Winners with a race to spare

Childerley, Russell and Marino defend Etchells World Championship title

Well they have done it, and done it in impressive style. Another two races were completed yesterday, which meant that a top 35 in the first race would be enough for Childerely to hang onto his World Champion crown.

So they decided to put in another third place. Of all their races to count, only one was outside the top three. This ninth in race 5, was an impressive recovery after being caught over the line at the start.

The team did not race the final race, as with all championships, the real race is to be first back to the bar. Mark Bradford stepped up on the final day to score a one and a three to secure second place overall.

Childerley is an accomplished sailor in many different disciplines in the sport. Just a quick look through our archives brought this piece up. It was an interview with Childerely at end of the leg to La Rochelle in the Volvo Ocean Race, May 2002, which he sailed as helmsman onboard News Corp.

madforsailing.com, May 2002:
The reflective spirit is alive and well on most boats with Stuart Childerley reporting "much of the conversation is now based on fine dining, beer and women's lingerie," aboard News Corp. Though this is Stuart's first leg in the 2002 edition of the race it has clearly had a big impact on him, citing "the exhilaration of hurtling down waves achieving in excess of 26 knots boat speeds," as the best part of the trip. "These moments will stay in my mind for a longtime: it was fantastic."

The rumour mill in Auckland is in full wind up mode, with reportings of people scrambling off superyachts with chequebook in hand, trying to cut Childerely off before he reaches the airport.

Maybe he won't be returning to the UK to run his aggregates company just yet.......

Pos	Sail No	Bow No	Helm	Nat	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Race 5	Race 6	Race 7	Race 8	Race 9	Pts
1	987	56	Stuart Childerley	GBR	2	2	1	1	9	1	3	3	DNC	22
2	874	31	Mark Bradford	AUS	1	1	13	11	5	23	38	1	3	58
3	650	11	Cameron Miles	AUS	26	8	3	5	30	8	2	6	18	76
4	915	41	Peter McNeill	AUS	8	17	15	4	13	9	5	22	11	82
5	945	48	Michael Manford	AUS	7	OCS	9	26	15	2	1	12	20	92
6	947	49	John Bertrand	AUS	17	7	11	2	16	ZFP	31	17	2	103
7	1215	98	Dennis Conner	NZL	10	9	40	8	20	21	14	49	4	126
8	991	57	Cameron Thorpe	NZL	4	13	6	59	37	13	11	26	23	133
9	758	18	Iain Murray	AUS	40	3	10	31	33	7	43	5	12	141
10	346	45	Nick Rogers	AUS	21	4	7	3	38	25	18	33	45	149
11	1011	61	Chris Jackson	AUS	DNF	10	44	23	24	22	27	4	5	159
12	1103	76	John Ulbrich	USA	27	11	27	34	18	19	10	OCS	14	160
13	1131	80	David Clark	AUS	38	OCS	14	35	17	11	16	25	22	178
14	1219	99	Julian Plante	AUS	16	30	20	39	10	46	7	51	17	185
15	288	5	Erik Bentzen	USA	61	46	30	16	29	3	8	50	10	192
16	1136	83	Michael Coxon	AUS	3	19	49	37	35	38	37	2	26	197
17	1088	72	Mark Richards	AUS	36	OCS	12	25	42	14	48	7	15	199
18	906	37	Bruce Kendall	NZL	22	37	19	57	43	30	6	29	16	202
19	295	6	Nathan Williams	NZL	30	29	52	27	55	28	4	28	13	211
20	892	34	Grant Turnbull	NZL	42	32	22	43	4	43	23	9	37	212
21	1121	78	Ian Johnson	AUS	24	43	5	38	56	68	12	15	19	212
22	950	51	Gray Gibson	NZL	41	16	54	41	2	10	13	38	OCS	215
23	1068	67	Tim Law	GBR	34	24	23	29	79	ZFP	41	13	9	217
24	1091	73	Jeff Moseley	USA	73	20	61	14	7	52	39	20	7	220
25	1213	97	Lucas Down	AUS	18	31	33	12	21	36	61	8	OCS	220
26	1118	77	Gavin Gerrard	AUS	15	54	50	22	6	5	50	36	39	223
27	882	33	Adam Hawkins	AUS	13	OCS	37	15	58	4	29	45	24	225
28	1148	85	Ante Razmilovic	GBR	19	22	74	30	51	15	DSQ	14	1	226
29	814	26	Lindsay Kennedy	NZL	23	6	34	6	41	58	35	55	29	229
30	1161	89	Jake Gunther	AUS	39	OCS	24	42	8	26	17	41	36	233
31	1237	X1	Grant Wharrington	AUS	14	OCS	16	50	25	20	21	67	25	238
32	996	59	Martin Payne	GBR	33	33	32	33	46	ZFP	46	11	6	240
33	1073	68	Peter Duncan	USA	11	23	43	52	50	ZFP	30	24	21	254
34	1165	90	Richard Lott	GBR	DNF	OCS	41	21	14	16	15	16	33	255
35	695	12	Gavin McPherson	NZL	51	40	18	9	40	49	19	31	DNF	257
36	1150	86	Bill Steele	AUS	47	21	70	68	1	34	28	30	30	259
37	809	24	Brian Jones	NZL	37	14	25	75	3	29	22	DNS	63	268
38	782	22	Sven Hansen	SUI	31	5	29	76	57	48	20	54	38	282
39	878	32	Russell Steiner	USA	28	RDGa	47	65	32	50	36	10	49	292
40	918	42	Mark Doyle	AUS	29	DNF	45	47	12	54	34	23	61	305
41	1134	81	Robert Weir	AUS	5	18	OCS	69	36	41	62	46	34	311
42	944	47	Gordon Hinds	AUS	65	38	OCS	7	28	73	54	18	28	311
43	599	10	Marvin Beckmann	USA	68	27	4	40	81	ZFP	24	81	31	322
44	182	1	Tim Patton	BER	6	OCS	67	70	11	12	51	52	57	326
45	940	46	Phil Dash	AUS	46	41	59	61	59	37	53	32	8	335
46	724	14	Barry Fairley	AUS	20	15	26	17	71	ZFP	75	60	54	338
47	925	43	Ben Noble	AUS	32	48	55	19	62	67	49	59	27	351
48	1084	71	Grant McKellar	AUS	35	39	31	79	54	33	60	21	DNC	352
49	865	30	Bruce McBriar	AUS	50	35	8	20	OCS	65	25	OCS	55	357
50	1175	91	Edward Fort	GBR	9	64	21	45	47	76	33	69	75	363
51	1152	87	David Champion	USA	12	44	28	62	64	ZFP	71	53	32	366
52	1128	79	David Jones	AUS	71	42	56	51	DNF	6	63	39	43	371
53	1102	75	Steve O'Rourke	AUS	60	25	35	63	82	59	57	27	46	372
54	992	58	Andrew Cooper	GBR	59	26	66	24	DNF	42	40	19	OCS	375
55	751	17	Steve Gunther	AUS	57	50	51	28	66	40	42	71	53	387
56	1135	82	Richard Hammond	AUS	53	62	39	36	77	62	45	43	50	390
57	971	54	Kjeld Hestehave	USA	67	36	42	53	31	51	66	48	76	394
58	776	21	James Gregory	USA	25	OCS	82	60	44	39	59	34	65	408
59	546	9	Simon Minoprio	NZL	58	65	OCS	77	22	77	26	40	47	412
60	832	28	Damien King	AUS	DNC	DNC	36	49	39	32	44	73	40	412
61	813	25	Ian Crisp	AUS	55	68	38	55	45	69	52	58	42	413
62	1083	70	John St Clair Brown	NZL	44	34	63	48	53	66	72	62	51	421
63	1024	64	David Morrell	AUS	62	53	60	54	27	72	55	74	41	424
64	1021	63	Jervis Tilly	GBR	64	60	53	64	49	31	DNC	42	62	425
65	713	13	David Yourieff	HKG	66	28	RDGa	RDGa	RDGa	75	74	64	35	438
66	748	16	Rod Jones	AUS	45	51	48	71	73	60	70	35	OCS	453
67	903	36	Nick Burns	HKG	52	49	57	90	48	84	67	63	44	464
68	1077	69	Charles St Clair Brown	NZL	56	57	77	73	70	71	58	37	48	470
69	1187	94	Harald Orneberg	GBR	72	55	58	56	80	35	73	47	OCS	476
70	970	53	John McDougall	AUS	70	52	62	87	26	70	77	61	59	477
71	246	3	Roger Crabtree	NZL	78	72	68	85	23	47	80	68	60	496
72	1058	66	Jon Andrews	NZL	43	OCS	72	58	19	DNF	9	DNS	DNC	498
73	842	29	Barry Dunning	GBR	69	47	64	10	34	78	DNC	OCS	OCS	500
74	908	38	Geoff Smith	AUS	75	61	17	44	DSQ	61	DNC	44	DNF	500
75	1181	92	Jason Owen	GBR	RDGa	RDGa	69	72	67	74	32	66	67	501
76	914	40	Gavin Brady	NZL	49	58	2	13	OCS	DNF	DNC	DNC	DNC	518
77	895	35	Chris Morton	NZL	77	45	46	82	87	56	84	85	58	533
78	241	2	Rob Coutts	NZL	DNF	DNS	85	18	86	18	69	OCS	69	543
79	765	20	James Hardy	AUS	54	OCS	81	67	63	93	64	56	72	550
80	460	8	Marco Cimarosti	ALG	RAF	12	92	DNC	72	44	85	70	78	552
81	816	27	Andrew Colliver	AUS	DNC	66	71	66	65	79	83	78	70	578
82	763	19	Bryan Treleaven	NZL	48	DNF	65	78	76	89	79	77	77	589
83	1199	96	Ganson Evans	USA	79	59	73	32	74	85	DNF	DNC	DNC	600
84	746	15	Nigel Brown	NZL	DNF	DNS	93	95	75	63	47	72	66	610
85	913	39	Wayne Mercer	AUS	63	DNF	86	93	78	82	81	75	56	614
86	948	50	Ken Vaughan	AUS	84	67	79	86	89	86	76	DNF	52	619
87	977	55	Kers Clausen	USA	81	71	91	84	84	64	DNF	65	79	619
88	927	44	Tim Herbert-Smith	GBR	80	DNF	84	94	90	55	56	OCS	64	622
89	408	7	Masato Fujimaki	NZL	83	OCS	DNF	80	69	96	68	57	71	623
90	1156	88	Tom Michilis	AUS	87	63	76	46	61	94	DNC	DNC	DNC	625
91	1145	84	Jeff Nehms	AUS	76	73	78	88	60	88	87	76	OCS	626
92	1192	95	Andrew McGill	AUS	DSQ	DNC	87	83	52	90	78	80	68	637
93	1013	62	Tony Hirst	AUS	DSQ	56	80	74	DNF	81	65	DNF	DNC	653
94	961	52	Neil Forrester	NZL	85	69	90	81	83	95	90	84	74	656
95	1092	74	Sherwood Kelley	USA	82	70	88	DNF	68	92	89	83	DNC	671
96	284	4	Ken Womack	USA	86	OCS	83	92	91	91	88	82	73	686
97	793	23	Gary Philbrick	USA	DNC	DNS	75	91	85	83	82	79	DNC	693
98	1186	93	David Ritchard	AUS	74	DNF	89	89	88	87	86	OCS	DNC	711