16ft Skiff National Championship winner - Rookie from Sailing Royalty
by Adam Lucius 11 Jan 22:30 PST
4-11 January 2025
Joel Beashel has become the youngest skipper to take out the Australian 16ft Championship, winning the title 63 years after his famous grand-father Ken etched his name on the trophy.
Still driving on his L plates and about to start a boat building apprenticeship, Joel is just 16 years of age and in only his second season of 16s aboard Manly boat IMEI. Yet he held off a fleet of Olympic and national champions to claim the biggest prize in the class on Hervey Bay. The teenager combined with multi-national champions Rob Napper and Trent Barnabas to steer IMEI to victory after a regatta that threw up seven different heat winners in a variety of conditions.
IMEI went into Saturday's crucial last day eight points ahead of clubmate Imagine Signage (Nathan Wilmot) but was declared overall winner without having to sail after the final heat was abandoned due to a lack of wind. They were a model of consistency, failing to win a heat but picking up three runners-up placings, a third and a fourth on a boat painstakingly re-built by the great 16s skipper Trevor Barnabas. The win marked a third Australian 16ft title for Trent Barnabas, a fifth for Napper and a maiden victory for the impressive Beashel.
The rookie was born into sailing royalty, representing the fifth generation of his family to be involved in the sport.
It began with Dick "Rocco" Beashel sailing 16s at the turn of last century and continued with son Alf becoming a legend of the 18s class. Ken headlined the next generation, winning the Australian 16s crown in 1961-62 aboard Seaforth - a boat he designed and built - and the world 18-footer title before guiding sons Colin and Adam. Colin is best known as a crew member of the victorious America's Cup team in 1983, acting as mainsheet trimmer on Australian II, while Adam competed successfully at local and international level in a variety of classes.
And with Joel Beashel's mother Lanee (nee Butler) having represented the USA in windsurfing at four Olympics, is it any surprise the young skipper is already tasting success?
Barnabas, who also hails from a well-known sailing family, described young Beashel as a "rare talent". "He is so composed. Nothing rattles him. Whether things are going good or bad, he never loses his cool," Barnabas said. "And tactically he is so good. I could count on one hand where he went wrong in this regatta. "I am really privileged to be part of his journey and the sky's the limit for him. I have no doubt he will be the next Nathan Outteridge or Tom Slingsby."
Beashel said: "I feel pretty privileged to be an Australian champion. To do it at my age in only my second nationals is pretty cool. "We didn't have the greatest start to the week but the good results started coming and (Barnabas and Napper) were big contributors in that. "To be the youngest to win it is a big honour for me and all the family."
It was a red-letter regatta for Manly, with the club claiming the top five places. Imagine Signage threw plenty of punches before settling for second, with Modern Concept Constructions (Kurt Hansen) third ahead of Moonen Yachts (Daniel Turner) and Red Pumps (Tyler Dransfield).
Noakes (Tom Dawson) in 13th was the best-placed St George boat on scratch, while stablemate TTR Civil (Phil Bower) picked up third on handicap. Noakes and Wichard Pacific (John Jefferson) both finished inside the top 10 on handicap.
Manly's Zoe Dransfield on Red Pumps Red held off St George entrant Bosker Build (Sarah Lee) to top the female skippers' pointscore. And Davis Marine Brokerage (Nathan McNamara) from Manly landed second position in the youth division.
Full results available here.