Nearly fourteen years have elapsed since America's Cup winning helm John Bertrand from Australia brought his Etchells 22 to Ireland for six weeks of preparation for the Etchells 22 Worlds at Howth. He said that success in this would be very important personally, as he was fed up with always being mentioned in the same breath as Alan Bond and the 1983 America's Cup success, and thus a win of his own in his own boat at world level would mean much more to him.
Well, he got it, and he went back to Australia with the 2010 title and at peace with himself, knowing more about the winds, weather and tides of the Howth racing area than many locals who had been racing there for years. So clearly the Australians take Etchells 22 racing very seriously indeed, and anyone from elsewhere who can even get into the frame in their Nationals is doing mighty well.
Yet Jamie McWilliam, originally of Crosshaven but now of Hong Kong, is currently in the Australian Etchells Nats, racing a borrowed boat, though with his own crew and some of his own sails. Either way, it's going some to do well, yet the word is in that he's in the mix and has just won Race 4, even as his octogenarian father Johnny - after cheering his younger son on to victory - heads off to do the Australian Gliding Championship.
Now is that a lead or what? The Heroes from Honkers show the way to the Australian Etchells 22 fleet
