A new era for the Etchells class

07/24/2014

A winter of development work with some of the world’s top sailors has resulted in significant improvements to the latest Etchells keelboats built by David Heritage Racing Yachts in Cowes, UK. “What we’ve done here represents the biggest changes in the class over the past 20 years,” says Andrew ‘Dog’ Palfrey, a double Etchells world champion.

2014 World Championship

06/24/2014

Hardesty Claims Third World Title With Race to Spare NEWPORT, R.I. — Consistency is king and Bill Hardesty and crew of Stephanie Roble, Taylor Canfield and Marcus Eagan have earned the 2014 Etchells World Championship by sticking to a steady plan for success.

Eight Bells - Bill Bennett

06/18/2014

It is with profound sadness that I inform you of the passing Bill Bennett, a popular and beloved member of our community who was in Newport preparing for the 2014 Worlds. He suffered a head injury off the water. Bill was frequently on the podium receiving awards for outstanding performances in the Etchells Class, including winning a World Championship in 2000 with Vince Brun and Rick Merriman.

Cowes Etchells Fleet race for the Royal Thames Saida Cup, June 7/8 2014

06/10/2014

Thunderstorms and rain were forecast for the Saturdays Racing, luckily they were all over by 9 AM , so the 12 crews and race officials enjoyed 2 days of Solent in the Sunshine.

To get to the start of Hill Head the SW breeze gave the boats a great Spinnaker run across the Solent for the 11.00 start, only to die away at 10.45 before blowing a 12kt Easterly, but Jamie Clark the RTYC PRO wasn't fooled, waiting till the wind switched back to a 10Kt SW after 30 minutes or so in order to race the fleet in the tidal shelter on the Knoll plateau.

Race 1 saw Peter Rogers Highlife GBR 1331 lead a densely packed fleet to the first mark and hold his lead on the 2 lap course as the first 6 boats all finished in less than 50 seconds behind him, while “first race” boat handling errors and mark rounding incidents stretched the other 6 boats a little further behind.

2014 Canadian Championship Announced

06/10/2014

The 2014 Etchells Canadian Championships are on the schedule. The event is being hosted August 1-3 by Ashbridges Bay YC and the LYRA organizing committee and the Canadian and Toronto Etchells Fleet. This event is part of the LYRA one Design event and is anticipated to be a great event with good sailing, up to 4 races a day, except for the 3rd day, where a maximum of 3 races is scheduled.

Etchells Bedrock Challenge Trophy 3-5 May 2014

05/07/2014

Twelve Etchells competed for in the first classic Etchells Regatta of the year. The Bedrock Challenge Trophy is a 3-day 9-race series for a cup presented by double world champion Stuart Childerley. But it took a day and a half to get going as high pressure dominated the Solent. On day one the boats were towed out and then towed in again although there was enough breeze to sail, it was unstable and insufficient to race against the tide.  It was disappointing, but the Etchells were luckier than the many cross- channel racers who were stuck out at sea that weekend with no breeze - at least the Etchells sailors could retire to port and a comfy bed!

Cowes Spring Series Final Weekend Report

04/30/2014

After winning the first of these weekends Shaun Frohlich’s Exabyte, with stalwart crew of David Bedford and Duncan Truswell, scored two firsts, two seconds, and a third to be crowned Etchells Spring Series Champion of 2014.

UK Etchells Youth Selection Trials Results

03/19/2014

After competitive trials involving seven teams racing one design Etchells in the Solent on 15/16 March, three teams of youths aged 18 to 25 have been chosen to race in the 24 boat Cowes Etchells Fleet on fully funded yachts.

This is the third year of these trials backed by the RYA and UKSA British Keelboat Academy which has seen over 90 young and talented sailors race on the boats. The winning teams will race in the active Etchells programme, including the local SCRA races, Cowes Week, and Nationals and Europeans in Weymouth in September as an early build up for the Etchells Weymouth  Worlds in 2016.

The winner is One Design at the Etchells Victorian Championship

03/12/2014

Some have said that they find Etchells more than a tad underwhelming. True, Skip Etchells’ design is more than 40 years old, they have aluminium masts, Dacron sails and fractional, symmetrical spinnakers. That’s hardly the coolest stuff going around. However, when you have a different winner for nearly every race, the sport’s greatest coming back, and then back again to sail them, and that they are always closely fought contests, then you have to ponder why that might be so.

No wind required for the first race at the Etchells Victorian Championship

03/08/2014

Truthfully, we’re not actually talking about Race One of the regatta. Rather, you could probably refer to it as Race Zero, if you like, for it has no direct bearing on the outcome of the 2014 Etchells Victorian Championship. Earlier on in the week, it became very apparent that many of the crews were going to take the opportunity after a hefty drive to Metung in Gippsland, to then get out on the water of the great lakes and have some practice.

Appreciation flows at the Garmin Etchells NSW Championship

02/16/2014

Well it just has to be a massive thank you. The Garmin Etchells NSW Championship owes a lot to the competitors, the volunteers, the Gosford Sailing Club and everyone has to thank Huey, the God of Wind, too. He may have been later than required and frustratingly so at that, but when he showed up in the middle of the afternoon, he delivered in spades. The best racing of the entire series was saved for the short, but oh-so-sweet last race. It had everything. Up to 22 knots of breeze from the South, plenty of rain, significantly reduced visibility, a short little chop and if you had your eyes out of the boat a little, some wonderful vistas with mist in the surrounding hills and even a spectacularly sunny patch over Gosford. Yes. You did have to be quick or you would miss that last one though.

No love from Huey at the Garmin Etchells NSW Championship

02/15/2014

So if Valentines Day was all about the love, then the memo did not reach Huey. Yes, the God of Wind had no idea about it all and perhaps could even have been giving everyone mixed messages. There was no breeze to speak of early, then it arrived early afternoon and was quite possibly the fullest it had been all regatta. Please note that full does not mean strong or even fresh. No sooner had Huey supplied the closest racing of the entire Garmin Etchells NSW Championship than he took it away, to then give hope again once more, before finally closing the shop down for the night.

It’s all about love at Garmin Etchells NSW Championship

02/14/2014

It was not hard to end up feeling the love for the Garmin Etchells NSW Championship being run out of Gosford. Yes it was Valentines Day, but that was not the reason. In fact, as you walked around the quay this morning, you may have felt a tension. It was not unrequited and certainly not inappropriate in this PC world. It was not quite fear...

RYA & UK Etchells Class promotion of youth keelboat sailors

01/30/2014

With the continuation of a very successful initiative which commenced in 2012, young sailors who aspire to race one design keelboats at the highest level are being given a unique chance to apply to take custody of a number of fully race prepared Etchells, 30ft keelboats, completely free of charge for most of the 2014 racing season.

The OD gets set for the Garmin 2014 Etchells NSW Championship

01/22/2014

At a time when many a class would be lucky to have 20 entries for an Australian Championship, the Etchells already have that number for their next event. Yes, the Etchells once again prove that they are THE One Design keelboat. To be sailed out of the charming Gosford Sailing Club on Brisbane Waters, the Garmin 2014 Etchells NSW Championship...

Fitting finale at the 2013-14 AUS Nationals

12/12/2013

In the very year that Australia marks the passage of 30 years since a group of dedicated sailors changed the course of sporting history, and as celebrations for the Etchells 40th anniversary draw to an end, it seems terribly fitting that the two should be inexorably linked.