Etchells European Championship 2024 at the Royal Yacht Squadron
by Ted Blowers 18 Oct 08:20 PDT
11-13 October 2024
Ante Razmilovic, Brian Hammersley, and Mark Lees clinch the title at the Etchells Europeans 2024 in Cowes © Ted Blowers
David Maclean, Harry Blowers, and Rhos secured second place in the Hawes Etchells Europeans 2024 at Cowes © Ted Blowers
Anatole Masfen, Simon Cooke, and Oskar Masfen placed third in the Etchells Europeans 2024 at Cowes © Ted Blowers
Seventeen teams were poised to compete in the concluding event of the Etchells European Championship in Cowes. The Royal Yacht Squadron, led by Peter Saxton and his adept race committee, organized the event.
The Etchells class welcomed international competitors from New Zealand, USA, and Ireland, ensuring a vibrant international representation for the European title.
The first day of the regatta forecasted a light breeze between 6-10 knots, accompanied by a tricky East North Easterly wind. After a brief morning delay, PRO Peter Saxton signaled for the fleet to head out to the racecourse.
In Race 1, a few boats were caught over the line and had to return; however, Rob Goddard’s Rocketman delivered an impressive performance, securing a comfortable victory in the opening race. Grant Gordon followed closely in Louise Racing for second place, and 2023 European champion Ante Razmilovic settled for third.
Race 2 mirrored the first, with a strong tide influencing the fleet. Kiwi sailor Anatole Masfen triumphed in Man’s Best Friend, with Shaun Frohlich and David Maclean finishing respectively in second and third, marking six different teams on the podium already!
The final race of the day saw the tide diminish, with varying weather-driven fronts altering the wind patterns crucial for fleet positioning. Ante Razmilovic clinched another victory, youth team Mano snagged second place, and Rob Goddard finished third, rounding out a successful day on the water as he sat second overall overnight.
The fleet returned to shore for post-race drinks at the Pontoon View.
The social evening took place at the Royal Yacht Squadron in its Pavilion. The agenda included celebrating Jan Ford for his 30 years of service as Etchells class secretary, with various prominent class figures sharing their appreciation through heartfelt speeches. The Etchells class expresses its gratitude to Jan for his invaluable contributions. The evening also featured the prize-giving for the Champions of Champions series, determining the overall winner of the 2024 Etchells series.
Team Mano received the series prize for the top youth team overall, Rob Goddard earned recognition as the Corinthian champion, while Grant Gordon’s Louise Racing claimed the overall victory in the 2024 Etchells series by tiebreak against Shaun Frohlich’s Exabyte.
Day 2 of the regatta promised a mixed weather forecast, as models presented varying predictions. After a brief wait for the wind to stabilize, the fleet set out for the second day of the European Championships.
Race 1 of day 2 featured a light South South Easterly wind, where Ante Razmilovic notched another victory. David Maclean secured a second place, while Anatole Masfen’s Man’s Best Friend claimed third in this race.
Race 5 saw a slight uptick in wind but still provided tricky conditions that required adaptability from the fleet. Shaun Frohlich earned his first win of the regatta, with David Bromilow in Pulse finishing second and David Maclean maintaining his consistency with another podium performance.
Race 6 produced a dramatic shift, with a significant rain cloud approaching the Salient from the South West. This weather front caused a brief downpour, forcing the fleet to adapt to fluctuating conditions. Grant Gordon expertly navigated the course to win, Ante Razmilovic achieved second, and David Maclean rounded out another strong performance in the top three.
The day concluded with a final race under light to moderate winds on a WA3 course near the Bramble’s post. Ante Razmilovic secured yet another solid result with a victory, while Anatole Masfen from the Royal Akarana Yacht Club took second, and David Franks on Strait Dealer claimed his first podium finish of the event.
Day 3 of the regatta witnessed consensus among forecasts predicting no wind, resulting in variable conditions. PRO Peter Saxton wisely opted to cancel the day, concluding the regatta with a total of seven races.
The prize-giving took place at the Royal Yacht Squadron the following morning, allowing everyone to reclaim their Sunday afternoon! David Bromilow on Pulse earned the title of top youth competitor, impressively finishing 7th overall in the regatta.
Rob Goddard on Rocketman was named first Corinthian after a strong start, finishing the regatta in 6th place overall. Anatole Masfen on Man’s Best Friend secured third overall, while David Maclean’s Ada earned a commendable second place after a consistent effort throughout the series. The champions of the 2024 Etchells European Championships, successfully defending their title from 2023, were Ante Razmilovic, Brian Hammersley, and Mark Lees!
Overall Results:
PosBow No Sail No Boat Name Skipper / Crew R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 Pts
1 38 GBR 1438 Swedish BLUE Ante Razmilovic / Brian Hammersley / Mark Lees 3 4 1 8 2 1 2 12
2 17 GBR 1517 Ada David Maclean / Harry Blowers / Rhos Hawes 1 2 3 4 3 3 7 22
3 60 NZL 1499 Man’s Best Friend Anatole Masfen / Simon Cooke / Oskar Masfen 8 1 5 7 7 2 5 25
4 24 GBR 1459 Exabyte Shaun Frohlich / Duncan Truswell / Ed Wright 6 2 8 4 1 5 6 28
5 95 GBR 1495 Louise Racing Grant Gordon / Will Bedford / Oli Aldridge / Daisy Collingridge 2 9 10 6 1 8 13 134
6 39 GBR 1439 Rocketman (Corinthian) Rob Goddard / Mike Odonavan / Jack Muldoon 16 3 11 3 5 13 9 36
7 82 GBR 782 Pulse (Corinthian) (Youth) David Bromilow / William Martin / Haydn Sewell / William Heathcote 4 8 7 12 1 2 16 538
8 31 GBR 1431 Strait Dealer David Franks / Graham Sunderland / Ben Cassford / Julia State 7 11 5 8 13 14 5 939
9 94 GBR 1194 Mano (Corinthian) (Youth) Sam Barnes-Thornton / Harry Blythe / Jake Hardman / Charlie Fernandez 9 7 8 3 3 9 2 241
10 7 IRL 1038 Astrid (Corinthian) Jay Bourke / Scott Flanigan / Evan O’Connor 5 2 7 11 5 14 4 443
11 51 GBR 1351 Audrey (Youth) Ted Blowers / Ryan Orr / Kelly Hillier / Killian Boag 17 10 22 14 18 15 10 853
12 14 GBR 1014 Palaver (Corinthian) (Youth) Corneille LePrince / Felipe Garcia / Zhayne Vassel / Jessye Opoku-Ware 11 26 16 9 15 11 9 564
13 20 GBR 1020 SUMO (Corinthian) (Youth) Will Oldroyd / Cameron Yates / Finn Morris / Lucy Wales 10 13 19 14 17 12 14 666
14 92 GBR 927 Shamal (Corinthian) (Youth) Max Bradley / Charlie Cooper / Andrew Sturt / Charlie Ellse (Friday) Ellise Fitzgerald (S/S) 15 14 6 14 14 19 11 376
15 57 GBR 957 Alison (Corinthian) (Youth) Harry Cowell / Matt Barrett / Matty Evans / Ella Lance 13 17 15 11 17 19 15 1080
16 71 GBR 1271 Ziggy (Corinthian) Hayden Scott / Frank Keesling / Dan Belton 16 15 16 10 5 2 2 1784
17 48 GBR 1148 Ariel (Corinthian) (Youth) Naomi Richards / Mathias Potter / Rory Dowdeswell / Katie Byne 14 16 RET 13 11 13 14 1491
