18ft Skiff Club Championship at the Australian 18 Footers League - Race 13
by Frank Quealey 5 Feb 2023 23:03 NZDT
5 February 2023
With just two more championship races to be sailed before the 73rd JJ Giltinan World 18ft Skiff Championship is held on Sydney Harbour, today's Burrawang Village Hotel-sponsored Australian 18 Footers League Club Championship took on more importance than ever.
In a 10-12 knot Easterly breeze, the Rag & Famish Hotel team of Harry Price, Josh McKnight and Michael Kennedy won the start and sailed a perfect race to record an all the way 45s win over the 18-boat fleet.
It was a timely return to form for the young Rag & Famish Hotel team, who has not had the best of fortune over the past couple of months, and has added even more interest at the top of the fleet in the upcoming Giltinan Championship.
Smeg's Michael Coxon, Ricky Bridge and Tom Anderson continue to improve with each race and grabbed second place, 15s ahead of a fast-finishing Andoo (John Winning Jr, Seve Jarvin and Sam Newton).
Former Australian champion James Dorron, skippering Lazarus, as a replacement for Marcus Ashley-Jones, finished fourth, ahead of Finport Finance (Keagan York) and Yandoo (John Winning).
With two more races still to be sailed in the championship, Andoo leads with a total of 27 points, followed by Smeg on 38, Lazarus on 49, Yandoo 50, Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Jim Colley) 66 and today's winner Rag & Famish Hotel on 72.
In today's race, The Rag's crew tacked soon after winning the start and led the fleet by 30s at the top mark south of Shark Island near Rose Bay.
The race for second place produced a close downwind battle between two former Australian champion skippers James Dorron and Michael Coxon as they drove their respective Lazarus and Smeg skiffs down the harbour to the bottom mark off Kurraba Point.
Finport Finance, Burrawang-Young Henrys (Simon Nearn), Yandoo, Andoo, Marine Outlet (Cam Gundy), Fisher & Paykel (Jordan Girdis) and Shaw and Partners were also not far behind in a large group.
As the fleet headed back to the top mark on the second beat, Rag & Famish had doubled her lead and maintained much of the margin through the entire leg to lead by 55s as spinnakers were then set for the next run back to Kurraba Point.
Smeg was still in second place ahead of Lazarus while Andoo was beginning to make a move and had worked her way into fourth spot ahead of Finport Finance and Yandoo.
Over the final two legs of the course, Smeg put out a strong challenge for the lead but the Rag & Famish Hotel team was more than ready and withstood all the challenges before crossing the finish line a well-deserved winner on the day.
The Presidents Trophy was held in conjunction with the Club Championship and resulted in a great win for The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone, sailed by Lachlan Steel, Jerome Watts and Finn Rodowicz.
Today's result sheet, progress points table and images from the race, are attached.
NOTE: 73rd JJ Giltinan World Championship will be sailed on Sydney Harbour from March 4-12.
Next week the Australian 18 Footers League will stage the next heat of the Club Championship, on Sunday, February 12.
Spectators can follow the action on board the club's spectator ferry, as they have done for the past 87 years, which leaves Double Bay Wharf alongside the clubhouse at 2pm.
Booking online through the club's website is essential, 18footers.com/18-footer-racing/spectator-ferry
For anyone who can't make it out onto the water, the League's live broadcast team will be out on Sydney Harbour to capture all the action. Live streaming is available at www.18footers.com