The 2011 Etchells World Championship regatta was constructed as a 9 race series with one throwout score. USA and San Diego Yacht Club’s Bill Hardesty, Steve Hunt, Mandi Markee and Craig Leweck needed only 8 races to secure the World Championship title as they finished Race 8 with a second place and a 19 point lead overall with a 19 point throwout score (so regardless of their final race finish, they will maintain the best overall score in the regatta).
USA 979 Team Hardesty’s fate was not so clear as Race 8 developed, rounding the first three marks in 8th, 7th, and 7th position respectively. The title of ‘2011 Etchells World Champion’ remained in play. The wind shifted right on the last downwind leg, and USA 979 made its move by passing 5 boats to round the last leeward gate in 2nd place. At the finish they were able to maintain second place for the race by holding off the Greek boat 1368 (George Andreadis) who sailed a great race as well.
Until this development foiled the hopes of the other two boats at the top of the score sheet (USA 1227 Vince Brun and AUS 1026 Noel Drennan), the story of Race 8 was USA 946 Craig Healy who sails out of St. Francis Yacht Club and San Francisco Yacht Club. Healy and crew rounded every mark in first place, extended to a lead of 50 seconds at the last windward mark rounding, over a minute at the last leeward gate and cruised to one of the largest time victories of the week.
The race day began with the postponement flag raised at noon as the Marine layer blanketed the course and kept the wind light and shifty. Towards the end of the hour the thermal wind began to fill from the southwest and filled in at 7-9 knots from 255-260. The Race Committee set up a Course 1 (W-L-W-L-F) 1.7 miles long at the 255 axis. The fleet started cleanly with 5 boats OCS. Throughout the race the R/C shifted the course right 5 degrees at the top of leg three, and bottom of leg four to match the right progression of the wind.
While the announcement of the USA 979 was bouncing around on Facebook and Twitter, it wasn’t recognized by the winning crew until Steve Hunt and Mandi Markee went to the scoreboard back at San Diego Yacht Club and saw the numbers. With smiles and a toast of their beer cups, they headed down to the boat to spread the word. Hardesty came up shaking hands across the docks to see for himself as well.
Congratulations to Bill Hardesty and Steve hunt on their second Etchells World Championship (2008 in Chicago) and the first Etchells World title for Mandi Markee and Craig Leweck. Past Champion Vince Brun (as a skipper in San Diego in 2000) and top 2 finisher Noel Drennan (Hong Kong 1997) will all fight for 2nd place in Saturday’s final race.
San Diego Yacht Club will host an International buffet dinner awards banquet on Saturday night after the final race.