Etchells Australian Nationals 2026 at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club - Day 2
by Tom Hodge 24 Feb 23:53 PST
23-25 February 2026
2026 Etchells Australian Nationals Day 2 © Tom Hodge Media /
www.tomhodgemedia.com.au
The great surprise of the day was that the Swan River was not aflock with Magpies. Known for hunting silver with a keen eye, these Aussie birds aught to have been greatly interested in the way the low morning sun plated the river's ultramarine undertones.
On account of these deeper hues, Hubbard's decision to draw the start forward: 8am, on account of a forecast that said the Easterly would fade and the sea breeze arrive late, was vindicated. The volunteers had arrived to the club as the last dawn hues burnt away, and enjoyed the clean morning air while the white sails criss-crossed up the bay, to a Melville West start line. The course was laid to the East, with the top mark only a short distance from the Swan River's Souther. Applecross shore.
With breeze beginning on the stronger end of moderate, the sailors were perhaps glad that today only necessitated three races, to yesterday's four.
Race 1
First to hoist kites: The Croc, Ratpack, Highlander. No change by the bottom mark, those three went left, a brave few went right, which paid, when Ratpack crossed The Croc and Yo! slipped past Highlander. Downhill, The Croc worked an aggressive cover and converted the closed distance into a lead with a successful simo gybe. Ratpack gybed off in a drag race to the pin end of the line, but The Croc successfully held them off to cross at the boat end meters ahead. Notably, 2nd overall into the day, Chris Pratt's Azure, was absent from the pointy end of the fleet. Having presumably used their drop with a 9th in the first race, their sixth in today's first race could prove costly in a regatta where every point will matter immensely.
Race 3
The biggest shake up of the day saw The Croc (7th) and Highlander (9th) use their drops as the dwindling Easterly forced crews off the rail & into the boat, and skippers to hold focused on frequent shifts.
By the first top mark, a match race for pole position was firmly set between Chilly Bin (Dirk van der Struyf) and Briar Patch (Angus McBriar), two boats that haven't enjoyed the best results to this point, which gave the bragging rights added stakes and showed what might have been.
Chilly Bin led at the mark, Briar Patch worked its way inside and overtook on the run, leading through the port gate out to the left. Van der Struyf tacked up a few small flicks on the inside to cross ahead, before both boats settled onto a long port-tack drag race to the mark. Chilly Bin maintained its lead at the top, and extended on a nervous downwind in decreasing wind strength.
The final beat was tense, with numerous tacks between the two boats until, conscious that the lumbering fleet were beginning to catch up, Van der Struyf made the conservative decision to tack back and cover the fleet, while Angus McBriar hung out wide, got the shift, and managed to cross clear ahead with less than a hundred meters to the finish, taking a satisfying win.
It'll be all to play for tomorrow, with Michael Manford (1st) only 4.5 points ahead of Chris Pratt (2nd), and 2 point separating Robson (3rd) from Kitto (4th).
Results can be found here.