26	50	49	47	47	48	46
52	Surprise	RSYS	Adrian Fisk	330	48	53	47	50	49	33	50	[53.0]
53	Back in Business	RBYC	John Coates	337	54	49	48	43	53	49	41	[54.0]
54	Predator	GSC	Greg Humphries	341	38	44	59.0C	[59.0F]	51	53	46	50
55	Champagne Charlie	CYCA	Mike Thackray	351	30	52	52	52	[59.0F]	56	57	52
56	7 To 4	LMYC	Bruce Cheek	366	56	50	53	53	52	54	[56.0]	48
57	Max Power	LMYC	Keith Ritchie	368	51	55	59.0C	[59.0Q]	48	55	45	55
58	Mojo	LMYC	Ian Knight	413	59.0C	59.0C	59.0C	59.0C	59.0C	59.0C	59.0V	[59.0V]