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Australian 13ft & 16ft Skiff National Championships at Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club - Day 3

by Adam Lucius 10 Jan 09:51 GMT 7-14 January 2023

The Australian 16ft fraternity's leading FIFO skipper Dave O'Connor is on another hit and run mission, eyeing a second national title after guiding Noakes to back-to-back wins at Manly on Tuesday.

O'Connor and experienced crew Pete Mackie and Ricky Bridge sailed flawlessly in the 15-knot sou' easterly, leading at each mark in both races to capture two bullets and race to the top of the overall pointscore list at the halfway point of the regatta.

O'Connor won his first Australia crown on Manly Surf n Slide in 2018/19 and could join the elite group of skippers to win nationals at different clubs after linking with Bridge and Mackie at St George.

Remarkably, the trio has not done a lot of sailing together, with Byron Bay-based O'Connor operating like a Fly in Fly out worker when the big races are on. "I was with Trent (Barnabas) and Rob (Napper) at Manly but with the birth of my child I missed the nationals last year and they got Dave Gilmour onboard (IMEI)," O'Connor explained. "They were really happy with him and he's a remarkable sailor so I jumped on with these guys. "We've got a great sponsor in Sean Langman at Noakes and Pete and Ricky are legends of the sport and have probably won 10 nationals between them, so I'm just the lucky guy who gets to step on and steer."

O'Connor saw plenty of his old crewmates as Noakes and IMEI slugged it out in heat four, the St George entrant eventually pulling away to record a 36-second victory. Belmont's NHS Building Supplies was third from Red Pumps Red (Tyler Dransfield) and Moonen Yachts (Daniel Turner). Noakes enjoyed a little more breathing space in heat five, comfortably holding off Sail Racing (Felix Grech), SKE Electrical (Scott Babbage), IMEI and NHSBS to clinch its second win as Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance with Somebody blasted out from the Ladies Day function back at the club.

"We had a really interesting day and to get two wins is great," O'Connor said. "The three of us are quite heavy so when it's light we struggle, but when the breeze is up we're trucking. "As long as we put the boat in the right spot, we seem to go alright.

"These guys have got sailing smarts and we keep our heads and keep it simple." Noakes badly needed to pull something special out after an ordinary start to the regatta left it chasing the lead pack. They now sit fifth overall and are sure to be threatening for title honours as we reach the back-end of the week.

IMEI is yet to win a heat but consistent top six finishes has it narrowly ahead of Manly clubmate Sail Racing and defending champion Typhoon (Nathan Wilmot) on the scratch pointscore. Moonen Yachts is lurking in fourth from Noakes, Eric's Storage (Harry Lawson) and Botany Access (Chris Thomas).

Middle Harbour's Man Flu (Nicholas Stabback) leads handicap honours, Southerly (Zoe Dransfield) heads the female division, Typhoon fronts the masters and Light and Wonder (Matt Meaney) is showing the way in the youth category.

Wednesday has been called a lay day with the regatta resuming on Thursday with heat six and the rescheduled heat one.

Further information can be found at www.manlyskiff.com.au and skiffs.org.au

Results after Day 3:

PosBoat NameSkipperClubR1R2R3R4R5Pts
16ft Skiffs
1IMEIDavid GilmourM16SSCABN462416
2Sail RacingFelix GrechM16SSCABN1312218
3TyphoonNathan WilmotM16SSCABN2110619
4Moonen YachtsDaniel TurnerM16SSCABN525820
5NoakesDave O'ConnorStGSCABN3251139
6Eric's StorageHarry LawsonMH16SCABN64141741
7Botany AccessChris ThomasM16SSCABN101291445
8SkelconHenry MakinB16ABN23108748
9Red Pumps RedTyler DransfieldM16SSCABN121941550
10TribecaBen BradleyStGSCABN15962050
11Sutech Building ConsultantsMichael KoernerM16SSCABN77152352
12DominosMichael QuirkB16ABN820161357
13CunninghamsNick ConnorM16SSCABN291111960
14MustoHugh StodartM16SSCABN1117211261
15SKE ElectricalScott BabbageB16ABN19357364
16Light & WonderMatt MeaneyB16ABN924241168
17Infinity RiggingLachlan SteelStGSCABN1716181869
18SoutherlyZoe DransfieldM16SSCABN38303273
19Fluid BuildingClint BowenM16SSCABN1413252779
20NHS Building SuppliesTom DawsonB16ABN49F283585
21Outback MarineGeorgia ClancyM16SSCABN1627261685
22ChubbsJesse DransfieldM16SSCABN26.518202488.5
23RW RetailCarlton SmithDPSSABN2031172189
24Red PumpsBruce SavageM16SSCABN3625131993
25Noakes BlueRyan EwingsStGSCABN2421222693
26CMG Property MaintenanceMichael VincentMH16SCABN21262728102
27ShebangAnthony KingM16SSCABN22302925106
28KamikazeRichard WilliamsMH16SCABN30342322109
29NozomiAndrew ChapmanB16ABN252949F10113
30ToogaraJosh TaskerStGSCABN33153530113
31Employment HeroWill DivolaM16SSCABN18223241113
32Capital Brewing Co.Jessica IlesM16SSCABN13234236114
33Firestopping ManlyAlex HartM16SSCABN26.5382829121.5
34P LeahyMark WillsonMH16SCABN34323333132
35MH44Eva AttwoodMH16SCABN36N19N4137133
36EdendaMatilda LangDSCABN28363931134
37Bartley Construction 16Nathan LilleyM16SSCABN35333135134
38KonamiRod CarterB16ABN38451943145
39WichardZac HeyesB16ABN37403434145
40FIREBALLJames DowneyM16SSCABN40373838153
41Man FluNicholas StabbackMH16SCABN39433642160
42SheadMarilyn SorensenMH16SCABN42413744164
43Skiffropes.comAmy HargraveMH16SCABN45394049F173
44WeathertexJess RiversB16ABN444249F40175
45XXXX GoldNeale JonesB16ABN414448N44N177
46Erics RemovalsJoshua TheunissenMH16SCABN434649F49C187
47Joe Walsh RiggingCraig DoranM16SSCABN49N49C4445187
48Bella GroupGeorgia SteensonB16ABN49C49C49C49C196
13ft Skiffs
135EBIXJemma Hopkins31217M16SSC
238Bartley ConstructionTaylor Springett164213M16SSC
341Botany ScaffoldSophie Hart2211318M16SSC
446FluidDonald Rowlinson636419M16SSC
543CyberTechGroup.orgTheo Franklin7N10N1523M16SSC
615SheerlineOwen Gillmeister855624M16SSC
732Plonk CafeAvril Richardson448925MH16SC
816LivewireIssac Robbins101131135HKSC
99#9Angus Stewart9791237HKSC
1040CheekyZackary Wyatt1597738HKSC
1137DutchessAmy Bentley71412841M16SSC
1244AwolAndrew de Montfort1213101348M16SSC
1345QEDDavid Tulk111016H1451M16SSC
1431ABICOZachary Brakenbury16N16N131055M16SSC
1527Black CatByron Lowe131216F1556HKSC

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