4:06 AM Tue 10 Mar 2009 GMT
Calmly taking on the world's best sailors in the Audi Etchells World Championship on Port Phillip Bay this week is 19-year-old Brisbane skipper James Dagge.
The youngest by far of the 85 skippers in the World Championship, Dagge has dived into the deep end of the class. He started racing Etchells in October last year, finished fifth in the November Queensland State Championship qualifying him for his first World Championship.
Confronted by a fleet full of World Champions, America's Cup and Olympic sailors does not seem to have fazed the young skipper. 'I try not to think about it because I have read books about most of the people I am sailing against here. I try to treat them as bow numbers.
'If I didn't I would really be shooting myself in the foot. The people who are sailing Etchells are so fantastic. We have the best sailors in the world right here, right now and if I race thinking like that I am always going to be behind them,' Dagge said.
This is Dagge's first keel-boat helming job. ' I have done some bow work on big boats, but not driving.'
Joining Dagge in the boat is his father and middle-man Mark Dagge and bowman Josh Willis.
Willis joined young Dagge on Una Mas back in October last year. The 18-year-old Brisbane sailor came from a similar sailing background racing Sabots, Lasers and Team Racing before hopping into keel boats.
The partnership between the crew is very strong. They understand the need to focus on the bigger picture and not on the names of the people competing.
Dagge says Willis lets him vent his frustration on the young crew member while Willis ensures Dagge remains focused. 'When the boats are crossing I just say bow numbers rather than who they are so it doesn't affect him,' Willis said.
Father Mark, the 'sponsor' and working the middle of the boat, brings to the team previous Etchells World Championship experience. 'This is his second World Championship. I think he finished third in the World Championship in Pittwater back in the days when these boats were modern technology.
'Dad is giving us every opportunity we could ask for and he has made our transition to the Etchells class as seamless as possible. We don't talk about the fact we are racing good people as you are going to get that wherever you go. For us, these boats are over-sized Sabots,' Dagge said.
Both boys chose the Etchells class as a stepping stone to bigger boats. 'I was looking to take a step into bigger boats and I really want this to be my transition into doing some offshore racing. The design is quite old, but I think they are so competitive it doesn't matter,' Dagge said.
Their target for the Audi Etchells World Championship is a top 25% of the fleet finish. In the first day of racing they found themselves struggling to achieve their goal finishing 74th in race one then a much stronger result of 39th in race two to be placed 64th overall. With seven more races in the series the Una Mas team are looking forward to moving up the ladder towards a top 20 result.
Full results www.audietchellsworlds2009.com.au
by Tracey Johnstone
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