All Skiff classes at Squaddy Brass Monkey Regatta

A spectacular weekend awaits skiff and dinghy sailors attending the Squaddy Brass Monkey Regatta © Glen Stanaway

A spectacular weekend awaits skiff and dinghy sailors attending the Squaddy Brass Monkey Regatta sponsored by Dinghy Solutions Sailing School.

All major senior skiff classes have registered their interest in sailing at the event hosted by the Sydney Flying Squadron. Sailors should see the 12, 14, 16 and 18 foot skiffs, along with the B14 and 49er classes all jostling for room on the same start sequence and course.

To add to the excitement, the club is considering breaking away from the traditional class or division starts, and hosting one single mass start for each race instead. This will see the relatively smaller skiffs like the 12 footers fighting for space on the start with the massive 18s.

Skiff sailing in Australia tends to see different skiff classes racing out of their own clubs and it is rare that the sailors will get to test their boat speed and skills against the others. The regatta will put to rest a lot of bar and club house talk, where rumours as to who’s the fastest boats or the best crews.

It’s accepted that the 18 footers should be the fastest, but there is much conjecture about which of the other classes of skiff will come out on top.

Perhaps better for sailing on a whole will be the opportunity that the regatta offers junior and intermediate sailors. With another break from traditional regattas, the major prizes will be presented to intermediates and juniors, instead of the premier senior classes.

Dinghy Solutions Sailing School run by Richard Scarr at Woollahra Sailing Club will be offering skiff courses worth $250 to prize winners from the less skilled or younger sailors.

In addition to the opportunity of a fantastic prize, never before have young sailors been able to see all the skiffs all at once.

Race organisers have been careful to promote this part of the regatta by heavily encouraging skiff classes to offer newcomers a chance to meet the sailors, learn about the class and maybe even get to have a test sail on one.

This active support of youth is encouraging for Australian sailing on a whole. It should be noted that many of Australia’s best sailors have spent time in the skiff classes; Iian Murray, Julian Bethwaite, Greg Hyde, Emmett Lazich and the famous Beashel family to name a few.

Successful offshore racer Sean Langman is still racing 18 footers, and current Australian Sabot Association president, Adam South is also an illustrious 18 footer sailor from “not-so-long-ago”.

Skiff racing has given Australia a wealth of sailing talent, and is set to continue this gift for generations to come.

For more information about the regatta, go to nsw.i14australia.org/sfs