Etchells Worlds: The Heat Is On
The forecast for this week’s Etchells World Championship being hosted by the San Francisco Yacht Club on the Berkeley Circle is hot. Hot weather, and hot competition.
The regatta starts today with a 2 p.m. practice race for the 51-boat star-studded fleet. Following the practice, nine races are scheduled from Tuesday through Saturday. Among the fleet is prior champion and 2015 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Steve Benjamin; Peter Duncan, who’s just returning from winning the J/70 Worlds in Puerto Cervo; Iain Murray, who ran the America’s Cups on the Bay in 2013 and in Bermuda in 2017; plus many more with a shot at the top spot. "Any of the top 25 boats could win this regatta and no one would be surprised," said local Bay Area sailor Don Jesberg, who will count three-time Etchells World Champion Bill Hardesty among his crew on Viva.
Other Bay Area competitors include Bill Barton, with nine Etchells Worlds under his belt, who will be sailing aboard his boat, the oldest in the competition, #666 Natural Revival, but this time as crew to skipper Chris Kostanecki. Craig Healy just returned from the Six Metre Worlds in Vancouver and will be out there aboard I Love My Wife. And Travis Lund, executive director of Treasure Island Sailing Center, is taking up the challenge aboard Foxy Lady.
Regular Bay Area competitors may have to adjust their normal Bay Area heavy-air expertise and recalibrate for light-air performance. If you get on the Bay to escape the heat this week, you could get some good race schooling by spectating on the Berkeley Circle. Just keep your distance, as the competition will be heated.