18ft Skiff Season Point Score - Race 19
by Frank Quealey 15 Feb 08:44 GMT
15 February 2026
Race day partner: Lazarus Capital Partners
Another day of incredibly tough racing conditions during the 2025-26 season couldn't stop the reigning world 18ft skiff champion Yandoo team of John Winning Jr, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake from scoring a hard-fought victory in the Australian 18 Footers League's Season Point Score Race 19 on Sydney Harbour today.
In light SE winds which dropped to near zero for a good section of the long course, Yandoo outlasted the gallant crew (Joel Beashel, Trent Barnabas and Andy Martin) of the German Black Knight skiff to cross the finish line with a winning margin of 28s.
The youngest crew in the fleet (Ben Crafoord, Ryan Ewings and Max Nearn) produced probably their best race since joining the 18s this season to bring Rag & Famish Hotel home in third place 2m6s behind Black Knight.
Australian champion Balmain (Henry Larkings) finished in fourth place, ahead of Brisbane's Big Foot Bags & Covers (Dave Hayter) and fast-finishing Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich).
The race began in just 5knots of breeze with the leaders in the fleet splitting into two separate groups, each side of Shark Island, as they headed for the weather mark off the southern end of the island.
Yandoo's crew, which went to the LHS grabbed a 20s break over Rag & Famish Hotel and Black Knght, which both went to the RHS, and the trio set up what would become a great three-way battle for more than half the course.
The Yandoo crew did some running repairs on the long spinnaker run across the harbour to Robertson Point but managed to retain a 20s break over their nearest rival, which was now Black Knight. Rag & Famish was thirs ahead Of Big Foot, Balmain, The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel), and Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Keagan York).
A slight change of wind direction on the beat to Clark Island allowed Black Knight to take advantage of the RHS of the course and grab a 40s break over Yandoo and Rag & Famish Hotel as spinnakers were set for the run to Chowder Bay.
The first part of the run produced a good, close spinnaker battle between the two leaders before the wind dropped and created massive problems to the leaders as well as half the which were left spread across the harbour.
In little breeze, Black Knight finally rounded the Chowder Bay mark with a 30s advantage over Yandoo with Rag & Famish just 15s further back in third place.
The following leg into the weather mark south of Shark Island was slow as the leaders struggled to find breeze until they cleared Steel Point.
The Black Knight crew were first to pick up the breeze but the experienced Yandoo team elected to go futher to the LHS of the course and reduced the margin back to 20s and the challenge was back on. Unfortunately for the young Rag team, they went closer to Shark Island and didn't get the 'lift' and dropped off the three-way battle after a great effort to match their more experienced opponents.
On the loop across to Taylor's Bay (under spinnaker) and back to the weather mark off Shark Island, Black Knight held a 7s lead over Yandoo and the pair of champion crews produced an exciting race in 'ordinary' conditions.
The final spinnaker to Robertson Point was going to be critical to both teams as they raced alongside each other for most of the run before Yandoo finally 'rolled over' Black Knight and headed for the finish line off Clark Island with a narrow lead of just 4s.
With more breeze, now around 10-knots, Yandoo's crew revelled in the conditions and eased away from the Black Knight to record their 28s victory in the race which took 1hr27m35s to complete.
Next Sunday (February 22) the League will conduct Race 14 of its Club Championship and Race 20 of the Season Point Score. The usual spectator ferry will follow the race and SailMedia will live stream the action with expert commentary from the course.
18ft Skiff Season Point Score Race 19 Results:
| Pos | Boat Name | Finish | Elapsed | Handicap | Corrected | Corrected Pos |
|---|
| 1 | Yandoo (Herman Winning / Fang Warren / Lewis Brake) | 16:12:35 | 01:27:35 | 0 | 01:27:35 | 9 |
| 2 | Black Knight (Joel Beashal / Trent Barnebett / Andy Martin) | 16:13:03 | 01:28:03 | 2 | 01:26:03 | 2 |
| 3 | Rag & Famish (Ben Crafoord / Ryan Ewings / Max Nearn) | 16:15:09 | 01:30:09 | 3 | 01:27:09 | 7 |
| 4 | Balmain (Henry Larkings / Tom Grimes / Lachlan Pryor) | 16:15:15 | 01:30:15 | 0 | 01:30:15 | 12 |
| 5 | Big Foot Bags and Covers (David Hayter / Trent Neighbour / Elliott Mahar) | 16:15:51 | 01:30:51 | 4 | 01:26:51 | 4 |
| 6 | Lazarus (Tom Cunich / Marc Chapon / Tim Westwood) | 16:16:10 | 01:31:10 | 4 | 01:27:10 | 8 |
| 7 | Shaw and Partners (Keagan York / Max Paul / Tom Anderson) | 16:16:18 | 01:31:18 | 3 | 01:28:18 | 10 |
| 8 | Smeg (Ash Rooklyn / Steve Thomas / Paddy Bannon) | 16:17:06 | 01:32:06 | 5 | 01:27:06 | 6 |
| 9 | The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel / George Morton / Orlando Sadik) | 16:18:08 | 01:33:08 | 8 | 01:25:08 | 1 |
| 10 | The Royal Oak (Seve Jarvin / Zann Scrimgeour / Daniel Watson) | 16:18:12 | 01:33:12 | 7 | 01:26:12 | 3 |
| 11 | The Killer Coffee Co (Jordan Girdis / Max Vos / Nick Rozenauers) | 16:21:01 | 01:36:01 | 9 | 01:27:01 | 5 |
| 12 | Sixt (Jacob Marks / Alex Marinelli / Matt Doyle) | 16:21:19 | 01:36:19 | 6 | 01:30:19 | 13 |
| 13 | Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchel / Andrew Stephenson / Daniel Barnett) | 16:22:53 | 01:37:53 | 5 | 01:32:53 | 15 |
| 14 | Club Marine (Emma Rankin / Will Bridge / Rory Cox) | 16:22:57 | 01:37:57 | 6 | 01:31:57 | 14 |
| 15 | Gotcha4Life (Kade Morgan / Graeme Fairbairn / Isaac Marney) | 16:23:50 | 01:38:50 | 10 | 01:28:50 | 11 |
| 16 | Fisher and Paykel (Warren Sare / Logan Radford / Tom Quigley) | 16:29:49 | 01:44:49 | 7 | 01:37:49 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 Footers B&R Racing Team (Ollie Ross / Nic Livermore / Max Herscovics) | 16:35:27 | 01:50:27 | 10 | 01:40:27 | 17 |
| DNF | Sothebys Ballard Properties (Bec Hancock / Cam Walker / Ed Swain) | | | | | |
