June 11, 2004
1 minute reading time
Bertrand Wins by a Whisker
A perfectly executed gybe allowed John BERTRAND to win the opening heat of the Etchells Australian Winter Championship in ideal tactical sailing conditions off Mooloolaba yesterday.
A perfectly executed gybe allowed John BERTRAND to win the opening heat of the Etchells Australian Winter Championship in ideal tactical sailing conditions off Mooloolaba yesterday.
Bertrand and his talented sail handlers Richie ALLANSON and Mark RICHARDS had a real fight on their hands matching the all angle sailing speed of the Brisbane skippers the veteran Noel PATERSON in Waterloo Bay and David ROSE in War of the Roses for all but the final 50 metres.
Waterloo Bay and War of the Roses capitalising on a clear wind start showed they had the speed in the building 12 to 15 knot South East breeze to be the front runners at all marks of the course only to lose the race on the approach to the finish.
The master tacitican Bertrand in Two Saints and a Magpie showed his class to strategically control the finish with a perfect final gybe to snatch victory by less than a boat length over Waterloo Bay with War of the Roses a similar distance away third.
The Etchells Australian Winter Championship continues today, Sunday and Monday with eight races scheduled.
Results After One Race
| Pos | Boat | Skipper | State | Pts |
| 1 | Two Saints and a Magpie | J Bertrand | Victoria | 1 |
| 2 | Waterloo Bay | N Peterson | Queensland | 2 |
| 3 | War of the Roses | D Rose | Queensland | 3 |
| 4 | Pacesetter | C Miles | New South Wales | 4 |
| 5 | Barry | D King | Victoria | 5 |
| 6 | Steam Packet V | R Brown | New South Wales | 6 |
| 7 | Bananas in Pyjamas | I Johnson | Victoria | 7 |
| 8 | Satu 11 | G Wharington | Victoria | 8 |
| 9 | Little Bit Funky | V Prentice | Queensland | 9 |
| 10 | Humpback | P Gardner | New South Wales | 10 |