Fremantle turned on Etchells racing weather
The Swan River Fleet held its State Championships over the WA long weekend 1-3 March 2025.
Our hosts were Royal Perth Yacht Club, and the Fleet joined other keelboat classes sailing their State Championships at Fremantle from RPYC’s Annex and out on Owen Anchorage.
Eleven boats travelled down from the Swan River Clubs and one from Fremantle Sailing Club. Two youth crews using loaned boats, and a large number of youths crewing in boats made for some edgy competition.
Fremantle and Owen Anchorage absolutely turned on Etchells racing weather - 7 to 15 kts, clear skies and waves. All 8 races with good length were completed and (always starting with a ‘U’ flag) we didn’t have any General Recalls. Great race management, great weather, tight racing and a real sailors’ scene back at the Annex clubhouse each day, it was an outstanding event.
Fresh from being part of the winning crew of the Dragon’s Prince Philip Cup in January, Ethan Prieto-Low took the helm of Grantham Kitto’s AUS 1462 and teamed with Brad Moore and Brad Sheridan (B1 and B2) to win the event through consistent results. (Pictured above: AUS 1462 Ratpack with the perpetual Bolero Trophy for the WA State Champion.
It was a close end result with only 3 points separating the first three boats and the final result going down to the outcome of the last two legs of the last race. Chris Pratt with Peter Hood and Ethan McAullay (currently Australia’s no.2 Laser sailor) pulled the best results for the last race day to make second overall. Mark Crier with Conor Nicholas (last year’s our Paris 2024 Sailing Mixed Dinghy representative) and Alex Sulmen capped a consistent series to win the last race and clinch third overall.
The youth crews headed by Xavier Bates and Adam Brenz-Verca put in some very tidy results and with a little more practice will be moving up the fleet. This will be our Fleet’s last regatta on the ocean for a couple of years, due to the Nationals being on the Swan River next season. We will miss the ocean waves, the horizon and the clear waters. We’ll be back.
Special acknowledgement to:
- Race Officer Pam Strickland and her on water team
- RPYC Boating Operation’s Travis Burtenshaw and Anna Klyne and their shoreside teams
- Protest Chair Richard Horan-Goldsmith and his team
- Sponsors Club Marine and Gage Roads Brewing Company, great products from great supporters
Full Results
