Etchells Australian Nationals 2026 at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club - Preview
by Tom Hodge 20 Feb 21:38 PST
23-25 February 2026
All set for the 2026 Etchells Australian Nationals © Tom Hodge
With Perth's sailing community buzzing electric after an action-packed January, Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club will welcome a competitive fleet of Etchells for the 2026 National Championships to punctuate the 2025-26 summer with a high.
SailGP, the 5o5/OK Dinghy/470 Nationals, Geographe Bay Race Week brought excitement, spectacle, and mass entertainment. Etchells sailing offers these things, with an emphasis on refined excellence; poised, thoughtful fleet racing, and a compelling demonstration of the grassroots value of elite sailors committing to consistent club-centric, one design, Corinthian racing.
Scheduled for the 23rd-25th of February on the Swan River, when the waters are warmer, and the Freo Doctor is somewhat mellowed, competitors will expect glorious conditions over a 3 day, nine race series. We're expecting to see shifty light easterlies in the mornings, followed by building afternoon sea breezes, offering opportunities for every style of sailor, and ensuring the best in class will be a well-rounded team.
With the WA state championships immediately beforehand as a warmup event, competitors will, in total, enjoy six days of sailing, and seventeen races in a single week. In this warm-up event lay some clues to the current form of a fleet that is densely studded with past world champions, Olympians, ex Americas' Cup sailors, national team members, and some of WA's most promising youth ILCA skippers.
The event winner, Ahern, didn't win a race. That's not to turn one's nose up at 6 of 8 races finished in 2nd place but it does highlight the significance of consistency in these small fleets where one bad race can leave a substantial scar on the regatta ranking. One point lower, the boys on Ratpack will be feeling this. They won four races, a third, and a fourth. If not for a disastrous first day [9, 7], the silverware would've surely been theirs. Kitto, with local match racing guns Ethan Prieto-Low & Adam Brenz Verca, will be fired up and looking to right that, while the highly regarded McAullay tribe, split crewing across 3 boats, won't give them any room to breathe. 1 and 2 by one point, 3 and 4 by half a point, 5 and 6 tied, you want close racing? This fleet has it.
And they're in safe hands. When describing Principal Race Officer Rob Hubbard (AS Official of the Year), Chris Pratt had to say:
"He set very challenging courses, sometimes left favoured and sometimes right - he 'owned' the river! He kept everyone alert all the way to the finish line. Some of us were sure Rob had upstairs connections as he was almost minute perfect with race target times every race."
Forecasted light winds and temperatures in the mid 30s will test the resolve of sailors and RO alike. Whether the sailors are more excited for the racing, or time in the bar soaking up panoramic views from the hill of Australian Sailing's current Yacht Club of the Year, it is sure that those involved will have an elite week. Spectators and friends alike are encouraged to join the sailors at the bar after racing. Photographs and write ups will be prepared daily by Tom Hodge Media.