Australian 18 Footers League 2010-2011 Season Preview

The Australian 18 Footers League’s 2010-2011 Season will commence racing on Sunday 10 October when the club conducts the traditional Alf Beashel Memorial Trophy race over a three-buoy course on Sydney Harbour.

A fleet of 16 boats will represent the club in what promises to be a high quality season with several teams capable of taking out championship honours.

The 2010 Giltinan champion Seve Jarvin will again be at the helm of Gotta Love It 7 with Sam Newton in the bow once more. One change has been the inclusion of Scott Babbage from the former Rag & Famish Hotel crew. Scott replaces Tom Clout, who moves to the new Rag & Famish Hotel crew, headed by Jack Macartney. The new Gotta Love It 7 team has already tasted success as winner of the International Regatta at Lake Garda in June.

Michael Coxon, Aaron Links and Trent Barnabas have a new skiff for this season and will again sail for the Thurlow Fisher Lawyers sponsorship. As well as finishing runner-up to Gotta Love It 7 at the 2010 Giltinan, the trio recently won the International Regatta in San Francisco.

One of the most interesting ‘new’ teams is the trio on appliancesonline.com.au. John (Herman) Winning Jr. will be joined by Euan McNicol on the sheet with Peter Harris moving from Rag & Famish Hotel to the bow. McNicol and Winning Jr. jointly won the 29er Championship in 2002, while McNicol is also a three-time Giltinan winner (twice as skipper in 2005 and 2009, and once as crew in 2000).

2010 Interdominion 12ft Skiff champion Nick Press will skipper a new skiff for Smeg sponsorship with the highly experienced Dan Phillips on the sheet and Dave Ewings in the bow. This will be a strong team.

Matthew Searle and Archie Massey teamed together to be runner-up in the 2009 Giltinan, then went their separate ways in 2009-2010. The pair are back together again for Red Claw wines in the skiff previously raced by Michael Coxon. Their experience and joint talent will certainly see this team back near the top of the fleet.

The 2000 Giltinan and Australian champion, with numerous championship victories over many seasons, is John (Woody) Winning. John will skipper a brand new Yandoo skiff and will again have Andrew Hay and Dave Gibson as his crew.

UK’s Andy Budgen will spend his third consecutive season in Australia and will again skipper the Project Racing skiff he had built in Australia last year. His crew will be locals Dan Wilsdon and Cameron McDonald, who both crewed for Archie Massey on Asko Appliances last season.

Two young skippers, Season Point Score winner James Francis and Jonathan Whitty are expected to give their more senior rivals a run for their money. Francis, Rob Bell and Brad Phillips, will sail a new skiff for the Fosters/Carlton United Breweries sponsorship, while Whity will head the Panasonic team of Paul Montague and Olympian Nathan Wilmot.

Marcus Ashley-Jones had his first season in the 18s in 2009-2010 and caused a major surprise when he won Race One of the 2010 Giltinan. His hard work and talent have seen him rewarded with a move to the head of the Asko Appliances team for 2010-2011.

Simon Nearn will again skipper the De’Longhi sponsored skiff while Mark Kennedy and Tom Anderson are together again – this time on Thurlow Fisher Consultants. Skiff builder Brett Van Munster will head The Kitchen Maker team.

Evan Walker will again lead the Sharks team while Andrew Chapman is the only new skipper to join the fleet. He will lead the Fisher & Paykel team.