Hardest nationals to win?

Yes, I'm from Aus. In most of main yacht classes we share, the standard here is comparable to that of the UK (ie world champ wins or runner-up in Farr 40, Mumm 30, Flying 15, Dragon, Etchells over the last couple of years).

I never said that the Etchells, Star or J/24 worlds is an easy touch. As I said earlier, I just think that SOME yacht classes can afford to carry SOME people who are not really up to the standard of winning a nationals - as I wasn't in J/24s at that time.

Secondly, the smaller number of competitors in yacht classes surely has an effect.

EDIT; Hell, why am I arguing on THIS side of the dispute? OK, you win......to win something like a J/24 nats every member of the crew must be a LEGEND!!!! Even the pierhead jumper who had no clue!




Edited by CT249

For a start, I didn't say all the crew in those classes was just rail meat! Many of them have skilled jobs, but in some yacht classes not everyone has duties as complex and difficult as in say  a 12' skiff, A Class or Laser.

Secondly, won the J/24 nationals many years ago but in a good fleet (a couple of multiple Etchells world champs, a couple of America's Cup skippers, Fireball, IOR, F15 world champs etc). It was a classic pierhead jump; zero training, zero knowledge, I just got dragged around the course by the world champs and America's Cup winners on the boat. 

It took vastly less work and skill than winning or placing in other nationals, even the "restricted" ones like F15 Classics, Radial Masters, and windsurfer weight divisions or disciplines.

My 707, SB3 record is pretty poor since we don't have them!

Don't do all that much big-boat stuff these days but I get the occasional glimpse of what's needed.Lost the trailable states (on tactics/bow/mainsheet) by 1 pt to the national champ in our closest equivalent to the 707/SB3 (and we were not sailing well!).  Ran bow on a British boat which I think was UK IMS national champ (it was Commodore's Cup winner, RORC Yacht of  the Year about 4 times, multiple Fastnet class winner etc) in the IMS nats. Won the fleet championships in Etchells against 2 world champs. Did the "pumps" on a F52 (Oz/UK ownership at the time) in a duel between Grant (Alinghi/Australia II) and Kenny Read (on Esmerelda) off Newport RI. Taken (very) minor silverware as watch captain in the Hobart. Occasional runs with names like Shockwave, Ragamuffin, Xena, running bow in a 12 Metre race off Newport RI etc etc etc.

Generally, the same sort of practise and training would not have given the same sort of position in say a hot dinghy class.

Obviously the good yachties are very, very good. It's just that not EVERYONE on the boat always has to be that good as far as I can see. You can carry someone as crappy as me if you have to.


Edited by CT249

Originally posted by JimC The Laser Worlds seems to have been largely restricted to Ainslie and Scheidt for the last several years, presumably they don't find it as hard to win as every other Laser sailor does!

Doesn't follow at all. They win, at least in part, because they are full-time sailors and therefore can and do put in more in terms of practice time and fitness training. Talent comes in too but talent alone won't get you there.

Well Pabsy baby. I would have thought that you would have nominated RS 300 since Mr cockerel is sitting in everyones way all the time. What about me boy Louis and his consecutive Lightning Championships? Red hot in that boat but how good in another? Only time will tell.

Just to clear this up for Andy P's sake.

Andy didn't sail the Endeavour Trophy. Ben and I did having placed 2nd in
our Nationals. Andy didn't want to do it. But to be frank we didn't really
give it the respect it deserves.

We weren't able to attend the Friday tuning session due to work
commitments. Which meant we had to build the boat on the morning of
the race and miss the training / tuning day. We had gear failure in one of
the Saturday races and our boat seemed to leak quite a bit which didn't
help. Consequently we drained her overnight and made a very big school
boy error by not putting the bung back in. This error may of had
something to do with the Saturday evening entertainment. But I'm not
excusing ourselves. So we retired early with a very heavy boat. Hence
poor result. Not saying we would of done any better just stating the facts
as I know people like a football on here.