Biggest, one of the best Etchells regatta
The 12th annual Etchells Australian Winter Championship was not only the biggest, but one of the best, with deadly-close competition at the front of the fleet, a good spread of wind conditions, sound race management and a competitor-friendly host venue at Mooloolaba.
'2008 Musto Winter Etchells, day three, the biggest and one of the best'
Peter
Duncan www.Questphoto.net
Crews of the 54 boats from WA, Victoria, NSW, the Northern Territory and Japan packed up and headed for home overnight and today with shared memories, mostly pleasant, from the event and the venue.
Conditions ranged from six knots from the northeast for the opening race on Saturday, through a 12-18 knot sou'-easter for three races on Sunday; 16-18 knots for race five on Sunday and then a blood-curdling 18-20 freshening to 22-25 knots for the last race yesterday afternoon.
The wind strength towards the end of race six was on-edge for racing on offshore coastal waters in the open-boat Etchells and sent some into out-of-control broaches on the two running legs of the twice around windward-leeward course.
The confused wave pattern was punishing on boats and bodies, with steep wind chop on top of the regular ocean swell.
Eleven boats retired with damage and plain crew exhaustion. Among them was the sole Japanese crew skippered by Wataru Sakamoto aboard Siesta Phantom, which finished a creditable mid fleet position of 27th .
Full results go to www.mooetchells.yachting.org.au
by Bob Ross 
