Flying Dutchman Australian Championship and Etchells East Gippsland Championship - Preview
by Jeanette Severs 21 Jan 06:36 GMT
24-26 January 2026
At least a dozen Flying Dutchman yachts will contest the 2026 Australian championship at Metung this weekend, January 24-26 © Tom Smeaton
The rural village of Metung will be home to high calibre and national and international champion sailors this weekend.
Metung Yacht Club is hosting two regattas - the Flying Dutchman Australian championship and the Etchells East Gippsland championship.
The Flying Dutchman Australian Championship will feature trans-Tasman sailors with entries from Australia and New Zealand.
This includes the current dual Australian and New Zealand FD champions, Mark Henger from Metung Yacht Club, and his teammate Matt Bismark from NZ. Their sail number is NZL7.
Another NZ team is the pairing of David Gibb and John Bailey, who are flying across the Tasman to sail a hired boat at Metung.
The balance of the FD entries are Australian teams, with Ian McCrossin and Peter Bevis teaming up to try and finish at the head of the table.
Both McCrossin and Bevis have hoisted the Australian championship trophy in the past, with other team members. Last year they teamed up to finish second in the 2025 FD Inland Cup, hosted by Albury Wodonga Sailing Club.
There are expected to be at least a dozen FDs lining up to race on Lake King, at Metung - two NZ entries, four from New South Wales, and the balance from Victoria.
Two additional Victorian boats are pending repairs before they can confirm.
Two other local sailors are competing. Charlie Edwards and Wayne Smith have come through the junior sailing ranks at Metung, graduating in recent years.
While the pair often sail together in club races, for this regatta they have teamed up with other sailors. Edwards will sail with Nick Meijer and Smith is sailing with Michael Wood.
The Etchells East Gippsland championship will see 10 boats compete in this regatta.
The 2025 Etchells Australian Corinthian champions, Jack Abbott, Xavier Winston-Smith, Hamish McKendrick and James Mclennan will sail Ireland Girl. The 2025 Etchells Australian championship regatta was hosted by Metung Yacht Club and held on Lake King in November 2024.
Abbott, Winston-Smith, McKendrick and Mclennan finished third overall in the Australian championship, and first in the Corinthian and Youth categories.
Ireland Girl was sailed by Abbott and his crew a couple of years ago when they won the Etchells East Gippsland championship in January 2024.
The 2023 champions are also contesting this regatta. Toby Richardson, Michael Parks and Olympic sailor Sam King will sail Jindivik and are also aiming to have a podium finish.
Many of the remaining Etchells in this regatta will be crewed by a number of champion sailors and ocean racers, which leaves the final result well open.
Jack Felsenthal is the new Sabre class Australian champion and is a past Victorian Slalom and Viper World champion. He is teaming up with brothers Bentley and Toby Conn on their Etchells, Kelpie. John Warren is their fourth crew member.
Two years ago, Felsenthal was on board Ireland Girl with Abbott, Mclennan and Nigel Abbott when they won the EG championship.