Etchells Gold Coast Championship at Southport Yacht Club - Day 1

Fumanchu2 lead after Etchells Gold Coast Championship Day 1 © Nic Douglass for @sailorgirlhq

The first day of the 2023 International Etchells Class Gold Coast Championship was sailed Saturday 27 May from the Southport Yacht Club in what is the start of a large line up of regattas leading into two World Championships in Australia next year.

Mark Roberts' AUS1473 Fumanchu2 with Ben Lamb and Jake Newman lead after four races on a countback over AUS1478 Triad2020, with stand-in skipper Charlie Wyatt, and regular crew Lewis Brake and George Richardson, and just two-points behind is AUS1486 Magpie, skippered by Graeme Taylor, with Richie Allanson and James Mayo.

Etchells Gold Coast Championship Day 1 - photo © Chris Percy / Southport Yacht Club

The first of the four races was set at 150 degrees with a leg length of 1.3 nautical miles with the breeze varying in strength, at an average of 11 knots with plenty of bump on the course.

The majority of the fleet was condensed at the boat end of the line at the start, and AUS1486 Magpie were the clear winners straight off the line. AUS1473 Fumanchu2 had a game plan to go right, so when they were flicked early off Magpie's hip, they were able to execute their long term strategy, and led at the top mark, just over AUS1478 Triad2020.

Fumanchu2 leading into the gate in Race 1 on Etchells Gold Coast Championship Day 1 - photo © Nic Douglass for @sailorgirlhq

Next to round was the team from the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, AUS1482 Racer CC skippered by Mark Thornburrow and his team of Malcolm Page, Graham Ernst and Ethan Lozeuski, then AUS1486 Magpie, and Class President Martin Hill's AUS1484 Lisa Rose with Julian Plante, Marcus Burke, and Alice Tarnawski.

AUS1473 Fumanchu2 were not headed for the race, and finished with a substantial lead. Next was AUS1486 Magpie, then AUS1484 Lisa Rose who both made gains on the downwind legs.

The second race got under way with the same setup as the first, however, the breeze strength and direction became much more variable as the sou'wester started to shift east during the second lap of the race.

Again the majority of the fleet started from the windward end of the line, and all were a bit shy off the mark. In an interesting turn of events, 1473 Fumanchu2 got the better start, and AUS1486 Magpie were forced to go right off the start line, a reverse of the first race.

Magpie won Race 2 on Etchells Gold Coast Championship Day 1 - photo © Nic Douglass for @sailorgirlhq

AUS1486 Magpie went on to lead at the top over AUS1482 Racer CC, AUS1478 Triad2020, AUS1473 Fumanchu2 and Grant Hudson's AUS1278 Pegasus with Brian Donovan, Sasha Ryan, and David Smith in fifth.

AUS1486 Magpie led start to finish, AUS1478 Triad2020 slid up to second on the first downwind and held their position, AUS1482 Racer CC were third, AUS1278 Pegasus fourth, and AUS1484 Lisa Rose were fifth.

"There were tricky conditions out there today. We felt like it played out reasonably as what was forecast from the south-west to the south-east, so when it was in the south-west it would be a right-hand-track, and when it shifted south-east a left-hand-track, but it was difficult playing the transition and we didn't do that well in race number two", said Ben Lamb, the bow of AUS1473 Fumanchu2 who finished seventh in the second race following their win in Race 1.

With the shift to the south-east in play for the third race, unsurprisingly there was also a shift to the pin as favoured end for the fleet. The course was set at 150 degrees, with a 1.3 nautical mile beat, and a drop in pressure to an average of six knots.

Plenty of action offshore from Southport Yacht Club on Etchells Gold Coast Championship Day 1 - photo © Nic Douglass for @sailorgirlhq

AUS1473 Fumanchu2 won the pin, and led around the top mark over AUS1478 Triad2020, and AUS1472 Racer CC.

The top three remained intact for the duration of the race, with David Dunn's AUS1483 Great White Hunter with Daryl Roos and Sandy Higgins finishing fourth, and AUS1486 Magpie in fifth.

For the fourth and final race the Race Committee tightened up the race course to 0.8 nautical miles, reflective of the easing breeze.

Six boats tacked immediately on the gun given the left-hand bias of the line.

AUS1473 Fumanchu2 was the first to do so at the pin end, and was the first to round the windward mark and continued on to do the same at the first gate.

At the second top mark, AUS1478 Triad2020 came out on top, and led into the finish. This was the first time a leading boat was passed for the day. The young team are second on a countback despite skipper John Bertrand not being well enough to attend the regatta.

"It was a nice day on the water, and we had close racing throughout all the races", said Charlie Wyatt, who is skippering for the AUS1478 Triad2020 team.

"We are a new combination with just a few days of training before the regatta with JB not being able to join, but the guys did great to have me slot in as the new guy, and made my job really easy".

"We might be in second place, but who knows what will happen tomorrow, it could be anyone's game", Wyatt commented on the forecast ahead of the teams for the second day of racing.

Tight racing as always on Etchells Gold Coast Championship Day 1 - photo © Nic Douglass for @sailorgirlhq

Ben Lamb of AUS1473 Fumanchu2 was also wary about the forecast for the final day of racing.

"Race 1, we were the right-hand boat and won the race. In race 3 & 4, we were strong on the left, and won the pin both times. We were quite happy with the way we executed our strategy, but it was difficult, we were perhaps sailing a bit too 'text bookish', as opposed to aggressively sailing the wind. We needed to be backing what we were seeing, with a bit more seat of the pants sailing. This is a good lesson leading into tomorrow where we will see a light and shifty Norwester and will basically need to throw the textbook out the window".

"But, overall we are pretty happy. We haven't sailed together since the Victorian States, and it felt like we picked up where we left off. It feels really good on board, but it was interesting sailing in a big swell for the first time in a while. I had trouble seeing breeze, and marks, but I think everyone was having those issues".

"The world's next year will be a big deal so it's all about time in the boat right now. There is not a lot we will take out of tuning, because it was just too bumpy, today's lessons are all about the communications, and our pre-race strategy. We will trust the gut more tomorrow" Lamb said.

There are two races to be sailed Sunday 28 May starting from 1055 offshore from the Southport Yacht Club.

For video and live updates, head to Etchells Australia on Facebook or @etchellsaus on Instagram.

Results after Day 1: (full divisional results here and follow the live tracker here)