Please select your home edition
Edition
Hyde Sails 2024 - One Design

18ft Skiffs: Sunday's NSW Championship decider

by Frank Quealey 27 Jan 2022 17:13 AEDT 30 January 2022

Despite a lack of traditional North East winds throughout the 2021-22 NSW 18ft Skiff Championship, the racing has been fast, exciting and has produced some great finishes with four different teams crossing the finish line first in the seven races so far.

The final race of the series comes next Sunday (January 30) on Sydney Harbour when the 21-boat fleet lines up to determine the champion and only one point separates the two teams at the top of the points table.

Series leader, Yandoo has a net total of 14 points, one ahead of defending champion Tech2 on 15 points, and the two teams couldn't be more different.

The Yandoo team of John 'Woody' Winning, Mike Kennedy and Fang Warren are the oldest in the fleet. 'Woody', the 2000 JJ Giltinan world champion, is the oldest at 69 years.

Tech2's team of Jack Macartney, Charlie Wyatt and Lewis Brake are not only the defending champions but are also winners of the last two Australian Championships, in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Regardless of the age difference in the teams, both groups individually have many 18 footer and other class records of championship victories in their CVs, and are all sailing brilliantly in the tough conditions the fleet has experienced so far this season.

For a number of various reasons, the two series headers have established a break in points over the rest of the fleet and the winner will almost certainly come from either Yandoo or Tech2.

On form, however, the racing at the top end of the fleet is first class with at least seven or eight teams capable of winning Sunday's race.

As well as race winners Noakesailing (Sean Langman) and Rag & Famish Hotel (Harry Price) in the NSW titles, the current JJ Giltinan champion Smeg team (Michael Coxon), Andoo (Seve Jarvin), Lazarus Capital Partners (Marcus Ashley-Jones) and Finport Finance (Keagan York) all have the experience and potential to win.

Aside from the obvious reason to determine who will be the 21-22 NSW champion, the race will also have great importance to all teams as it is the last hit out before the 100th Australian Championship is contested on the harbour from February 5-13.

With so many new and improving teams this season, the racing throughout the entire fleet has been extremely close and exciting for spectators. There are always numerous 2-3-boat races going on within the main race.

The standard already reached by the new teams, together with the stronger performances for many of the existing teams has stamped this as possibly the strongest fleet at the Australian 18 Footers League for several seasons.

Steve Thomas, who is having his first season in the 18s, is skipper of Shaw and Partners Financial Services and is currently in fifth place overall, which includes 2xthird placings, 1 fifth and 1 seventh in the last five starts.

Regular 18 footer skippers Jordan Girdis and Simon Nearn are both having a strong season based on consistency in almost every race condition. Girdis is presently placed sixth in Fisher & Paykel while Nearn's Burrawang-Young Henry's team is seventh.

Spectators can follow Sunday's championship-deciding race on board the club's spectator ferry, however due to the Covid 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.

Results after 7 races:

PosTeamR1R2R3R4R5R6R7Pts
1Yandoo (John Winning Snr, Fang Warren, Mike Kennedy)2312102414
2Tech2 (Jack Macartney, Charlie Wyatt, Lewis Brake)5125201115
3Noakesailing (Sean Langman, Ed Powys, Josh Porebski)12410319828
4Rag Famish Hotel (Harry Price, Josh McKnight, Harry Hall)19412714230
5Shaw & Partners Financial Services (Steve Thomas, Lidsay Stead, Locky Pryor)61035732134
6Fisher & Paykel (Jordan Girdis, Nathan Edwards, Kurt Fatouros)45521661137
7Burrawang‑ Young Henrys (Simon Nearn, Rory Cox, Brandon Buyink)88106591446
8Smeg (Michael Coxan, Ricky Bridge, Zac Barnabus)321721219658
9Finport Finance (Keagan York, Bryce Edwards, Phill Marshall)11614420221267
1018 Footers Bar and Restaurant (Pedro Vozone, Cam Walker, Paddy Bannon)129171211111368
11The Kitchen Maker/ Ceasarstone (Lachlan Steel Jerome Watts, Matt Doyle)102111139101871
12Ballmain Slake (Henry Larkings, Max Paul, Flynn Twomey)7218820191072
13Lazarus Capital Partners (Marcus Ashley Jones, Jeronimo Harrison, Cam Gundy)1921621205576
14The Oak Double Bay/ 4 Pines (Aron Everett, John Cooley, Charlie Gundy)1921921228785
15Birkenhead Point Marina (Tim Westwood, Felix Daverio, Alex Chittenden)221120112071988
16Appliances Online (Alex Marinelli, Darcy McCraken, Tyler Creevey)191215920191589
17Andoo (Seve Jarvin, Matt Stenta, Sam Newton)22212232219390
18Noakes Blue (Yvette Heritage, Tom Clout, James Turner)922132112191791
19Noakes Youth (Tom Cunich, Charlie Zeeman, Fynn Sprott)19716212022992
20Lazarus Development (Hugo Stoner, Hugo Leeming, Alex Watson)19131821201222103
21Ilve (Nick Daly, Joel Turner, John Walton)22212222202216123

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
Barton Marine Pipe GlandsSea Sure 2025Cyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTER