Etchells Nationals at Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club - Overall

The shifty winds were described by Moonlight’s Mark Downer as “Go Left-Go Right-Go Left-Go Right… just like dancing really” and Holly Scott by the end of the third day had danced away with the cup; they dominated with 2-1-1 results over the three races. Not surprisingly owner Eamon O’Nolan permitted his crew to have a long lie-in on Sunday’s final day knowing that the trophy was theirs.

Sunday’s final race had three boats in contention for second place: Bedrock, Moonlight and Stampede. Dave Bedford on Bedrock decided to cover Moonlight on the very port biased line, but Downer managed to tack away on port at the pin end of the line, take some sterns, and escape. With gusts of 15-20 knots and wind shifts of some 30 degrees, Downer’s dancing wasn’t as nimble as either Bedrock or Julia Bailey’s Stampede who beat him into third place. But Julia’s total Regatta points equalled Downer’s, and on count-back Julia repeated her Irish National’s experience in August where she tied for first place but lost out on the count-back. So the final result for the tight four days’ racing among these top boats was Holly Scott first, Bedrock second, Moonlight third, and Stampede fourth.

The UK Nationals highlighted some matters which the fleet has discussed for many years. Are the boats too much for women sailors? On the winning boat Holly Scott is the eponymous 5 foot ½ inch crew member Holly Scott who manages the bow. Julia Bailey, the most successful woman Etchells sailor ever, sails regularly with Gemma Hobbins. They sometimes leave the men on the dock and sail all-women, as did a successful all-female Irish crew in the Etchells Worlds in Chicago in 2008.

Secondly, how old do you have to be before you can no longer sail these wet, demanding yachts? John Bertrand at 63 years old won this year’s Etchells Worlds in Ireland, and there were many veterans sailing very competitively in the fleet. As the famous coach David Howlett (“Sid”), age 58, put it: “The older Etchells sailors are kept young, vibrant and alert by continuing to be active in the fleet. They are clearly much fitter and healthier than their age group generally”. There are many successful veterans in the Etchells fleet world wide, including of course in Cowes.

Thirdly, how do owners of Big Boats get on with this 30-foot yacht? Eamonn O’Nolan, having won these Nationals and placed fourth in the 2010 Worlds said “I’m learning much more than on my Farr 45 and doing much more on the boat than I ever did before. I’m really looking forward to next year’s campaign and racing in the Solent , in Miami in January/February against forty other Etchells, and of course even more yachts at the Worlds in California in June”. David Franks on Elvis reinforced this view “I’m much more engaged on the Etchells than on the Farr 45 or my J125”.

Overall Results: