2026 Tri Search 12ft Skiff Interdominion Championship - Day 5
by Di Pearson, 12ft Skiff Media 9 Jan 04:01 PST
3-10 January 2026
Nick Press and Andrew Hay (Sail Inc., NSW) have clinched the triSearch 12ft Skiff Interdominion Championship on Sydney Harbour, with a day to spare, after winning both of today's races.
Winning Race 8, the first race of the day, did the trick for the pair from Lane Cove 12ft Sailing Skiff Club (LC12'SSC) in Sydney, but they went on to also win the second race. It is an unparalleled 10th Interdominion win for Press and his fourth with Hay. Press won his first three titles crewed by Brad Yabsley, who was on the water to witness Press' 10th win.
"We'd won it after winning the first race today," Press said. "It was great relief and joy, because it was a day when you could easily break things or fall in. It was windy, the seaway was awful and there was a lot of traffic," he said.
"I'm very proud of winning 10 Interdominions. I grew up sailing at Lane Cove and started sailing 12s," the third generation of Press 12ft skiff sailors said. "I never dreamed I'd win one, let alone 10. I've been lucky with the crews I've had over the years and there's none better than Noddy (Hay).
Hay said, "It feels like a relief, but also a reward. Looking at our scorecard at the end was nice to see. (They have won five of the nine races sailed, scored second in another and a trio of third places.
"I'm proud of it. Together we've won one in Brisbane, two in Sydney and one in Wellington (NZL). We'll sail the final race tomorrow - everyone puts in such an effort to be here, so we'll be out there too," Hay ended.
Competitors said it was the toughest day yet on the water, a big nor' easter on an uneasy seaway made for plenty of thrills and spills, particularly in the second race and Sail Inc. was not immune: "We capsized up the first work and Ginge (Vallings) underlaid the mark and we screamed straight through and that got us back in the game," Press said.
Vallings' crew, Brown said, "And we did a sneaky capsize in a corner away from everyone."
Press and Hay's disappointment yesterday was palpable after losing a win to C-Tech because Hay's trapeze wire broke and they capsized.
Today, it was the turn of the top Kiwi crew, Alex Vallings and Fraser Brown on C-Tech. Leading the second race and 200 metres from the finish line, a wineglass in the spinnaker through the gybe cost them the race to Sail Inc.
In fact that race looked to be a Kiwi coup with As Good As it Gets (Glenn Armstrong/Roger Barnes), C-Tech, Monkey Wrench (Jono Clough/Pat Morgan) and The Darkside (Tim Bartlett/Matt Hicks) leading the way, but they all had swims and the last Kwi standing, C-Tech, suffered the wineglass.
Tomorrow's final race will decide second and third places. C-Tech leads Geotherm (Brett Hobson/Peter Nicholson, NSW) by three points. Misfortune for Hobson, as Nicholson was ill so Skoll crew, Robbie Polec, not in a position to top three, kindly stepped into the breach. A further four points away is Sydney Sailmakers (Josh Tasker/Brendan Jenkins, NSW).
"This is the toughest place to sail the 12 in - it's such a challenging place to sail," said Brown, who has won two Interdominions with Vallings.
Among damage and capsizes that caused retirements, Minerva's (NSW) rig went over the side, "We don't know if the side stays or backstay went first," crew Peter Bevis said. He and skipper, Adam Forbes, only did a couple of sails together before teaming up for the 63rd Interdominion.
"We were going through the last gybe to reach into the finish line and the rig came down, so we were done," Bevis said. "It's not been a good couple of days. I nearly drowned yesterday. We capsized and I got caught in the rigging.
"I couldn't get free because the hook on my trapeze belt had twisted 90 degrees. I couldn't hold my breath any longer and swallowed a lot of seawater. I was lucky that Adam realised and stood on the centreboard to try and keep me afloat until I could free myself. This after not making the start of the first race as the repairs we had to do took longer than expected."
Murray Press/Mark Muirhead (Red Energy, NSW) looked good early in the later race, sitting fifth, but limped home last, "We've got multiple breakages," Press said after nursing the boat over the finish line - but at least they finished. The pair wouldn't have it any other way.
Hosted by the Australian 18 Footers League at Double Bay, the final race of the 63rd Interdominion is scheduled for Saturday, starting from 2pm.
First held on Sydney Harbour in 1957, the Interdominion is an annual competition between Australia and New Zealand for the Silasec Trophy. triSearch is the naming rights sponsor for the 63rd Interdominion and is a subsidiary of InfoTrack. Support sponsors are Your Move Conveyancing and Pete's Home Loans.
Courtesy of Pete's Home Loans and Your Move Conveyancing, a spectator ferry will be on the water for the final day of racing, departing Double Bay Wharf at 1.30pm. Ferry tickets at events.humanitix.com/10-january-12ft-skiff-interdominion-ferry-final-day
For full results and all information on the 12ft Skiff class and its events, please visit: www.skiff.org.au