12ft Skiff season ready to launch
by Di Pearson / 12ft Skiff media 13 Oct 13:44 PDT
12s Race start © Peter Polec
The NSW 12 Foot Skiff sailing calendar has been announced and the program will be in full swing later this month, while the pot boiler 63rd Interdominion Championship between Australia and New Zealand, will open New Year's racing in January 2026.
First up though, is the Upper Harbour Championship on 25 October, hosted by the Lane Cove 12ft Sailing Skiff Club (LC12'SSC). On 8 November, Abbotsford 12ft Sailing Club is the venue for the Parramatta River Championship.
By the end of these two events, the skiffies will have had enough time on the water in preparation for the NSW Championship, to be held over two weekends - 29 and 30 November (hosted by Sydney Flying Squadron) and 6 and 7 December (LC12'SSC).
Moving around the different venues gives everyone an opportunity to shine on their 'local' waters.
Following these events is the one everyone wants to win - the Interdominion, to be held from 3-10 January and sponsored by triSearch, a subsidiary of InfoTrack. triSearch helps streamline the conveyancing process and is designed to make the most efficient conveyancer.
Support sponsors are Your Move Conveyancing and Pete's Home Loans.
The three companies are a good fit for each other and the community at large.
Held annually, with the venues alternating between Australia and New Zealand, the Interdominion will be staged on Sydney Harbour in 2026, hosted by the Australian 18 Footers League. Skiffs sailors will converge from NSW, Queensland and the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Last held in 2025 out of Royal Akarana Yacht Club in Auckland, local sailors took the top two spots. Eli Liefting/Blake McGlashan (Monkey Wrench) won from perennial campaigner Alex 'Ginge' Vailings/Sam Richardson (C-Tech) who were crowned champions at the previous Interdominion held in Queensland. Third in 2025 went to Nick Press/Andrew 'Noddy' Hay (Sail Inc) from LC12'SSC in Sydney.
Since 2010, Press has won the Interdominion seven times, four of them with current team mate Hay, while Brett Hobson (Geotherm) has finished runner-up five times. Press, Hobson and Kiwi sailor, Vailings, have regular stoushes for the top spot and Vailings has beaten his Aussie adversaries on four occasions.
Press' father, Murray, has sailed 12 footers for 30 years and represents LC12'SSC as skipper of Red Energy. He is also Treasurer of the 12ft Skiff Association, and says, "The season ahead, especially with the upcoming Interdominion in Sydney, will see a very strong fleet of 12's on the water.
"The regular names at the top of the fleet in New Zealand and Australia will be challenged by the likes of Terms & Conditions (Brad Phillips/Oscar Wilson) and Sydney Sailmakers (Josh Tasker/Brendan Jenkins) both representing the Sydney Flying Squadron," Murray says.
"Also of great interest will be the appearance again of Tim Bartlett from New Zealand. A six-time Interdominion champion, Tim never stops tinkering with 12s' and the talk is he has some new hull changes in progress."
Race Secretary, Glenn Farquhar, is another stalwart of 'the 12s', first sailing out of Vaucluse Amateur 12ft Skiff Sailing Club in 1975. This year marks his 55th consecutive season in the demanding craft and the upcoming Interdominion will be Farquhar's 31st.
More at home in the crew role, Farquhar sails with Matt Peat on 'The Bird' and says, I've stayed in the class all this time as it makes sailing so technically compelling, competitive, along with the great enjoyment and companionship with the other competitors.
"The good thing is that we are getting some new people into the class and we have room for anyone to come and have a go."
Up to 20 skiffs are expected to hit the water for the opener on October 25. For spectators who can't get out on the water, one of the best land based positions to watch the race from is Clarke Point, Woolwich.
For all information on the 12ft Skiff class and its events, please visit www.skiff.org.au