3rd June 2008
by Peter Campbell
The RSYS’s Sydney Etchells fleet will be strongly represented at the Musto Australian Winter Championships to be sailed off Mooloolaba on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on the coming long weekend.
Eight boats, their skippers and crews from the Sydney fleet will contest the popular championship that starts on Friday and continues over the long weekend.
With entries not closing until Thursday afternoon, a fleet of more than 50 is expected, with international entries already in from Japan and New Zealand, along with entries from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Jervis Tilly and his crew
Heading the Sydney fleet contingent is Jervis Tilly in Bushfire, winner of the RSYS Main Series pointscore – and most other events – during the 2007-2008 sailing season.
The two other Main Series placegetters, dot (Matthew Whitnall) and The Front Row (Ben Lehmann) have also headed north, along with Ganesh (Robert Weir), Fifteen (David Clark), Sun Tzu (Roger Hickman), Vincero (Nick Kingsmill) and Etch (Jan Muysken).
Other prominent interest competitors competing at Mooloolaba include John Bertrand from Melbourne and Peter McNeill, from Lake Macquarie, who won the Etchells World Championship off the Sunshine Coast in 2005.
McNeill is among nine Australians who will be flying to the USA shortly to contest the 2008 Etchells World Championship in Chicago from 19-29 June.
Sydney fleet members entered for the Worlds are Stephen Ingate and Jan Muysken, while other Australians entered include Steve O’Rourke (Botany Bay), Bryon Ehrhart (Geelong), Jake Gunther (Melbourne) and Swan River fleet members Michael Manford, Rob Bird and Bill Steele.
In addition to Australia, the 2008 Worlds have attracted entries from Britain, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada and from most fleets in the USA. Representing New Zealand will be former Hardy Cup competitor Simon Minoprio and former World champion Andy Beardsworth from Ireland is also lining up again.
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