Friday the 13th was a lucky day for Jason Muir and his crew of Matthew Chew, Paul Wyatt and Bucky Smith from Brisbane when they won the 2009 Audi Etchells world championship with a day to spare with a very consistent day of racing with a 9th and 8th placing to now have a total of 43 points, leading Damien King from Melbourne on 63 points.The boat-building industry continues to feel the economic crunch and one local manufacturing executive doesn’t think a stock market uptick will help much.
“The market is not firming as fast as anybody in the industry had hoped and potential buyers appear to be still frozen by ambiguity,” said Bill Naumann, chairman of Hatteras Yachts in New Bern.
“I really believe that when we come out of this, the people in this industry – manufacturers and dealers – are going to have to come up with a new business model. We’re experiencing some …Â Details
 
John Bertrand and his crew of Ben Ainslie and Andrew Palfrey (AUS) have reclaimed the 2009 Audi Etchells World Championship lead today on Port Phillip in a thrilling Race 6 finish with Graeme Taylor/Ben Morrison-Jack/Grant Wharington (AUS), who won the race, Bertrand having to tack to lay the finish and having no alternative but to follow Taylor’s stern over the finish line.