Etchells Australian Championship at Metung Yacht Club - Overall
by Jeanette Severs 5 Nov 2024 21:40 PST
1-5 November 2024
Ben Lamb, James Mayo and Graeme Taylor on board Magpie win the 2025 Etchells Australian Championship © Jeanette Severs
Graeme Taylor retained his Australian title status in the International Etchells class, winning the 2025 championship in champagne sailing conditions on Lake King, at Metung.
On the fourth, and last day of racing, there was no clear winner if the final two races in the series were completed.
Race officers Kevin and Ross Wilson had intended all along to run a four-day regatta, with sailing on the last day - whether that was one or two races depended on the previous days' outcomes.
Fortunately a delay in the start of racing on day three enabled two races to be held on Monday, November 4, 2024.
This created the opportunity for taking the championship down to the final day, with the two races possible.
With seven races completed there was opportunity for only one drop. With the nine race series completed, there was opportunity for two drops.
Going into the last day, Magpie was sitting on the top of the series table, slightly ahead of Racer CC.
Graeme Taylor was sailing Magpie with long-time crew James Mayo and relative newcomer to this team, but still a very experienced competitor, in Ben Lamb.
Lamb has been sailing with Taylor and Mayo for a year, and while they're still developing their working relationship, they all feel confident this will be Magpie's team to compete at the 2025 World championship.
Racer CC is owned and helmed by Hong Kong based Australian, Mark Thornburrow, with his tight crew of dual gold medal Olympian, Malcolm Page, Julian Plante and Mike Huang.
There were a few boats in the top of the series with potential to finish on the podium, but obviously Taylor saw Thornburrow and his team as the biggest rival.
The weather gods smiled on the regatta on Tuesday, November 5, with the course over 1.2 nautical miles, on an easterly axis - 090 to 095 - and wind speed averaging 12 knots, with short seas.
On retrospect, during race one Ross Wilson said he should have laid the course distance over 1.3nm.
The Wilson brothers had brought forward the start of racing to 1055 on the last day, to enable plenty of opportunity to fit in two races, and for crews to take their boats out of the water and de-rig before presentations on Tuesday evening.
In the closing minute prior to the start of race eight, the crew on Magpie pushed Racer CC off the race course, disabling any opportunity for them to get above Taylor's boat and to the start line.
This meant Magpie and Racer CC were both OCS. Each boat completed their penance, with Magpie closer to the start line.
Race eight was won by Gen XY, the hull owned by Kane Sinclair and sails by Peter 'Polly' McNeill (a past champion himself), with third crew Andrew 'Spotty' Smith.
They were followed over the line by Lisa Rose, then Matilda. Magpie finished fourth and Racer CC seventh.
Magpie crossed the finish line with a red flag flying on her stern and Taylor sailed her to the committee boat to confirm his race eight result. Racer CC did not have a red flag flying.
With race eight concluded the championship was in the hands of Taylor and his crew. Racer CC was runner-up to the championship.
With the ninth race to run, the second drop wouldn't make a difference to the outcome, but the remaining podium finishes were still to be decided. Even so, Taylor and his crew went into race nine with the same tactic, and pushed Racer CC and her crew off the course again. This time, a third boat, Karabos, was also OCS.
The three crews completed their penance and rejoined the race. Thornburrow and his crew set a blistering pace, using the opportunity of their delayed start to pick clean water and wind. By the time Racer CC achieved the top mark, she was in front of the fleet.
With the wind gusting to 14 knots, Thornburrow, Plante, Page and Huang kept Racer CC in front of the fleet the entire race and sailed home several boat lengths well ahead.
On the second leg, the crew of Magpie decided not to finish the race. After attaining the windward mark, Taylor, Mayo and Lamb sailed for home rather than the finish line.
Magpie was awarded the 2025 Australian championship on a series result of 15 points with the drop of DNF in the final race, with Racer CC runner-up on 18 points.
Third across the line was the first Corinthian crew, Lisa Rose, with Jack Abbott on the helm and crew of James McLennan, Tom Trotman and Xavier Winston-Smith.
Full reports on each race, including race 9, in other stories.
At the trophy presentation, Taylor announced Magpie was for sale.
Results for each race and the series are online here.