2:03 AM Thu 1 Apr 2010 GMT
Champion America's Cup and Etchells sailor, John Bertrand, will return to Mooloolaba in June to chase one title he has not been able to grab, the Musto Etchells Australasian Winter Championship.
For the national Etchells back-to-back class champion in 2009 and 2010 the winter championship title has eluded him for the last 13 years with his best result being second in 2004.
This will be Bertrand's seventh attempt at winning the winter title. He will however be facing some tough challenges. Firstly will be the top level competition from the large fleet including 2009 World Championship podium placegetter Damien King and 2000 Olympic Gold Medallist in the 470 class, Tom King. Then there will be challenge of racing a borrowed boat and crew.
Bertrand's boat come from Brisbane's Mark Bradford and he will be racing with Brisbane crew Gary Van Lunteren and James Chillman. 'Mark offered me the boat as he is going to be sailing with Dennis Conner in the North American Championship in San Diego which is on at the same time as the winters,' Bertrand said.
Bertrand is eager to get in among the winter fleet to race against some 50 or 60 Etchells boats. 'You can't get any better competition than that. There will almost certainly be a big fleet again this year.'
The Musto Etchells winters event is part of his campaign preparation for the Etchells World Championship in Ireland in the last 10 days of August. Bertrand and his regular crew of Andrew Palfrey and Tom Slingsby, both of whom are now competing in Europe in their Olympic classes, will meet up in May in Ireland for some pre-worlds training. Then Bertrand flies back to Australia for the Mooloolaba event before then heading back to Ireland for the Irish National Championship the weekend before the World Championship.
'The winter Etchells is a terrific preparation event and it will help me get my mind in gear for competing in the large fleet World Championship event.
'It's going to be a lot of fun and there will be some terrific people racing. The winters is a wonderful part of the Etchells program on an annual basis.
The Musto Etchells Australasian Winter Championship 2010 will be held from 10 to 13 June. Entry is already open with two entries received to date - Peter Coleman from Melbourne and David Clark from Sydney.
Event website
www.mooetchells.yachting.org.au
by Tracey Johnstone
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