Please select your home edition
Edition
V-DRY-X

Better conditions expected for 18ft Skiff NSW Championship race 3

by Frank Quealey 3 Dec 2020 15:24 AEDT 6 December 2020

After a dramatic day of 40-knot Westerly winds, which forced the Australian 18 Footers League to abandon Race 2 of the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour last Sunday, the championship will resume with Race 3 next Sunday in far more favourable conditions for good racing.

The weather forecast shows that a moderate14-knot South East/East South East wind will be on hand for the 18-boat fleet, which will allow all teams to use their big #1 rigs.

While most of the fleet elected to stay ashore last Sunday, the effort made by four hardy teams to battle the elements was in the true 128-year-old tradition of 18ft Skiff racing.

Yandoo, skippered by John Winning, was the first to arrive at the start line in Rose Bay, followed by Winning Group, skippered by Seve Jarvin.

Smeg, skippered by Michael Coxon, made it to within about 300 metres of the start line before being unable to stay afloat.

The only other team to brave the conditions was the Appliancesonline.com.au team, skippered by League club Commodore Simon Nearn, which was also battered by the fierce winds on the way to the start.

With racing likely to get back to normal racing conditions on Sunday, all teams will be out to test their teamwork as well as some of their new sails.

Jack Macartney's Australian champion tech2 team has been a very strong performer in the Spring Championship races held earlier in the season, and won Race 1 of the NSW Championship, but will be put under pressure from the defending champion Winning Group team, skippered by John Winning Jr.

While the pair are likely to share favouritism for the race, there are a number of teams more than capable of causing an 'upset'.

Probably strongest challenger at this stage of the season is the Smeg team, led by three-time JJ Giltinan world champion Michael Coxon. As well as Coxon, the Smeg team also has world 18ft skiff champion crew members Ricky Bridge on the sheet and Trent Barnabas in the bow to round out a strong, experienced combination.

There are also a number of other teams capable of race wins and a strong championship performance.

Heading that list are The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Aron Everett), Finport Finance (Keagan York) and Yandoo (John Winning), who have all began the championship with solid placings behind Race 1 winner tech2, and cannot be discounted over the remaining races.

Another large group, including experienced Noakesailing (Sean Langman), Andoo (Marcus Ashley-Jones), Bird & Bear (Tom Clout), The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone (Jordan Girdis) and Rag & Famish Hotel (Anthony Young), as well as newcomers Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Jim Colley) and Vintec (Tom Cunich) have also shown they are capable of an upset.

We should have a much clearer picture of form after next Sunday's Race 3 of the NSW Championship on Sydney Harbour.

Spectators can follow the racing on board the club's spectator ferry, however due to the COVID-19 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, AeroMedia 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.

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 on 2 Jul
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
Zhik 2024 DecemberAllen Dynamic 40 FooterRooster 2025