Piper pips Garland

A report from the Etchells Florida State Championships by Steve Girling

The Etchells Florida State Championships were graciously hosted by the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and their excellent staff and regatta team in Coconut Grove, Miami over the weekend of 27th/28th January. Boat storage and logistical support was also provided by the team at Shake-A-Leg Miami.

Seventy one Etchells entered the Florida State Champs, the third regatta in the Alpine Jaguar Mid-Winter series that culminates in the Mid-Winter Championship in early March. Scott Piper, Stu Delisser and Tim Banks won the regatta with three top four finishes in the five race series. The consistently impressive team of Phil Garland, Paul Murphy and Moose McClintoch were tied on points but lost the count back. Steve Girling, Tucker Edmundson and Marc Jacobi were seven points back in third, Andy Beadsworth/Oscar Strugstad were fourth, Marvin Beckmann fifth and reigning World Champion, Jud Smith was sixth. Piper counted scores of 1,2,4,14 Garland had five top ten finishes and Girling had four results in the top ten.

Sailing on Saturday was as tough as ever for the Etchells fleet on Biscayne Bay with a twitchy easterly trying to move right over the course of the day (except for that one big leftie just after lunch)! Sunday was a thrash in a squally SouthWester, unstable in strength and direction throughout and delivering 25 knot puffs and flat water to the bay and some big smiles for those who managed to stay on the plane and avoid the carnage.

The Mid-Winters Championship and the Overall results for the Alpine Jaguar Series will be decided during the first three days of March 2007. More information on the fleet can be found here: http://www.etchellsfleet20.org

Top five results (Boat, skipper, points)

1 USA 1202 Pipe Dream 12, Scott Piper 1 - 26 2 4 14, 21
2 USA 1260 Mahi Mahi, Phil Garland - 9 3 6 7 5, 21
3 USA 1212 Carina, Steve Girling 6 4 - 28 8 10, 28
4 GBR 1361 Dawn Raid, Oscar Strugstad - 19 1 5 18 6, 30
5 USA 1232 Keep Smiling, Marvin Beckmann 3 6 - 14 13 8, 30