The Yachtsman 2017-2018 RPAYC Yachtsman 2016-2017 | Page 46

E T C H E L L S N S W S TAT E S
A 38-BOAT STATE TITLE ROLL UP FOR ETCHELLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
I
n a phenomenally close finish, a single point
and two count backs determined the top four
place getters at the Etchells 2016/17 NSW
State Championship conducted off Palm Beach
Headland, Sydney, in an area known as the Palm
Beach Circle.
Chris Hampton’s effort in bringing his newish team of
Sam Haines and Mark Andrews up from Royal Brighton
Yacht Club in Victoria paid dividends when Tango took
out the series by a boat length in the final Race 6.
‘It takes two to tango’ is the expression and Peter
Conde’s Encore team, runner-up by the narrowest
margin, plus others, pushed the Victorians right up until
the dying seconds.
“It was very close. We thought we’d blown it in the
last race and we had to fight for every centimetre on the
run to the finish,” Hampton shared.
“I’ve had 15 years in the class but this team only came
together for the Etchells Worlds in Cowes in September,
where we won race one and blew third spot overall with
a UFD (disqualification) in the last race. After this series
we know we have some things to work on, mainly our
starts. We are only a young team and we feel we are far
off achieving our full potential.
“The boat is a Pacesetter. We bought the hull and
fitted it out ourselves. We are very happy with the speed.
We found it much more lively and responsive compared
to the older hull, which is still at Cowes. We enjoy sailing
against the best boats and sailors in the world and we
have a busy program ahead including the Australian title
in January, then the North American circuit and the San
Francisco worlds.”
Hampton’s boat is shiny new and the state title was
the latest Tango’s debut regatta. Second placed Peter
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YACHTSMAN
Conde’s Etchells called Encore (Royal Queensland Yacht
Squadron) is a 1990 hull and he was the boat’s first
owner. Last year he noticed it up for sale and bought it
back. Campaigning with the same crew he had in the
mid-1990s, Brian Hillier and Myles Baron-Hay, Conde
pushed the 26 year old hull to its limit in the NSW
championship to finish second overall on a count back
and first Corinthian boat.
Past national champion Graeme Taylor’s Magpie
sailing for Mornington Yacht Club in Victoria, finished
third on a count back from Ray Smith’s The Cure, the
winning Grand Master crew with a combined age of 150
plus years, all the way from Royal Perth Yacht Club.
The first NSW boat in the rankings was David Clark’s
Fifteen+ (CYCA) in fifth and sixth was Iain Murray’s
Northern Havoc (RSYS) in what is also Murray’s
comeback season.
Reflecting on the one design series, race officer Kevin
Wilson said, “We had three days and three different sets
of conditions. The first day light out of the SE then on
day two we had N-NE up to 15 knots and Sunday it was
back to the SE. We had some comfortable seas and some
very rocky seas, and that’s all part of ocean racing.”
“It’s been fantastic watching. They are all so close
together and come around the marks four, five and
six deep. It’s been great to sail out of the Alfreds. The
hospitality has been excellent.”
Australian class president David Ritchard and
RPAYC Commodore Ian Audsley were delighted with a
38 boat state title roll up and Ritchard thanked sponsors
Harken, Gill and North Sails one design.
LISA RATCLIFF