Please select your home edition
Edition
P&B
Product Feature
Allen 30mm Dynamic Tii-On Block
Allen 30mm Dynamic Tii-On Block

18ft Skiff Club Championship on Sydney Harbour - Race 1

by Frank Quealey 31 Oct 2021 08:25 GMT 31 October 2021

Race 1 of the Australian 18 Footers League's Club Championship produced an amazing finish when the current national champion Tech2 team, Jack Macartney, Lewis Brake and Luke Parkinson, grabbed victory just metres from the finish line on Sydney Harbour today.

When John Winning's Yandoo capsized, after hitting the wake of a power boat, on the run to the finish, Finport Finance (Keagan York, Bryce Edwards, Phil Marshall) headed for the finish line narrowly ahead of Tech2 and still looked likely to grab the honours as the two skiffs set for the final gybe.

Tech2 gybed first while the Finport Finance team elected to carry on further. It was a costly move as Tech2 sailed straight for the finish line and won by 13s.

Smeg (Michael Coxon, Ricky Bridge, Zac Barnabas) finished a further 39s further back in third place, followed by Yandoo (John Winning), Lazarus Capital Partners (Marcus Ashley-Jones) and Fisher & Paykel (Jordan Girdis).

Prior to the dramas on the final leg of the course, the shifting, gusty ENE breeze produced difficult conditions for the fleet.

Simon Nearn's Burrawang-Young Henrys won the start but Yandoo was soon into the lead as the fleet worked its way from the start at Robertson Points on the north side of the harbour to Rose Bay in the east.

At the windward mark in Rose Bay, Yandoo held a 12s lead over Finport Finance, with a large group headed by Ilve (James Dorron) more than 30s further back.

On the spinnaker run to the wing mark off Clark Island and the following run back to Robertson Point, Yandoo increased her lead but the race for the next six placings held much interest for the spectator fleet as the teams struggled to find the better breeze.

John Winning, Fang Warren and Mike Kennedy were superb in the conditions and opened up a lead of more than one minute on the following windward leg back to Rose Bay. Smeg had edged ahead of Finport Finance, Balmain Slake (Henry Larkings), Tech2 and Lazarus Capital Partners and Fisher & Paykel.

This group had created a further break over the next group which included The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Aron Everett), Rag & Famish Hotel (Harry Price), Noakes Youth (Tom Cunich) and Burrawang-Young Henrys.

Over the final lap of the course, Yandoo had sailed even further ahead and looked absolutely certain of victory before the unfortunate incident that cost the team victory.

While today's conditions weren't a true guide to form, there is every indication that this could be one of the closest races at the top end of the fleet for several seasons.

Races 4 and 5 of the Spring Championship will be conducted next Sunday. Spectators can follow the racing on board the club's spectator ferry, however due to the Covid policy, numbers are limited. Booking online through the club's website www.18footers.com is essential. www.18footers.com.au/18-footers-sailing/spectator-ferry

For those unable to make it out onto the water, the club's live broadcast team will be on Sydney Harbour to capture all the action. Live streaming is available at www.18footers.com by clicking on the '18 Footers TV' link.

Race 1 Results:

PosBoat NameFinishElapsed
1Tech2 (Jack Macartney / Luke Parkinson / Lewis Brake)15:56:2601:11:26
2Finport Finance (Keagan York / Bryce Edwards / Phil Marshall)15:56:3901:11:39
3Smeg (Michael Coxon Jnr / Ricky Bridge / Zac Barnabas)15:57:1801:12:18
4Yandoo (John Winning Snr / Fang Warren / Mike Kennedy)15:58:3201:13:32
5Lazarus Capital Partners (Marcus Ashley‑Jones / Jeronimo Harrison / Daniel Phillips)15:58:4501:13:45
6Fisher & Paykel (Jordan Girdis / Nathan Edwards / Kurt Fatouros)15:58:5001:13:50
7Balmain Slake (Henry Larkings / Max Paul / Flynn Twomey)15:59:0001:14:00
8The Oak Double Bay / 4 Pines (Aron Everett / John Cooley / Charlie Gundy)16:00:1701:15:17
9Rag & Famish Hotel (Harry Price / Josh McKnight / Harry Hall)16:02:1001:17:10
10Noakes Youth (Tom Cunich Fynn Sprott. / Harry Smith)16:02:3701:17:37
11Burrawang‑Young Henrys (Simon Nearn / Rory Cox / Brandon Buyink)16:03:1401:18:14
12The Kitchen Maker/ Ceasarstone (Lachlan Steel / Jerome Watts / Matt Doyle)16:04:0001:19:00
13Shaw & Partners Financial Services (Steve Thomas / Lindsay Stead / Locky Pryor)16:04:1201:19:12
14Noakes Blue (Yvette Heritage / Tom Clout / Jake Barnabus)16:06:0501:21:05
1518 Footers Bar and Restaurant (Pedro Vozone / Cam Walker / Paddy Bannon)16:08:3101:23:31
16Birkenhead Point Marina (Tim Westwood / Alex Chittenden / Will Dargaville)16:09:0301:24:03
17Appliances Online (Alex Marinelli / Darcy McCraken / Tyler Creevey)16:11:0201:26:02
DNCNoakesailing (Sean Langman / Ed Powys / Josh Porebski)  
DNFIlve (Nick Daly / James Dorron / John Walton)  
NSCLazarus Development (Hugo Stoner / Hugo Leeming / Finn Roddwicz)  

Related Articles

18ft Skiffs: Queensland 18 footer history
Decades of successful ideas and achievement Queensland's revival over recent seasons, which resulted in a two-pronged attack by experienced and young teams in new skiffs at the 2025 Giltinan world championship Posted today at 6:46 am
18ft Skiff European Championships
Germany's Black Knight takes the title by a single point The International 18 Footer League - European Championship 2025, hosted by Circolo Vela Arco, concluded on Thursday, after five days of spectacular racing featuring some of the fastest and most exciting skiffs in the sailing world. Posted on 27 Jun
Western Australia's 18 footers history
An on-off situation between the 1890s and 2013 Western Australia's participation in the Australian 18 footer scene has been an on-off situation between the 1890s and 2013 but its impact during the early years of the class demands that it is remembered today by all 18 footer supporters and enthusiasts. Posted on 11 Jun
The link between two great Australian sports
A unique connection between brute strength and beauty James Joseph Giltinan was one of Australia's great entrepreneurs of the early 1900s, and the man most responsible for creating a unique link between one of the most confrontational football codes in the world and the beauty of sailing. Posted on 25 May
The last 18' skiff champion before one design
Michael Spies won the 1993 and 1995 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championships When Michael Spies won the 1993 and 1995 World 18 footer championships, in his Julian Bethwaite-designed Winfield Racing skiff, he became the last winner of the title before the introduction of the new one-design 18 footer won its first title in 1996. Posted on 14 May
Smeg's 29 years of 18ft Skiff sponsorship success
It all began when a Trevor Barnabas-led team raced a skiff named Omega Smeg-2UE The Smeg Australia 18ft skiff sponsorship with the Australian 18 footers League began in 1996-97 and has continued harmoniously, with many great successes, over the following twenty nine seasons on Sydney Harbour. Posted on 7 May
The 18ft Skiff 'Big Boat Era'
The original 18 footers which raced from the 1890s to the mid-1930s We are all familiar with the modern 18 footers as they speed across Sydney Harbour with their carbon fibre hulls and lightweight state-of-the-art sails and spars but they a vastly different to the original 18 footers. Posted on 23 Apr
A look back at the 2003 18ft Skiff JJ Giltinan
The closest of 76 regattas in the greatest championship The recent JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship regatta produced some nervous moments for the Yandoo team of Tom Needham, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake during the 'crazy' westerly conditions of the last race Posted on 30 Mar
Winnings JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship Day 7
The Yandoo team of Tom Needham, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake wrap up the win The Yandoo team of Tom Needham, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake became the world 18 footer champions after scoring a brilliant victory in the Winnings 2025 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship, which concluded on Sydney Harbour today. Posted on 16 Mar
Winnings JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship Day 6
Yandoo in pole position going into Sunday's final race The Yandoo team of Tom Needham, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake went into today's Race 8 on Sydney Harbour with a two points lead over Finport Finance, its closest challenger to retaining the coveted title. Posted on 15 Mar