Final race showdown

Bertrand takes NZ Etchells title on last race reports Anne Hinton

On the final day of racing in the ANZDL New Zealand Etchells Nationals Championships, the fleet went out in the morning only to find winds above the 20 knot average specified as the upper limit for racing. The boats returned to harbour for several hours until the wind finally decreased sufficiently to permit racing.When racing commenced on the Hauraki Gulf it was in the 15 to 22 knot southwesterly winds that have characterised racing throughout the event.

With only three points between the top two contestants, John Bertrand from Australia, and Cameron Appleton of New Zealand, and the possibility of a discard after the sixth race, there was everything to play for. Bertrand match raced Appleton in both races at the start, using other competitors to put distance between himself and Appleton.

In race six, Appleton broke clear of Bertrand and finished second to Bertrand’s fourth. With an eighth place to discard, as against Bertrand’s fifth place, this put Appleton in position for the title.

A seventh and final race was started just minutes within the deadline for the final start time. In the ‘pre-start’, Bertrand enticed Appleton into circling just inside the committee boat end of the line, and managed to use other boats to push Appleton beyond the committee boat for a time. Appleton was able to get back for a start right under the committee boat, while Bertrand started one boat away further down the line.

Bertrand managed to sail away and control Appleton after the latter had caught up to him, placing several boats between them. In spite of major gear damage, Bertrand finished second, just pipping Dennis Conner into third place.

Appleton’s sixth place finish meant that he lost the title by two points to John Bertrand. This was Bertrand’s second victory in New Zealand. His victory also means that the title of New Zealand National Champion in the Etchells class has still not yet been won by a New Zealander.

Race winners today were local sailors Lindsay Kennedy and Grant Turnbull. The latter claimed third place overall in the National Championships, after discarding an OCS from the first race. Dennis Conner, last year’s champion, finished fourth, after a better day, in spite of some problems during racing.

Results

AUS 1244 John Bertrand/Richard Allanson/Mark Richards 4-1-1-1-6-4-2
NZL 1184 Cameron Appleton/Peter Merrington/Paul Gudmonson 8-2-2-2-1-2-6
NZL 892 Grant Turnbull/Keith Hogan/Andrew Wills ocs-3-3-5-3-1
NZL1227 Dennis Conner/Steve Jarvin/Matt Day 12-7-5-3-7-5-3
AUS 504 Mark Bradford/Mike O’Brien/Gary Adshead 1-15-4-10-6-8-4
NZL 809 Brian Jones/Rob Bassett/Alan Gwyer 5-5-6-4-4-16-9