Etchells World Championships Overall

Vince Brun, the title in his pocket, was only a spectator Wednesday as Robbie Doyle of Marblehead, Mass. won the last race of the SailNet.com International Etchells Class World Championship. The result lifted Doyle to a final fifth overall in the 74-boat fleet, third largest ever for the class's 26 global regattas.

Peter Isler's win streak stopped at three when he finished third behind Gary Weisman. But Isler, doomed by mid-pack finishes in the first two races, couldn't have come out any better than third overall by winning. Bruce Nelson held on to second place overall by finishing fifth.

Isler said, "Bruce sailed solid all week," but Isler also knew he had a formidable task against Brun, with or without a delaminating hull in the first two races.

"It wasn't the best team to have leading the series when you're trying to make your comeback," Isler said.

Doyle led at every mark Wednesday and won going away.

"We were able to get in phase [with the wind shifts]," he said. "When you get into that sweet breeze you can make your boat go.

"Conditions this week were the toughest I've sailed in for a long time. Look at the results. Six of the top eight boats were San Diegans. Wacky things are happening, they're confident and the rest of us are wondering what's going on."

Brun clinched first place a day earlier and took the day off to spend a 75-point DNS as his throwout -- and Doyle was right. Members of San Diego's mighty Etchells Fleet 13 claimed six of the first eight places. Following a 1-2-3 by Brun, Nelson and Isler were Brian Camet, with brother Alex and father Daniel, in sixth place, Weisman seventh and two-time champion Dennis Conner eighth.

Boats competed from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Canada, Israel and Bermuda.

The lone entry from Israel was sailed by skipper Shmuel Rosman, Azi Bilik, Assaf Shulman and Shimshon Brokman - obviously, all lightweights to fit under the crew weight limit of 285 kilos (628 pounds). In that country's second Etchells Worlds, they were 61st but not discouraged at all.

"We have a small fleet of Etchells in Haifa -- six boats," said Brokman, who sailed a 470 to eighth place in the '84 Olympics. "We came here, with some support from the Etchells association for the accommodation and the flight, for the opportunity to learn more and to catch up with the world.

"We knew we were not strong, so this was an excellent place to see the top sailors and to improve. We found it organized as a very professional event, and the weather here is beautiful."

It was certainly a change of pace for the Israelis.

"People are under high pressure in Israel, working hard and looking around us," Brokman said. "Sailing is a shelter. All you have to worry about is the wind shifts, nothing else. The world championship is 10 days of paradise."

Distinctions for most women and youngest sailor went to former San Diegan Patricia Stadel's boat from Marblehead featuring two other women – Jean Eichenlaub and Karen Butler -- and 13-year-old Paige Johnston of Carlsbad, the only male aboard. They finished 63rd.

"It was fun," said Johnston, a regular on Carl and Jean Eichenlaub's Cadenza in local events. "I did the pit, hoisted and doused the spinnaker . I did whatever I needed to do."

Stadel said, "The boat is not normally slow. Why it didn't go this week I don't know."

Other sponsors of the 2000 SailNet.com International Etchells Class World Championship included American Airlines, Citizen/Noblia Watches, First American Trust and Qualcomm/Globalstar.

Overall Results after 6 Races: (1 discard)

More Information:

• YachtsandYachting.com Etchells Page
• International Etchells Class Website
• World Championship Website