18ft Skiff Spring Championship on Sydney Harbour - Overall
by Frank Quealey 17 Nov 2019 00:16 PST
17 November 2019
The Appliancesonline.com.au team (Brett Van Munster, Phil Marshall and Kurt Fatouris) became the 2019-2020 Australian 18 Footers League Spring champions, but it was The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines team of Jack Macartney, Courtney Mahar, Charlie Gundy which took honours on the day with a 2m49s victory in Race 7 of the series on Sydney Harbour today.
Both teams were outstanding throughout the seven-race championship.
Appliancesonline.com.au finished with a total of 26 points, while the consistent The Oaks Double Bay-4 Pines was runner-up on 36 points. Third placed overall was Yandoo on 50 points, followed by Finport Finance on 54, Rag & Famish Hotel (Bryce Edwards) on 57 and Noakesailing (Sean Langman) on 58.
A 22-knots SE breeze enabled all teams to use their smaller #2 rigs for the first time this season and the fleet provided spectators with a great spectacle as they raced downwind at top speed.
Second place in today's race went to Smeg (Micah Lane, Scott Babbage, Peter Harris), with Yandoo (John Winning, Tom Clout, Brandon Buyink), just another 9s behind Smeg.
Noakes Blue (Yvette Heritage) was only another 6s. back in fourth place, followed by Winning Group (John Winning Jr.) in fifth and Ilve (Pedro Vozone) sixth.
A good breeze, some close racing throughout the fleet, and lead changes brought about by the 3-Buoys handicap system which operated at the Rose Bay windward mark, produced an interesting and exciting race.
Yandoo took the early lead from R Marine Pittwater (Marcus Ashley-Jones) and Noakes Blue before the fleet set spinnakers for an action packed, speed spectacle run from Rose Bay on the south side of Sydney Harbour to Robertson Point on the north.
Yandoo retained her lead at Robertson Point, but Birkenhead Point Marina (Tom Anderson) had taken over second place ahead of The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines, Ilve, Vintec (Dave Hayter) and The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone (Jordan Girdis).
On the next windward leg to Clark Island, The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines grabbed the lead from Yandoo with Ilve in third place and Appliancesonline.com.au closing in on the group.
Sporting brand new #2 sails, Appliancesonline.com.au was superb on the third windward leg as the fleet sailed from Chowder Bay to Rose Bay but The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines took advantage of the 3-Buoys system to grab the lead back, ahead of Yandoo, appliancesonline and Ilve.
The Oak's team were confident about their speed and tacked soon after rounding the buoy in Taylor Bay while most of the chasing teams preferred to stay on a port tack across the harbour.
Over the last two legs of the long SE course, The Oak's supremacy was never tested as the team sailed faultlessly to record a comfortable win.
Appliancesonline had worked her way back into second place on the final leg of the course before the team were caught out in the lee of an outgoing ship.
Race 7 Results:
| Pos | Boat Name | Finish | Elasped |
|---|
| 1 | The Oak Double Bay / 4 Pines
(Jack Macartney ) | 15:54:51 | 01:09:51 |
| 2 | Smeg
(Micah Lane) | 15:57:40 | 01:12:40 |
| 3 | Yandoo
(John Winning Snr) | 15:57:49 | 01:12:49 |
| 4 | Noakes Blue
(Yvette Heritage) | 15:57:55 | 01:12:55 |
| 5 | Winning Group
(John Winning Jnr) | 15:58:21 | 01:13:21 |
| 6 | Ilve
(Pedro Vozone) | 15:58:32 | 01:13:32 |
| 7 | thekitchenmaker.com.au
(Jordan Girdis) | 15:58:52 | 01:13:52 |
| 8 | AppliancesOnline.com.au
(Brett Van Munster) | 15:59:07 | 01:14:07 |
| 9 | Rag & Famish Hotel
(Bryce Edwards) | 16:01:10 | 01:16:10 |
| 10 | Marcus Ashley Jones
(Marcus Ashley Jones) | 16:01:22 | 01:16:22 |
| 11 | Vintec
(Dave Hayter) | 16:05:55 | 01:20:55 |
| 12 | Dal Zotto
(Jack Sprague) | 16:07:54 | 01:22:54 |
| DNC | Finport Finance / Breene & Breene Solicitors
(Keagan York) | | |
| DNC | Noakesailing
(Sean Langman) | | |
| OCS | Shaw & Partners Financial Services
(James Dorron) | | |
| DNC | Tech2
(Jack Macartney) | | |
| DNC | Tom Clout
(Tom Clout) | | |
| OCS | Lumix
(Alex Watson) | | |
| DNF | Birkenhead Point Marina
(Tom Anderson) | | |
The Australian 18 Footer League's 2019-2020 Season continues next Sunday when the club will stage Race 1 of the NSW Championship.
Spectators can see all the teams while they are rigging, then follow the racing on board the club's spectator ferry, which leaves Double Bay Wharf, alongside the rigging area, each race day at 2pm.
Book online through the club's website www.18footers.com.
The AeroMedia Live Broadcast team will also be out on Sydney Harbour to capture all the action for those who can't make it onto the water. The livestreaming is available by going to www.18footers.com and clicking on the '18 Footers TV' link.
As well as watching the livestreaming coverage, you can also follow all the club's racing throughout the entire 2019-2020 Racing Season:
- Club Website - www.18footers.com
- Twitter - @18skiff
- Instagram - @18skiff
- Facebook - International 18Ft Skiff