Etchells 2025 Australian Championship - Corinthian trophy winners and roundup
by Jeanette Severs 13 Nov 20:21 NZDT
1-5 November 2024
The youth team aboard Lisa Rose AUS1484 took out third place overall and were awarded the Corinthian and Youth trophies at the recent Etchells 2025 Australian championship regatta.
The regatta was held on Lake King at Metung, familiar water for two of the crew, James McLennan and helm Jack Abbott. Abbott, in particular, grew up sailing at Metung.
Abbott and McLennan were on board Ireland Girl when they, with Jack Felsenthal and Nigel Abbott, won the Etchells 2024 Victorian championship, which was also held at Metung.
Lisa Rose's team of McLennan, Abbott, Xavier Winston-Smith and Tom Trotman have been training together for most of this year, with their eyes on the Corinthian prize at the Australian and World championships.
They are backed by Martin Hill, of HillPDA, founder of the Etchells Club Corinthian brand.
Hill has put his Etchells Lisa Rose at the disposal of Abbott, McLennan, Trotman and Xavier-Smith for their campaign.
Of the nine race series, Lisa Rose finished four times in the top five, including a second in race 8, and four times among the top 10 boats.
Abbott said the Lisa Rose team was proud of how they contested the 2025 Australian championship regatta, and had learned a lot about competing as a team at that level.
"It came together for us in Metung, and it was a great feeling to see our practice reflected in results," Abbott said.
"It's a familiar racetrack at Metung - it's where our Etchells journey began. To finish well is a sweet moment.
"It was great to finish as the lead Corinthian boat and fly the Club Corinthian banner at this event, something Martin Hill and I are very passionate about."
The team will continue to train, looking to compete at the 2025 World championship in January in Melbourne, preceded by the Christmas cup in December.
"There are many teams who will be between us and the top of the series ladder when it comes to the World championship in January," Abbott said.
"We acknowledge we still have far to go, and we will try our best to springboard from here.
"Our intention is to keep learning and be the best we can at Brighton."
The Christmas cup and the Etchells 2025 World championship is being hosted by Royal Brighton Yacht Club, and entries are open.
There were several Corinthian and a couple of youth teams from the Metung Etchells fleet participating in the 2025 Australian championship. They were joined by a number of visiting teams.
Brendan Jukes took The Jukes of Hazzard AUS1011 from Royal Brighton Yacht Club to Metung, with crew of Michael O'Brien, Nigel Jones and Owen McMahon.
They had a series result of eighth, finished four times in the top six, with a best result of second in race 9, behind Racer CC HKG1482.
Matthew Crawford drove Flirtation AUS1026 from Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club to Metung, with crew of Jason Antill and Scott O'Connor.
They had a series result of 10th, finished four times in the top 10, and a best result of sixth in race 7.
Metung fleet boat Elusive, helmed by Jeff Rose with crew of Rob Conn and Mark Henger, finished 11th overall, four times in the top 10 including eighth twice.
A new addition to the Metung Etchells fleet, Kelpie AUS882 finished the regatta in 12th position overall. Helmed by Richard Smith and crewed by a youth team in owner Toby Conn, Wayne Smith and Jack Felsenthal, Kelpie had a best finish of fifth in race 4 and four times in the top 10.
Another Metung fleet boat, Jindivik AUS1487, finished 14th overall. Helmed by Toby Richardson and crewed by Michael Parks and Sam King, Jindivik had a best finish of third in race 6, and three top 10 finishes.
Another new boat to the Metung fleet, Leading Edge AUS1443, finished 15th overall. Helmed by Fred Haes and crewed by Adrian France and Will Crooke, Leading Edge finished twice in the top 10 for a best finish of fourth in race 5.
Peter Robson, Gink Yang, Aaron Stead and Tao Hsu, on board Playing Around 3 AUS1444, finished 17th overall. They also finished three times in the top 10, including a best result of eighth in race 3.
Robson, from Royal Brighton Yacht Club, was also awarded the North Sails mid-fleet Jib prize.
Blake Robertson and his crew of Will Kelly and Tom Kelly travelled with Matilda AUS1488 from Royal Geelong Yacht Club to Metung.
Matilda did not finish two races - because of a broken jib halyard in race 2 which led to them also missing race 3, and a broken mast in race 9.
Despite these issues, Matilda finished 18th overall, with a best result of third in races 5 and 8, and top 10 finishes in five of their races.
David Taylor's 2107 Racing AUS1213 rounded out the top 20, with Mat Butterworth and Mark Hellyer on board. From Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, 2107 Racing had a best result of 11th in race 9, and two finishes in the top 12.
Other Corinthian entries, Northern Havoc AUS1119, Men's Shirts Short Skirts AUS1141, Apres La Mer AUS923, Come Monday AUS1332, Feng Shui AUS784, Odyssey AUS1254, Quandong AUS1245, AUS1292, Basic Instinct AUS1122 (also entered in the Youth division), The Don AUS1291 and New Wave AUS1158, finished in the second half of the series table.