Etchells World Championship at San Francisco Yacht Club starts tomorrow
by Leslie Richter 25 Sep 2017 19:56 BST
26-30 September 2017
Tight racing during the SFYC's Easom Founder Regatta © Leslie Richter
The 2017 Etchells World Championship, hosted by the San Francisco Yacht Club, kicks off on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 with the first of five days of racing on San Francisco Bay (9 races are scheduled).
Fifty-one teams representing ten countries will be competing in the area known as the Berkeley Circle. This is the fourth time that the Etchells World Championships are being held in San Francisco Bay.
Racing will be incredibly close among this international Etchells fleet, renowned for its deep talent pool comprising a plethora of Olympic, world, national, and local champions.
The outcome of this year's world championship is anything but certain. "Any of the top 25
boats could win this regatta and no one would be surprised," said local Bay Area sailor Don
Jesberg who will count three-time Etchells World Champion Bill Hardesty among his crew
on Viva. Bill Barton, with nine Etchells Worlds under his belt, agreed, "There are so many
great sailors – it will be a great battle to see who is most consistent." Barton will be sailing on his old boat, the oldest in the competition, 666, but this time as crew to skipper Chris Kostanecki.
The recent SFYC Easom Founders Regatta provided a preview into how close the racing
would be. After two days of racing in big late summer breeze, Steve Benjamin's (USA) Stella
Blue claimed first place with Graeme Taylor's (AUS) Magpie close behind in second, and
Iain Murry's (AUS) Northern Havoc in third, in a fleet of 32 boats. Jim Cunningham's (USA)
Lifted won the Easom Founders perpetual trophy which goes to the top finisher in the local
fleet. Named after Bay Area sailing legend Hank Easom, the regatta honours Easom for
bringing the first Etchells to San Francisco Bay in 1975, and starting fleet 12.
Peter Duncan's (USA) Oatmeal was unable to sail in the pre-world event because he was
busy winning the J/70 World Championship in Sardinia. "I love sailing in San Francisco Bay,
it's such a terrific venue, and there is an amazing group of competitors among both
skippers and crew." Duncan, sailing with former Etchells champion Jud Smith, and long
time crew, Thomas Blackwell, is just one of the talented teams to watch this week.
As we count down to Tuesday's start, the San Francisco Yacht Club docks and harbour are
buzzing with Etchells energy as weigh-ins, sail and equipment measurement, and last
minute boat prep fill the sailors days. A practice race is scheduled for Monday, September
25th.
For complete regatta information, please see the event website at
2017.etchellsworlds.org