FAQs
HOw can i become involved with racing?
1
There are plenty of ways to become part of the Etchells class, and become involved with some of the best one-design racing in the world!
Charter - We have three charter boats available for booking: Man’s Best Friend [GBR 1460], Audrey [GBR 1351], and Alison [GBR 957], all highly competitive boats that come with a complete step and step off race package to entirely competitive in the fleet. You can make a charter enquiry and/or booking by heading to our “Charters” page on our website.
Crew Match - We offer a crew match service, where we can forward your details (CV’s etc.) onto the fleet, teams can then get in contact with us and we can share your details that were passed on,
Etchells Youth Academy - If you (and your team) are aged 29 or under on the 1st of January of the season you are aiming for, you are encouraged and welcome to apply for the Etchells Youth Academy! If accepted, you will attend the 5 Youth Training Weekends in Cowes from January - March, at the end of the process there will be a trial event, and boats will be awarded accordingly for the season to successful teams. It’s one of the best academy training programmes and opportunities in the world! Head to “Youth Academy” on our website for more information on how to apply.
what membership do I need to purchase?
2
Joining the UK class includes membership of the International Etchells Class Association (IECA) run from the USA. You need to be an IECA member to helm or crew in any events run outside of Europe – Miami, Hong Kong, Australia etc – and World Sailing rules and our UK constitution require all helms and crews to be members if they want to take part in the UK Nationals and/or the European championships.
The membership that you need to purchase is dependant on your age, and boat ownership status. The different type of membership status’ can be found below:
Membership Type | Standard Rate | Under 30s Rate
Active Owner | £200.00 | £170.00
Active Co-Owner | £105.00 | £75.00
Associate | £55.00 | £45.00
The UK Class uses part of your membership fee for class administration and the race programme – joining therefore helps the class season funding. Membership can be purchased by heading to the home page, and selecting “Join the class'‘.
can I join in with the youth training weekends?
3
Of course! We very much encourage participation in the Youth Training Weekends, whether you’re a seasoned Etchells sailor, or new to the class, we would like people to be involved as much as possible.
You can join in with a team needing crew, or if you have your own team & boat, join with that! Although there are no listed entry fees for the Youth Training Weekends, we typically ask each team to make a donation to the class, which is put towards funding the youth academy and their training programme.
On a standard Youth Training Weekend there will be two days of coaching training sessions on the water, with a de-brief dinner in the evening on the Saturday.
where can I see the latest news and updates?
4
Staying in touch with the Cowes Etchells Fleet has never been easier. You can see the latest news and updates by:
Following us on Facebook and Instagram
Signing up for our email newsletter on our website
Heading to the “Latest News” tab on our website to see the latest stories
how do i find the international etchells class rules?
5
You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.