Pride on the line at Musto Etchells Australian Mid-Winter Championship

10:20 PM Tue 2 Jun 2009 GMT

'A big fleet of Etchells on the startline' Andrea Francolini / Audi &copy

Enormous pride in one-design sailing reputations will be put to the test when highly talented sailors compete for the Musto Etchells Australian Winter championship trophy off Mooloolaba Beach this weekend.

Sunshine Coast sailors including 2004 World champion Greg Torpy and 2009 World title winning crew member Bucky Smith head an impressive list of title challengers representing Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australian clubs.

The fleet also includes the defending champion Graeme Taylor of Melbourne who combined brilliantly with Queensland's Simon Gorman and Mornington Yacht Club maxi- skipper Grant Wharrington to record a popular win last year.

Skipper Taylor will again be among the major contenders with Steve Jarvin from Bob Oatley's Wild Oats crew replacing Simon Gorman.

All three very skilled ocean racing sailors who were line honours rivals in the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race have the personal tactical racing experience but only time will tell on how they measure up when the critical centimetres of clear wind sailing space become an issue on the course.

They will become a tactical target making the selection to start and race in uncontested space difficult however Graeme Taylor has a reputation to be a tough but fair fighter and will rely on the his equally tenacious crew mates Grant Wharrington and Steve Jarvin to produce the required boat speed to sail clear in good shape out of the starts.

The strict nature of the one-design Etchells class provides every crew with an even chance and this always contributes to exciting nip-n-tuck racing from start to finish with the results determined by the crew who are lucky to bounce unscathed out of the start and limit their mistakes in relation to the wind that blows over the course.

Veteran skipper Noel Paterson has often referred to the style of competition for major championship medals as serious game of aquatic chess where the simplest mistake is crowned with a place back in the pack.

Paterson who will skipper Waterloo Bay one of the oldest in the fleet has again wisely not accepted the opportunity to make any personal predictions.

A similar atmosphere surrounds the fleet result of former dual Contender World champion Peter Hollis and his crew of 2009 World Etchells champion Bucky Smith and 2008 Australian 505 champion John Warlow.

There is no question about their individual skill but while past results are respected it is no guarantee that they like the defending champion Graeme Taylor will enjoy a series free of tactical aggression.

Interest will also focus on the results of the Black Jack racing team and the performance of Mark Bradford who steered Racer X to win the 2002 Australian Winter title.

Bradford has teamed up with his Black Jack crew mate and Americas Cup crew member Peter Merrington and Mooloolaba's Greg Torpy.

They are expected to be hard pressed with Mark Bradford being rivalled to hold his 'skippers tag' ahead of his Black Jack crew mates Vaughan Prentice and Darren Hutchison, David Biggar Ashley Deeks and Gary Van Lunteren.

by Ian Grant