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North Sails Loft 57 Podcast

18ft Skiff NSW Championship on Sydney Harbour - Race 4

by Frank Quealey 12 Dec 2021 02:01 PST 12 December 2021

The defending champion Tech2 team of Jack Macartney, Charlie Wyatt and Lewis Brake produced a brilliant finishing burst to grab a last-minute victory in Race 4 of the 2021-2022 NSW 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour today.

Tech 2's team survived a capsize at the start, then hard to come from behind at the final rounding mark as the fleet headed for the finish line, before taking the lead for the only time during the race as it crossed the line a 1s winner.

Series leader Yandoo (John Winning, Mike Kennedy and Fang Warren) had led for most of the course in the more than 20-knot southerly wind and looked likely to hold on for her second win of the championship before Tech2 came in hard to grab victory right alongside the judge's boat at the short end of the finish line.

Andoo (James Dorron, Matt Stenta and Sam Newton) looked to be the major threat to Yandoo as the leaders approached the finish but had to settle for third place, a further 14s behind Yandoo.

It was a race which provided spectators with non-stop action, thrilling spinnaker runs down the harbour at top speed, spectacular capsizes and a magnificent finish.

At the half-way point of the eight-race championship, Yandoo still retains a narrow one point lead over today's winner, Tech2.

Yandoo has eight points, Tech2 nine points, Noakesailing (Sean Langman, Ed Powys and Josh Porebski) on 17, Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Steve Thomas) on 24, Burrawang-Young Henrys (Simon Nearn) on 32 and Fisher & Paykel (Jordan Girdis) on 35.

The race began in sensational circumstances when Smeg and Andoo were recalled for being over the line and only Andoo returned, while Tech2 and Shaw and Partners Financial Services both capsized as the fleet headed out for the top mark off Clark Island.

Smeg led the fleet around the Clark Island mark but her OCS and failure to return meant that the official race leader was Noakesailing ahead of Lazarus Capital Partners (Marcus Ashley-Jones) and Yandoo, which were followed by the charging pack as the fleet raced downwind to the bottom mark at Obelisk Bay.

While a couple of teams elected to set a spinnaker, most chose to do a two-sail reach for several hundred metres before setting one.

The speed of the boats was thrilling for the spectators but a few teams paid a price as the fleet approached Obelisk and the lead changed when both Noakesailing and Lazarus Capital Partners capsized.

Yandoo was now the leader followed by Burrawang-Young Henrys and a group including Andoo, Rag & Famish Hotel (Josh McKnight) and Tech2, which had quickly worked her way through the fleet after the start line incident.

On the next leg of the course, back to the mark at the southern end of Shark Island in Rose Bay, Yandoo had established a clear lead over Andoo while the big improver was The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Aron Everett), Tech2, Burrawang-Young Henrys and Finport Finance (Keagan York).

The same group maintained their positions on the next leg across the harbour from Rose Bay to the bottom mark in Athol Bay East, while Shaw and Partners Financial Services had also moved up to be on the edge of the group.

Yandoo continued to hold off her challengers until the fleet reached Obelisk Bay on the second lap but temporarily gave up the lead to Andoo until the latter boat capsized shortly after rounding the mark.

The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines was another casualty on the spinnaker run and was forced to retire with a broken spinnaker pole.

Despite the strong challengers from Tech2 and Andoo, Yandoo looked to be in control and was showing the same form the team has produced throughout the season so far

The three-boat neck-and-neck finish was a fitting was to end a great day's 18ft Skiff racing on Sydney Harbour.

Race 5 of the NSW Championship will be conducted on Sunday 19th. Spectators can follow the race on board the club's spectator ferry, however due to the Covid policy, numbers are limited. Booking online through the club's website 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.

Results after 4 of 8 races: (no discard yet applied)

PosTeamR1R2R3R4Pts
1Yandoo (John Winning Snr, Fang Warren, Mike Kennedy)23128
2Tech2 (Luke Parkinson, Charlie Wyatt, Lewis Brake)51219
3Noakesailing (Sean Langman, Ed Powys, Josh Porebski)1241017
4Shaw & Partners Financial Services (Steve Thomas, Lidsay Stead, Locky Pryor)6103524
5Burrawang‑Young Henrys (Simon Nearn, Rory Cox, Brandon Buyink)8810632
6Fisher & Paykel (Jordan Girdis, Nathan Edwards, Kurt Fatouros)4552135
7Finport Finance (Keagan York, Bryce Edwards, Phill Marshall)11614435
8Rag & Famish Hotel (Harry Price, Josh McKnight, Harry Hall)19412742
9Balmain Slake (Henry Larkings, Max Paul, Flynn Twomey)7218844
1018 Footers Bar and Restaurant (Pedro Vozone, Cam Walker, Paddy Bannon)129171250
11Smeg (Michael Coxan, Ricky Bridge, Zac Barnabus)32172152
12Appliances Online (Alex Marinelli, Darcy McCraken, Tyler Creevey)191215955
13The Kitchen Maker/ Ceasarstone (Lachlan Steel, Jerome Watts, Matt Doyle)1021111355
14Noakes Youth (Tom Cunich, Charlie Zeeman, Fynn Sprott)197162163
15Birkenhead Point Marina (Tim Westwood, Felix Daverio, Alex Chittenden)2211201164
16Noakes Blue (Yvette Heritage, Tom Clout, James Turner)922132165
17Lazarus Capital Partners (Marcus Ashley Jones, Jeronimo Harrison, Cam Gundy)192162167
18Andoo (Seve Jarvin, Matt Stenta, Sam Newton)222122368
19The Oak Double Bay / 4 Pines (Aron Everett, John Cooley, Charlie Gundy)192192170
20Lazarus Development (Hugo Stoner, Hugo Leeming, Alex Watson)1913182171
21Ilve (Nick Daly, Joel Turner, John Walton)2221222287

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