Sailing.Dog’s Andrew Palfrey was being coached in the Etchells Class by Jud Smith at the recent Coral Reef Cup in Miami. Here we discuss one of the hardest “repeatable” settings on an Etchells - setting the amount of headstay sag on light winds.
Not only is Jud a legendary sailor and sailmaker, he is also the current USA Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. Last year, Jud and his team were victorious in the J70 Worlds in his hometown of Marblehead. Jud has also won Etchells Worlds as both a skipper and a crew.
Despite sailing at the highest levels since the late 1970’s, Jud is still at the very top of the sport of sailboat racing, particularly in strict one-design keelboats. Jud is one of sailing’s “givers”.