18ft Skiff Club Championship Race 6 Preview
by Frank Quealey 27 Nov 2025 07:22 GMT
30 November 2025
After last Sunday's 18 footer double-header over two short course races, the Australian 18 Footers League returns to a full length championship for next Sunday's Race 6 of the Club Championship on Sydney Harbour.
The same course which will be used during the Giltinan World Championship later in the season.
While the current Giltinan world champion skipper, Tom Needham will be missing from the Yandoo on Sunday, the early prediction of a 15-knot ENE breeze at race time should give an indication of what might be ahead for the big regattas in 2026.
Despite the lack of Needham in Yandoo, his replacement (yet to be named), along with the regular sheet hand Fang Warren and bowman Lewis Brake, the team will start Sunday's race as a narrow favourite ahead of a group of very strong challengers.
Heading the challenging group, following very impressive performances over the past two weeks, is Balmain, skippered by Henry Larkings, with Tom Grimes on the sheet and Lachlan Pryor in the bow.
Balmain was successful in winning Races 3 and 4 of the club championship by margins of 58s and 37s respectively, before finishing 3rd behind Club Marine (Emma Rankin) and Rag & Famish Hotel (Seve Jarvin, replacing Ben Crafoord) last Sunday. Both teams are among the group of strong challengers.
Others in strong contention are the extremely consistent Sixt (Jacob Marks), the new Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Keagan York), Smeg (Ash Rooklyn) and Lazarus Capital Services (Tom Cunich).
It's particularly encouraging that several young male and female competitors as well as rookie 18 footer teams are heavily represented in the top 10. It's also a deserving reward for the League's administrators who have encouraged and supported the emerging talent.
The championship is one of the most important events on the annual 18 footer program. It is raced over a total of 14 races throughout the season and each boat must 'carry' the result of every race in the series. There are NO discards and it's seen as a true test of the season's best.
Previous winners of the 90-year-old championship include some of the greatest names in 18 footer history - from 'Billo' Hayward in the late 1930s to John Winning 2023-24.
The winner's list includes many multiple winners Don Barnett and Cliff Monkhouse in the 1950s, Bob Holmes in the 60s and 70s, Hugh Treharne and Dave Porter in the 70s, Iain Murray 70s-80s, Rob Brown and Michael Walsh in the 80s and Trevor Barnabas, who won in late 80s then 90s-early 2000s.
Other multiple winners in the modern 'New 18s - one design' era are John Harris, Michael Coxon, Seve Jarvin, John Winning, Lee Knapton and Jack Macartney.
None of the present skippers have won the title to date, so it must be an added incentive for each to get his or her name on the trophy alongside those (and other previous champions) listed above.
Going into Sunday's race, Yandoo leads the series with a total of 20 points, followed by Balmain on 25, Rag & Famish Hotel on 26, Sixt on 26, Smeg 35, Lazarus Capital Partners 35, Club Marine 36, Shaw and Partners Financial Services 46, Sotheby's Ballard Property (Bec Hancock) 47 and Fisher & Paykel (Brett Van Munster) on 54.
The Australian 18 Footers League's usual Spectator Ferry will leave Double Bay Wharf on Sunday at 2pm. SailMedia will also cover all the racing action LIVE: