Please select your home edition
Edition
Barton Marine 2019 728x90

18ft Skiff Australian Championship on Sydney Harbour - Race 8

by Frank Quealey 14 Feb 2021 01:13 PST 14 February 2021

After trailing the leader for most of today's Race 8 of the Australian 18ft Skiff Championship, the defending champion tech2 team of Jack Macartney, Charlie Wyatt and Lewis Brake staged a remarkable comeback over the final two legs of the southerly course to win a thrilling, action-packed race on Sydney Harbour.

tech2 trailed race leader Smeg (Michael Coxon, Ricky Bridge, Trent Barnabas) by 47s at the Shark Island windward mark, but took full advantage on the final spinnaker run across the harbour to finish near Clark Island with a winning margin of 49s over Smeg.

Winning Group (John Winning Jr., Joel Turner, Sam Newton) was a further 1m43s back in third place, ahead of Noakesailing (Sean Langman), Yandoo (John Winning) and Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Jim Colley)

With just next Sunday's Race 9 of the championship still to be sailed, there is little between the top two teams, which have dominated a highly entertaining series.

Discarding each team's worst performance to date, tech2 has a total score of 11 points, followed by Smeg on 13, Noakesailing on 30, Shaw and Partners Financial Services on 37, Finport Finance on 38 and Winning Group on 39 points.

Today's race, which was sailed in a 18-24-knot southerly wind, produced some spectacular spinnaker action on the long run from Clark Island to Obelisk Bay, a brilliant performance by the Smeg team on the two windward legs back from Obelisk Bay to Rose Bay, and individual battles of teams throughout the fleet.

From the start the race produced action as the 16 starters (following pre-race incidents which prevented appliancesonline.com.au and Rag & Famish Hotel from starting) raced to the first windward mark off Clark Island with mere secs. separating the leaders.

Finport Finance and Smeg were locked together, and with spinnakers set, the pair quickly accelerated away from Winning Group and Yandoo as the fleet set off for Obelisk Bay.

Unfortunately Finport Finance capsized on the long run, leaving Smeg with a lead over tech2, which had recovered well after a slow start, Winning Group, Shaw and Partners, Noakesailing and Yandoo.

The Smeg team tacked early while most of the chasers elected to stay on a port tack across the harbour. The move proved a winner for Smeg which blew the fleet away and held a 50s lead over tech2 at the following mark at the southern end of Shark Island in Rose Bay.

Winning Group was still in third place, but was then 1m20s behind the leader.

tech2's downwind speed has been electric throughout the entire season and again brought the skiff back into contention. Following the reach across the harbour and the work back to Clark Island, tech2 had reduced Smeg's lead to just 10s.

It was a real match race back to Obelisk Bay and little separated the two champion teams.

Once again, Smeg totally dominated the work back to the Shark Island mark and appeared to have the race under control when she held a 47s lead over tech2.

Race 8 Results:

PosBoat NameFinishElaspedHandicapCorrectedCorrected Pos
1Tech2 (Jack Macartney / Charlie Wyatt / Lewis Brake)16:42:3501:13:35001:13:352
2Smeg (Michael Coxon Jnr / Ricky Bridge / Trent Barnabas)16:43:2401:14:24201:12:241
3Winning Group (John Winning Jnr / Joel Turner / Sam Newton)16:45:0701:16:07201:14:076
4Noakesailing (Sean Langman / Ed Powys / Josh Porebski)16:46:4201:17:42401:13:423
5Yandoo (John Winning Snr / Fang Warren / Mike Kennedy)16:46:5201:17:52401:13:525
6Shaw & Partners Financial Services (Jim Colley / Shaun Conner / Harry Bethwaite)16:48:0901:19:09401:15:097
7Andoo (Marcus Ashley Jones / Cam Gundy / Jeronimo Harrison)16:48:2701:19:27401:15:278
8The Oak Double Bay / 4 Pines (Aron Everett / Courtney Mahar / Charlie Gundy)16:49:3001:20:30301:17:3010
9thekitchenmaker.com.au (Jordan Girdis / Lachlan Doyle / Tom Quigley)16:50:4601:21:46601:15:469
10Birkenhead Point Marina (Tim Westwood / Alex Chittendon / Felix Daverio)16:51:4701:22:47901:13:474
11Vintec (Tom Cunich / Alex Marinelli / Harry Hall)16:52:4601:23:46601:17:4611
12Noakes Blue (Yvette Heritage / Rory Cox / James Turner)16:53:5301:24:53601:18:5312
13Ilve (Pedro Vozone / Cam Walker / Josh Marks)17:03:5401:34:541201:22:5413
14Lazarus Capital Partners (Lachlan Steel / Jerome Watts / Matt Doyle)17:15:0301:46:031001:36:0314
15Bird and Bear (Alex Gough / Lucas Chapman / John Walton)17:15:1001:46:10401:42:1015
DNSAppliancesOnline.com.au (Simon Nearn / Brandon Buynik / Kurt Fatouros)     
DNSRag & Famish Hotel (Anthony Young / Matt / Phillips)     
DNFFinport Finance / Breene & Breene Solicitors (Keagan York / Matt Stenta / Phil Marshall)     

The championship has produced some dramatic finishes and some spectacular action. Next Sunday's final should be one not to miss.

Race 9 of the Australian Championship, will be conducted next Sunday (February 14). 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, the club's 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

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
Winnings JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship Day 5
A critical race going into the weekend's final two races With just one point separating the two leading contenders for the Winnings 2025 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship, today's Race 7 of the nine-race regatta was going to be critical going into the weekend's final two races. Posted on 13 Mar
Winnings JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship Day 4
Races 5 and 6 were light and shifty Today's wind was light and shifty as it was yesterday, but the results of the two short-course races was vastly different, which has added to the drama of the final three races of the Winnings 2025 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship. Posted on 12 Mar
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic RangeSelden 2020 - FOOTERRooster 2025