International Etchells Class Association
NEWS

First Tracks storm home to secure Etchells Nationals

06/14/2021

Peter Merrington and his team of Ian McKillop and Steve “Mothy” Jarvin on First Tracks AUS1485 took the wins in the Etchells Australian Nationals and the Australasian Championships on Sunday 13 June winning the final race of the regatta over Martin Hill’s Lisa Rose AUS1484, and Mark Bradford’s Pie AUS947 which were also the overall regatta placings.

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2020 Queensland State Championship

11/06/2020

Etchells Queensland – One for the Clubhouse favourite

The 2020 Etchells Queensland State Championship was won by The Front Bar (AUS 1317). On board were Australian Sailing Squad member, Joel Turner, Ray Smith, and skippered by one of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron’s most notable members, Brad Ginnivan.

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Etchells Australia President’s Update

07/09/2020

Mark Roberts, President of the International Etchells Class of Australia, updates us with exciting news about the season ahead, and reports on the ongoing hull review under the direction of the international body.

"The Australian Association has been using the winter months to plan for what should be a cracking summer. The instigation of new initiatives, such as the Etchells Championships League, which will allow our fleets to race in home waters, whilst at the same time competing against their mates from across Australia is just one of the exciting new things that our members will have coming into the new season. We also launch a new Australian Championship regatta series, and will continue to promote and assist Corinthians with free coaching at major national events. All in all, it is going to be a very big year, and I can't wait!"

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Panacea - Sailing Etchells is always the cure

11/21/2019

The Etchells Queensland State Championship was held from November 8 to 10. Southport Yacht Club was the host from both its Main Beach and Hollywell (Runaway Bay) facilities, with the racing conducted offshore along the glorious Gold Coast.

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So do you want another?

11/11/2019

He’s just about to collect lucky number seven from the runaway success that is the Allanson/Murray Etchells programme. This will be his third Etchells of that famous name, and this time, the date appears as part of it. All of which begs the question, does that mean next year he’ll want another one?

He’s won two World Championships in the Etchells, amongst some other stuff along the way in a truly stellar career. As always, he had some wonderful insightful words of wisdom for all people, whether they are sailors or not. Of course he is our own living legend, John Bertrand AO.

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Victoria Etchells sailors get set for 2019 Lipton Cup Regatta

11/01/2019

The various Etchells fleets in Port Phillip will take part in the 2019 Lipton Cup Regatta this year as part of its 2019/20 program, with a strong fleet getting ready to descend on the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria for its major club regatta of the year.

Hosted on 16-17 November this year, the Lipton Cup event is one of the most historic in Victoria.

The Etchells fleets are looking to take advantage of this regatta to prepare for the Etchells National Championships being held at Royal Brighton Yacht Club (RBYC) between 7-12 January 2020, followed soon after by the state titles from 7-9 March. Thinking even further ahead, the Etchells Worlds will be hosted by the Etchells Melbourne Fleet at RBYC in January 2023.

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There is always a sizable fleet with the Etchells…

10/30/2019

And this is because since their inception just over 50 years ago there has been a strong conviction by the Corinthians to be a part of the best One Design sailing going around. It is as true today as ever, for there are boat numbers from the 8 and 900s still being campaigned hard, whether as part of their local fleet, or trailered across the land to compete in different waters.

The 2020 Etchells Australian Championship is to be held from January 7 out of the home base for the Melbourne Fleet, the Royal Brighton Yacht Club. As usual, the fleet will showcase some of this country's sailing greats, including current Etchells Australian and World Champions, Iain Murray, Colin Beashel and Richie Allanson. Olympic Gold Medallist, America's Cup sailor, and recently crowned SailGP winner, Tom Slingsby will also be there, as too the ever youthful, multiple Australian and World Champion, John Bertrand AO.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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...

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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...

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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.

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2013 AUS Nationals - Bertrand continues to dominate

12/12/2013

The Triad team of John Bertrand, Andrew Palfrey and Grant Simmer continued their dominance of the Australian Etchells Championship today, winning their second consecutive race.

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Big Prize at the 2013-14 AUS Nationals

12/12/2013

It seems there is a lot of attention paid by all sailors at the 2013-14 Etchells Australian Championship to getting a bullet. Now whilst only one crew will achieve that particular prize, it would seem that all sailors are getting something very much just as valuable, if not as immediately identifiable – knowledge wrapped up in a blanket of good times.

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Bling at the 2013-14 AUS Nationals

12/12/2013

It is a long established fact that the Etchells always attract yachting’s best to their tight and well-organised events. At the 2013/14 Etchells Australian Championship, being run off the world famous Gold Coast, this is once again being totally ratified.

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2013 AUS Nationals Day Two Shift at the Top

12/12/2013

The second day of racing in the Etchells Australian Championship, being hosted by Southport Yacht Club on Queensland’s Gold Coast, saw the top two teams trade places overall in another day of perfect Etchells weather. Going into the start of the day John Bertrand’s Triad was on equal first with David Clark’s Fifteen. Peter McNeill’s Iris III ..

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2013 AUS Nationals - Day One

12/04/2013

The Australian Etchells class National Championship started today in shifty, soft conditions, on the offshore waters of Queensland’s Gold Coast. The six-time national champion, world champion, Olympian and America’s cup helmsman, John Bertrand, called today’s racing fabulous; not just once, but several times.

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2013 AUS Nationals Preview

11/06/2013

Etchells Nationals – dark horse Bradford knows how to time his run

A short break in the Black Jack big boat program is affording Mark Bradford the chance to slip down to Queensland’s Gold Coast to compete in next week’s Etchells National Championship. Some of his fellow Etchells competitors consider Bradford will be the dark horse to watch during the championship. He has recruited to his team two of his long-standing sailing mates - Olympic and America’s Cup level sailors Anthony Nossiter and Will McCarthy. Both have sailed with Bradford on his big boat campaigns; on Loyal when it won the 2011 Sydney Hobart Race and again in that race last year aboard the Reichel Pugh 66 Black Jack.

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