International Etchells Class Association

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It's the boat, it's the fleet. For thirty years the Etchells class has enjoyed solid and steady growth with over fifty active fleets worldwide.

Etchells sailors are enthusiastic and loyal supporters of their boat and class association. The Etchells is a big, fast, simple, stable, and sleek racing sloop that can be sailed competitively and in comfort by three or four average sailors. It can tack in 70 degrees and has a low wetted surface hull form that keeps moving in the slightest breeze. In 20+ knots it absolutely flies. The strict one-design principle of the class was established from the outset and is controlled by a strong, established and well-administered class association. Control of construction by the class association and the ISAF ensures quality and uniformity. It's trailerable, easy to maintain and light enough to dry sail; and Etchells hold exceptional resale value.

28/10/2026

🇦🇺 Fleet ⏬️

Queensland Etchells State Championships are in the books! 🏆⛵

Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron hosted a 16-boat fleet this past weekend, with five boats up from Sydney and two from Southport joining nine RQ boats for close, competitive racing across the weekend, rain and all. 👏

🥇⛵Flying High (JC Strong, Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton) took back-to-back titles, locking up the championship with their third bullet of the regatta and finishing on just 7 points.
🥈⛵Northern Havoc (Jason Antill, Shane Beashel, Brian Owler) took second on 15 points
🥉⛵NGHAM (Kane Sinclair, Scott Miller, Al Cowen) rounded out the podium, just 2 points back

🔗 Full Results https://buff.ly/SnRedHR

Conditions ranged from a shifty 10-12 kt northerly on Saturday to a building nor'easter on Sunday that never quite delivered the forecasted breeze (apparently no one was complaining). A few general recalls kept the fleet honest, with ⛵Waterloo Too picking up the unofficial award for most penalty turns in a single race.

Congrats to ⛵Flying High on the win, and a huge thank you to RQYS, the race committee, volunteers, and sponsors Moreton Bay Signs and North Sails for making it another great weekend of Etchells racing.

22/10/2026

Etchells 🇦🇺

Final Tune-Up Before the Etchells Queensland State Championships ⛵

Saturday was the last hit-out before States, and it turned into a proper stress test for both crews and boats! With 15–20 knots and gusts over 20, the fleet faced its first heavy-weather day of the season, and a few boats are heading into this week with some jobs on the list.

⛵Waterloo Too was the boat of the day for the second week running, taking out Race 1 before ⛵NGHAM fought back to win Race 2. ⛵The Saint and ⛵Rapscallion kept the pressure on, while ⛵Knot Easy secured a solid third in the final race. There were spinnaker dramas, shifting breeze, broken battens, a failed traveler line, a broken shroud fitting, and even a kite halyard that went up without the kite! Thankfully, the fleet made it through a big day on the water with plenty to talk about back on shore.

Now the focus shifts to the 2026 Etchells Queensland State Championships at RQYS, with 17 entries expected, including six visiting from Sydney. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic regatta!

Check the RQYS regatta page for the Notice of Race, entry details, documents, amendments, and updates: https://buff.ly/3cM2WmQ

Good luck to all the crews. We’ll see you at States!

17/10/2026

Perfect Etchells conditions, and racing that came down to the smallest margins.

The first month of the season delivered ideal Etchells racing for the Brisbane Fleet 🇦🇺. Nine boats hit the water for two races in a light and shifty nor’easter, with 8–10 knots building throughout the day. The fleet was tightly packed all afternoon, and every shift mattered.

⛵ NGHAM emerged as the boat of the day, taking bullets in both races with Kane Sinclair at the helm. ⛵ Rapscallion pushed hard, finishing second in both races, while ⛵ The Saint and ⛵ Waterloo Too also featured prominently.
But the day also showed just how quickly things can unravel. ⛵ Shifty lost valuable ground after a difficult kite drop in Race 1, while ⛵ Happy Hour was over early in Race 2 after crossing the line a few seconds too soon and having to restart.

With the 2026 Queensland Etchells State Championships coming up October 24–25 at RQYS, the racing is already looking seriously competitive. With around 15 boats expected, every shift, every maneuver and every mistake could matter.

The States are coming. Who's ready?

📷️ Mike Middleton

14/10/2026

Never too early to start planning next season's calendar! The UK Fleet has already announced their line up!

This go-around, the season champion will be determined over one single series through 8 events, with 6 to count (provided all 8 events are sailed). This will provide a new challenge to teams, where consistency and speed will be the key to success.

Save the dates!

09/10/2026

The Cowes Etchells fleet gathered at the Royal Yacht Squadron on September 5-6 for the final round of the Cowes International Series, and it was ⛵ Tango who dominated the weekend. Chris Hampton, Elliot Hansen, and Sam Haines stormed the opening five races with scores of 1, 1, 3, 2, 1, locking up the title with a race to spare. Just 8 points for the win.

⛵ Exabyte (Shaun Frohlich's team) sailed a steady regatta to take second on 14 points, while ⛵Ice (Andrew Cooper's team) pulled off a dramatic finish, grinding through three straight 6ths before firing off a 9, 3, and a race-winning 1 in the final race to snag third on the podium.

Right behind them, ⛵Ada, ⛵Knot On Call, and ⛵Rocketman finished tied on 23 points, making 4th through 6th one of the tightest battles of the weekend.

Final podium:
🥇 Tango
🥈 Exabyte
🥉 Ice

Special mentions: Andrew Cooper took the Corinthian title, and Heather Quinn's ⛵Ariel edged out Ollie Maclean's ⛵Man's Best Friend on countback for the Youth title.

Congrats to all the teams who made this an incredible final round! 🙌

07/10/2026

Etchells 🇬🇧

Louise Racing GBR 1495 took the Cowes International Series season championship ! 🏆

🥇- ⛵Louise Racing, sailed by Ted Blowers, Matt Barrett, and Harry Cowell claimed the overall victory in the Cowes International Series. Finishing on 5 points overall after the series discard, with a win at the Bedrock Trophy, and second place finish both at the National Championships and Sir Kenneth Preston trophy.

🥈- ⛵Exabyte, led by Shaun Frohlich, sailed with Duncan Truswell and Paul Childs to claim second place overall after an impressive season. Counting a 2nd, 4th, and another 2nd place in high-caliber events. A consistent and impressive series.

🥉 - ⛵Tango make up the final spot on the podium after leapfrogging ⛵Ada from their win at the David Franks Cup. Tango took two wins, one at the Sir Kenneth Preston Trophy and the David Franks Cup, but their tricky finish at the Nationals cut them just short of 2nd overall.

The season championship prize giving for the Cowes International Series will take place on📆 November 28th at RORC, at the End of Season dinner!

05/10/2026

Etchells 🇭🇰

The Hong Kong fleet giving us this beautiful throwback to racing at Clear Water Bay Golf And Country Club Marina for their 2025 Class Champs.

03/10/2026

What did we learn at the 2026 Etchells Worlds? 🏆⛵

Billy Merrington breaks down the big takeaways from San Diego, widely called one of the toughest Etchells regattas ever (and yes, Magpie made history with a third straight World title). 👏

A few standouts from his report:
➡️ Gear is mature. Most of the top ten were on North Sails or Doyle, but the real gains weren't coming from sail choice. They were coming from setup and ex*****on.

➡️ Rig tuning got simpler. Minimal cap shroud adjustment, but the D1/lower system is now the big lever, and foredeck crews need to move fast on it.
Power won in San Diego. The traveller-down, tight-main style that works in Australia didn't cut it in San Diego's chop. The fastest boats ran more twist, more power, and a deeper jib. Lesson: what's fast at home isn't always fast everywhere.

➡️ Starting got scientific. Thanks to Vakaros RaceSense, top boats are hitting the line within 1 to 2 meters at full speed. That takes three timed line runs before every start, not guesswork.

➡️ Where to start matters more than winning the end. Lamby's approach: aim for low fleet density and clear air over fighting for the favored end.
The real takeaway? Adaptability. The fleet is so refined now that the gap isn't equipment, it's who prepares better, communicates better, and is willing to change when the data says to.

Read the full breakdown on the site 👉️ https://buff.ly/dXtMHG9

📷️ Mark Albertazzi

01/10/2026

Etchells 🇦🇺

Eight Etchells hit the water for a shifty, tactical day of racing in Brisbane at RQYS in 10-14 kts. Race 1 saw ⛵ Rapscallion take the gun after a smart early gybe to the bottom gate, holding off ⛵ NGHAM and ⛵ The Saint in a tight finish.

Race 2 was even closer. A big shift favored ⛵ Rapscallion at the top, but ⛵ W2 came from behind to sn**ch the win by just a length at the finish, with ⛵ NGHAM rounding out the podium.

And yes, everyone made it back in time to watch the Lions take the premiership from the Dockers in a thriller. 👏 🏆

📷️ Mike Middleton

29/09/2026

Etchells Class Newsletter: September 2026 - https://mailchi.mp/etchells/sept26

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