Wharro & GT have eyes on second Etchells Winter title at Mooloolaba

3:04 AM Wed 6 May 2009 GMT

'Musto Etchells Winter Championship 2008, Mornington’s winning Magie Team' Peter Duncan www.Questphoto.net

Victorian Etchells team of Graeme Taylor and Grant Wharington have firmly set their goal of changing history by taking out a second Etchells Winter Championship title.

The Musto Etchells Australian Winter Championship is being held on the warm waters off Mooloolaba on Queensland's Sunshine Coast over the weekend of 4 to 7 June 2009.

No Etchells skipper in the event's 12-year history has been able to successfully defend their winning title. Many have tried. Jason Muir, Julian Plante, Cameron Miles, Ian Johnson, David Rose, Rob Brown and Mark Bradford have returned to Mooloolaba on numerous times hunting another winter title, but with no luck.

Taylor claims he has already beaten the field to a second tile when we he was crew on board Grant Wharington's winning Satu II team in 2004. 'It is not actually true that people haven't won it twice though. I think it is more of a team event than a person event.' As far as the record books go though, Taylor still only holds one Winter Championship title.

In 2008 they achieved a top ten result in five of the six races to finish a convincing six points ahead of another Melbourne skipper, Mark Bulka. In third place was recently crowned 2009 World Champion Jason Muir of Brisbane.

2008 Musto Etchells Winters, day one, tactical and trying - Peter Duncan www.Questphoto.net

The Magpie team was confronted throughout the 2008 championship with a range of wind and sea conditions, from light airs on day one through to a fresh 20 plus knots on the final day. They took charge, particularly during the wild-ride conditions on the last day, to earn a great result.

Most recently the Magpie team competed in the Audi Etchells World Championship in Melbourne winning two races to finish 13th overall. 'We're not feeling tired after the Worlds. Actually, our preference is to race in the bigger fleet events such as the Winters.'

The Mornington based team have been competing in the Etchells Winter Championship since 2000. They return each year as Taylor said because 'it's what we do. It's part of the calendar so we can't not be there. Coming up there in the middle of the year gets us away from the start of the Melbourne winter. The accommodation and cafes are so keep at that time of year. It is a very affordable regatta; that is why we like to do it.'

In 2009 Taylor will again be skippering Magpie with Wharington in the middle and one more crew member still to be named.

Musto Etchells Australian Winter Championship 2009 www.mooetchells.yachting.org.au

by Tracey Johnstone