Kiwis Pass First Test for Etchells Worlds

Cowes, UK (August 30, 2016) – After two days of tricky shifting breeze in the Solent, the New Zealand Team racing Feng Shui of Andrew Wills, Anatole Masfen and Matthew Kelway has won the 2016 Etchells Open European Championship.

The team from Royal Akarana Yacht Club scored no worse than a seventh in the four race series to win the first regatta of the event, and bragging rights for the forthcoming 2016 Etchells World Championship.

The New Zealand team, who are all from Auckland, won the series in a 50 boat fleet of Olympic and America’s Cup winners as well as as a multitude of World Champions. Current British National Champion, Ante Razmilovic, racing under the burgee of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda ITA, was second. Steve Benjamin’s team from the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club (USA) was just a point behind in third.

The New Zealand team racing Feng Shui of Andrew Wills, Anatole Masfen and Matthew Kelway, has won the 2016 Etchells Open European Championship. (Louay Habib)

“I first came to Cowes in 1994 racing an Etchells and I fell in love with Cowes and the class,” commented Feng Shui’s Anatole Masfen. “Cowes is the ‘Disneyland’ of yachting, it is where yacht racing began. I believe this is a very special place and the job that David Franks (Cowes Etchells Class Capitan) and his team have done, to invigorate the class, is very exciting and I am just glad to be part of it.”

Racing at the 2016 Etchells World Championship will start on Monday September 5 and conclude on Saturday September 10. Fifty-eight teams from fourteen countries will be taking part. There will be live GPS Tracking, photos, videos and updates at the official website.

Final Results (Top 10 of 50; 4 races)
1. Andrew Wills / Anatole Masfen / Matthew Kelway , NZL – 1 -5 -7 -3 ; 16
2. Ante Razmilovic / Chris Larson / Brian Hammersley , GBR – 2 -12 -2 -21 ; 37
3. Stephen Benjamin / Michael Menninger / Ian Liberty / George Peet , USA – 11 -13 -3 -11 ; 38
4. Jim Cunningham / Jeff Madrigali / Mark Ivey / Bryn Bachman , USA – 12 -1 -24 -7 ; 44
5. Skip Dieball / Jon McClean / Jeff Eiber , USA – 17 -6 -14 -12 ; 49
6. Andy Beadsworth / Grant Simmer / Steve Jarvin , GBR – 20 -21 -1 -16 ; 58
7. Edward Owen / John Greenwood / Simon Stewart , GBR – 8 -9 -19 -24 ; 60
8. James Badenach / Christian Thompson / Elliot Hanson / Martin Wrigley , HKG – 39 -7 -12 -5 ; 63
9. David Franks / Graham Sunderland / Amy Prime / Richard Mason , GBR – 15 -22 -20 -6 ; 63
10. Tom Carruthers / Chris Busch / Andrew Palfrey , USA – 28 -4 -4 -35 ; 71

Europeans (Aug 29-30): Event details – Scoreboard – Tracking

Worlds (Sept. 5-10): Event details – Entry list

Report by Louay Habib.