Ineos Grenadier Etchells NSW Championship

Day 1 (06/02/2026) – Hong Kong’s Racer CC’s early bid for Brian Hilton

The Brian Hilton – Ineos Grenadier 2026 International Etchells NSW Championship opened at Gosford Sailing Club (GSC) on windward/leeward courses today and as expected, some of the biggest names in the class and sailing, are in attendance, with Mark Thornburrow’s (HKG) Racer CC team at the top of the leaderboard after two races were sailed and the third postponed due to a thunderstorm and the breeze dying out.

Hiking on Racer CC – credit Hippodrone

Racer CC placed second in the opening race and then claimed Race 2,with 2008 and 2012 Olympic 470 gold medallist and now CEO of Australian Sailing, Malcolm Page, on his crew with Julian Plante and Mike Huang. The Hong Kong skipper’s crew remains unchanged from that which placed second at the 2024-25 Australian Championship.

“We had two good starts,” a happy Thornburrow said. “Off the line in the first race we went left and had Magpie and Flying High with us. Magpie tacked off and gave us breathing room,” meaning they rounded the top mark in fifth place, then were third at the next top. “Then we rolled Polly (Peter McNeill, Lucy) to finish second.

Mark rounding in this tough class – credit Hippodrone

In the second race, Page chipped in, “We got an even better start, David Dunn (Great White Hunter) gave us a hard time for a while and we had the Geelong boat (Matilda, helmed by Thomas Kelly) above us and we had to wiggle our up and went round the top mark abreast of the Geelong boat. Then we veered left at the gate and led the rest of the race.

Thornburrow said of their early lead, “To be honest, we’re very surprised to be in front. We haven’t sailed together since 2025 Worlds except for an outing in the 16ft skiff last weekend,” and has nominated Magpie as the boat to beat.

Matilda and Racer CC going head to head – credit Hippodrone

Second on the leaderboard after scoring 5-4 results is Magpie, with two of the three reigning Australian and world champions, Ben Lamb and James Mayo aboard. Their coach, Richard Clarke from Canada, is helming – and for good reason.

Clarke explained tongue in cheek to much laughter from the crew: “We met on a dating app trying to find coaches.”

The reality is, Clarke was Magpie’s coach at the Worlds in Melbourne “The team decided to make a run at a third Worlds title in San Diego in May this year, but GT (Graeme Taylor, Magpie’s usual skipper) can’t make the Worlds because his wife is having a baby.”

Martin Hil’s past winner Lisa Rose – credit Hippodrone

So the team decided to bring Clarke in as skipper, “And the plan is I will also skipper at the Worlds in May.”

Clarke has never sailed at Gosford before, and it is a tricky body of water to sail on even for the initiated.

Lamb conceded: “It was really tricky day, really shifty, classic Gosford. We had a couple of not so good starts, but had good catch ups in both races.”

The opener produced an 8-11 knot east/south-east trying to fight a nor-east, but with plenty of holes to throw competitors off.

“It was hard trying to find right way to go – it was like sailing on a small American lake surrounded by hills,” admitted Clarke, who is still coming to grips with the term ‘skipper’. “I just drive the boat; there is no hierarchy on our boat – we’re sailing it as a team.

Race 2, Lamb said, was just as tricky “and then a southerly came in and a thunderstorm came through. Lucky they canned the third race, as we didn’t have our wet weather gear!”

Race 1 away at Brian Hilton – Ineos Grenadier Etchells NSW Championship – credit Hippodrone

On their competition, team Magpie agreed both Mark Thornburrow and JC (Jeanne-Claude Strong) are going to be very hard to beat.

Despite missing GT, Team Magpie, awarded Team of the Year at the Australian Sailing Awards, is being eyed by all competitors. Crew member, James Mayo had enjoyed a bumper year, named Male Sailor of the Year at the same Awards and went on to co-skipper Master Lock Comanche to line honours in the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart. His Etchells skipper, GT, was in the afterguard.

Flying High (Jeanne-Claude Strong/Sam Newton/Seve Jarvin) won the opening race from Racer CC and Lucy (Peter McNeill/Andrew Smith/Simon Reffold).

Time for tactics – credit Hippodrone

Strong remains a resilient force in the class, placing third at the 2025 Etchells Worlds. She also won the 2015 Etchells Australasian Championship, the 2016 Queensland Championship and the 2017 Victorian Championship. Her crew, Jarvin and Newton, respectively won a record 10 and eight 18 foot skiff JJ Giltinan Skiff Championship.

Racer CC won Race 2 from Tango (Chris Hampton/Charlie Cumbley/Sam Haines, Vic) and Matilda (Thomas Kelly/Blake Robertson/Jake Newman, Vic).

Chris Hampton’s Tango out in front – credit Hippodrone

The Oyster Cup, a team’s race sponsored by Marsh Advantage Insurance and incorporated into the event has the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron team of Magpie, Itchy (Michael Stovin-Bradford/Andrew Gordon/Stephen Ingate and Surprise (Matthew Fisk/Brett Sims/Ryan Fisk in the lead.

Competitors have come to Gosford on the NSW Central Coast from as far afield as Hong Kong, Queensland and Victoria and host, GSC is well represented in the 27-boat fleet. From its eight teams, the best today was past world champion, Peter McNeill and his Lucy crew.

Vakaros RaceSense system, World Sailing’s 2025 Technology Winner of The Year, is being utilised at the Championship. RaceSense is a cloud-enabled, automated race management system that uses GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) technology to track boats, manage starts, and automate finish scoring. For full information on what his remarkable system does, please visit: www.vakaros.com/pages/racesense

Day 2 (07/02/2026) – Racer CC crew stays calm to consolidate at Brian Hilton

Leading the Brian Hilton – Ineos Grenadier 2026 International Etchells NSW Championship coming into today’s racing, Hong Kong’s Racer CC crew of Mark Thornburrow/Julian Plante/Malcolm Page/Mike Huang stayed calm under pressure to consolidate their overall lead on Day 2 of the event.

Racer CC (Mark Thornburrow/Julian Plante/Malcolm Page/Mike Hunag) will be hard to beat for the Championship. A race drop came into play today and after six races have been put to bed, Thornburrow and his team are a clear 10 points ahead of nearest adversary, Magpie, a further three points to Flying High, with Great White Hunter a further two points in arrears – and the final races are tomorrow.

Flying High (pink kite) keeping Racer CC under pressure for the lead – credit Hippodrone

It was day that did not start well, Gosford Sailing Club officials forced to delay the start by one and a half hours as the light breeze did the rounds of the compass before finally settling in.

“The first race was quite easy, but the next two were hard,” Thornburrow commented ashore of the shifty and tricky, 14-15 knot easterly in the first race, before moving to the nor’ east and dropping in pressure in the remaining two races, an 8-10 knot shifty and puffy sea breeze.

Up close with the Magpie crew – credit Hippodrone

“Malcolm Page (double Olympic 470 gold medallist) was very good in those conditions,” Thornburrow said. Page, of course, has had to be adept in all conditions to get where he did in Olympic class racing. Looking at this event’s conditions is reminiscent of the 2008 Games in Qingdao, where he won his first gold medal.

“The last race JC (Jeanne-Claude Strong, Flying High) and Polly (Peter McNeill, Lucy) led us to top mark the last time. We got them just before the mark. We are very happy to be where we are. We have two or three races left,” said Thornburrow, who won this event in late 2023, with Plante, Page and Nathan Wilmot.

Mark rounding with kite drop on Peter McNeill’s Lucy – credit Hippodrone

Strong knows it is almost impossible to beat the Hong Kong boat, but she and her crew of Sam Newton and Seve Jarvin plan on continuing to sail their best tomorrow, the final day: “We are third overall. We can’t win, because Hong Kong is so far ahead, but we can finish top three.”

Strong continued, “Today was good, our second race was not ideal (they finished an uncharacteristic 11th), but the other two were good. It was difficult though, as the AP was up so long and it was hot, but race committee thought of everything – including spare water. They brought it to us by rubber duck.

“The Championship has been run exceptionally well – Jan (Muysken) has been good in getting boats to turn up – there are 27 here, which is a very good number.”

The Don, Rocketmen, Lisa Rose and others down the run – credit Hippodrone

Like others here, the Flying High team are finding the Championship good preparation for the Worlds in May. “We sent our new boat, Flying Higher, to San Diego already and Flying High is our second boat.”

Strong also said, “Using Vakaros (RaceSense system) is such a good thing. You never have a General Recall. They (General Recalls) can go on and on and it becomes tiring when you just want to race.”

Dave Taylor’s 2107 Racing – credit Hippodrone

Sitting on the periphery in fourth overall, Great White Hunter’s David Dunn knows his crew (George Richardson/Max Brennan) will need to be on top of their game tomorrow if they are to finish on the podium.

“We just have to play the percentages. We have to have good height, keep getting the tactics right and the sailing gods will determine the rest. It’s so close at front – one mistake can put you back four or five places. Tomorrow will be fantastic, so bring it on!

“It’s been a pretty light regatta and the committee did a good job getting three competitive races in today. We’ve had fair racing.”

Peter Rivers’ Pointless was second in Race 4 – credit Hippodrone

Chris Hampton/Charlie Cumbley/Sam Haines (Tango, Vic) have had their moments, counting a second and third in their tally. Hampton, who normally sails out of Brighton, said, “We were happy with those results. We started both races well and with control. We’re enjoying the racing.

“The top boats here are sailing well. They are highly skilled and experienced sailors. Great to have 27 boats too. We came for a bit of practice, because we’re doing the Worlds in May. We’re focussing on our starting, boat speed and handling,” he ended.

Race 3, Racer CC came home first, bumping off the highly fancied Magpie crew of Canadian Richard Clarke, and reigning Etchells world champions, Ben Lamb and James Mayo. Just five seconds separated the pair at the end. A further six seconds away was Flying High. Avalon (Michael Bellingham/Dean Blatchford/Kyle Dodds) and Great White Hunter followed Flying High over the line.

Michael Bellingham skippered Avalon just outside the top three – credit Hippodrone

Race 4 arrived and with it, a breeze change to an 8 knot nor’ easter with little gusts that prevailed for the rest of the day. Racer CC was first over the finish line again, followed seven seconds later by local boat from the host club, Pointless (Peter Rivers/Brent Connor/David Poole). Third was Tango, nine seconds behind, with Magpie hanging on to place fourth.

Others got among the front end action too; Great White Hunter, Gosford’s Lucy (Peter McNeill/Andrew Smith/Simon Reffold) and Rocketmen (James Dorron/John Walton/Nick Kingsmill), but when the chips were down, they could not keep the advantage.

The Don, Rocketmen, Lisa Rose and others down the run – credit Hippodrone

Race 5 also went to Racer CC, but two seconds behind was Flying High, which kept Racer CC under pressure throughout. So close to a top three in other races, Great White Hunter was able to keep her rivals at bay and rewarded with third place, in a class that has notoriously close finishes. Although lacking a win, Magpie is sailing consistently in the top five, scoring another fourth and Lucy was fifth.

Day 3 (08/02/2026) – Racer CC crew crowned new champions at Brian Hilton

Hong Kong’s Racer CC crew of Mark Thornburrow/Julian Plante/Malcolm Page/Mike Huang were this afternoon crowned new champions of the Brian Hilton – Ineos Grenadier 2026 International Etchells NSW Championship at Gosford Sailing Club (GSC).

Racer CC’s crew, including double Olympic gold medallist Page and 2018 Etchells world champion, Plante, set the standard from the first day and counted four bullets and a second place in their tally, with a worst result of fifth. The Hong Kong entry won by a clear 10 points and also take home the Grand Masters trophy.

Race on for the podium places – credit Hippodrone

Today’s fifth and fourth places did not reflect the rest of their results – and no, the wheels did not fall off – as Thornburrow explained and others agreed, “It was a difficult day – we were OCS in the first, so had to go back and didn’t have a great start in the second, so we had to make it up during the races. It was the flukiest day of all of them.”

Like others, he agreed it was best to go left today, “but the puffs came from both sides of the course and you had to sail to the puffs.” His crew enjoyed the regatta though. “It was the first time in 13 months we’ve sailed together. It was great getting together again and good to see people we hadn’t seen in over a year.

“Jan (Muysken from GSC, who also contested the Championship) put a lot of effort into getting the boats here. There were more of them than I expected – he did a great job. It was a very well run event on the water too. They didn’t waste time. It was shifty the whole time, so it wasn’t easy for them.”

Matilda down the run – credit Hippodrone

Thornburrow spoke of the next stop for the Racer CC crew, “We’re doing Victorian Etchells Championship and then going to San Diego for the Worlds. We’re not getting ahead of ourselves, we’ll see how we go in Melbourne. I expect most the top boats to probably be there, as they’re all going to the Worlds.”

Second overall was Magpie, steered by Richard Clarke and crewed by two of the three reigning world champions, James Mayo (he’s won three Etchells Worlds) and Ben Lamb. The trio won just one race, but otherwise sailed consistently in the top four. Clarke only recently joined the Magpie team as helm, having previously coached them, so their result is quite stunning.

Lamb, a versatile sailor from Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, is the reigning Etchells World champion with James Mayo and their helm, Graeme Taylor, who is missing in action as his partner is due to give birth.

The latest was Lamb’s second world title in the class and he also owns an Australian Laser title and is an America’s Cup sailor. He said this afternoon: “We’re feeling pretty positive and feel we’ve made improvements to boat speed, boat set up and things we’re trying out are working.

Tight top mark rounding – credit Hippodrone

The trio have also been working on their starting systems and Lamb says, “It’s beginning to work really well. We’re on the same page, enjoying our sailing and it’s all making sense.”

The Magpies are fortunate in that Grant Simmer and Victor Kovalenko are coaching them “and Andy Green is helping out towards our campaign for the Worlds in May. And Richard (Clarke) is going really well.”

Magpie is already in San Diego, and the boat they sailed here at Gosford is the Magpie that won the last two Worlds. “We’re going to San Diego on the 16th of February for two weeks to train, then straight back to do Victorian Championship. After that, we’ll be two weeks a month in San Diego,” he says of Magpie’s efforts to claim a third consecutive Worlds win.

Lamb concedes, “This regatta was tough. It was shifty and it was tough being a tactician. It was a bit of emotional roller coaster at times.”

Third went to Jeanne-Claude Strong and her Flying High crew of Sam Newton Seve Jarvin, six points in arears of Magpie. Strong also picked up the Masters winning trophy. In the end, Flying High, also headed to the Worlds, beat Great White Hunter (David Dunn/George Richardson/Max Brennan by four points, Dunn admitting they were going for broke today in their efforts to try and finish on the podium.

Flying High takes aim at the mark on the way to third overall – credit Hippodrone

The Corinthian trophy went to Queensland’s Mama says: Nothing Good Happens After Midnight (Bradley Ginnivan/Scotty Miller/Will Thomson) after placing eighth overall.

The fleet was on the water early today, ready for an 11am start to Race 6, which was sailed in a 12 knot southerly. Victoria’s Tango (Chris Hampton/Charlie Cumbley/Sam Haines) had the goods and was followed over the finish line by GSC hope, Lucy (Peter McNeill/Andrew Smith/Simon Reffold).

Third went to Mama says: Nothing Good Happens After Midnight – Mama obviously isn’t talking about daylight hours! Following them were Flying High and Racer CC., the latter using this as a throw out.

Something good happened for Brad Ginnivan and crew today – credit Hippodrone

By Race 7, the fleet of 27 was sailing in a 15 knot southerly, a nice change from the light air. Magpie’s crew picked up their first win, firmly establishing them as overall runner-up.

Rocketmen (James Dorron/John Walton/Nick Kingsmill) posted a second – and in finishing third Great White Hunter (David Dunn/George Richardson/Max Brennan, firmly put his team back in in contention for a top three finish overall – but it was not to be. Racer CC and Flying High popped up in fourth and fifth places.

Race 8 was abandoned when the breeze died away, so the Championship was decided on seven of the planned nine races in this predominantly light air event. The wind got into the teens at times, including for one race today, but it was short lived.

Stephen Slater, General Manager of Brian Hilton – Ineos Grenadier was asked to present the NSW trophy to Racer CC’s skipper, Mark Thornburrow and his crew at the prize giving at GSC late this afternoon. Also on hand was Club President, Greg Humphries and Etchells Fleet Captain, George Johnstone.

MC, John Humphries, thanked all competitors for attending and making it a memorable Championship. He went on to thank naming rights sponsor Brian Hilton – Ineos Grenadier, support sponsors, Henri Lloyd, North Sails, PM Sails, Whale Spars, Vakaros, Burke and Marsh. The many volunteers were given a huge thanks, without them, these Championships could not have happened.

The Ineos Grenadier from Brian Hilton is a multipurpose vehicle – credit Hippodrone

The Brian Hilton – Ineos Grenadier 2026 International Etchells NSW Championship is conducted by Gosford Sailing Club on behalf of the Gosford International Etchells Fleet Inc.

The Championship is sailed on waters of Gosford Sailing Club (GSC) on windward/leeward courses.

» By Di Pearson/Gosford Sailing Club media

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