18ft Skiff 2026-27 Season Preview
by Frank Quealey 2 Oct 04:30 PDT
NE spinnaker run at the JJ Giltinan 18 Foot Skiff Championship © Suellen Hurling / Live Sail Die
The Australian 18 Footers League's 2026-27 season, which begins next Sunday (October 11) when the fleet lines up for Race 1 of the annual SIXT Spring Championship, should be one of the most exciting in recent times with the inclusion of some of the best young Australian sailing talent joining the more experienced teams in top class equipment.
Highlight championship events scheduled for Sydney Harbour include:
- SIXT Spring Championship - October 11-November 15
- NSW Championship - November 22-December 20
- Australian Championship - January 29, 30, 31
- JJ Giltinan World Championship - February 27-March 7
The other major events are the 18-race MONDIALE VGL Season Point Score and 9-race Club Championship, which run throughout the entire season, and reward the most consistent performers as teams are not permitted any discard of their worst performances.
The League has the crowd favourite, Royale, spectator ferry to follow the racing, departing Double Bay Wharf at 2:15pm, where patrons can follow the fleet, soak up the views, and enjoy drinks and snacks from the on-board bar. A Sydney tradition dating back to 1935 - "a floating grandstand generations have called their own".
For those unable to take advantage of the spectator ferry, the professional SailMedia Livestream team will be on the course, as usual, to capture all the action. The team have three cameras feeding into the livestream production; a drone, a main camera mounted on the roof of the Camera Cat, and a commentary team POV camera.
SailMedia's coverage provides viewers with all the close up racing action, along with the beauty of the harbour and the city, all backed up by expert commentary from former competitors who are situated on the Camera Cat - in the centre of all the racing action.
Australian 18 Footers League Fleet:
Balmain - Henry Larkings, Tom Grimes, Locky Pryor
Club Marine - Emma Rankin, Cameron Walker, Daniel Watson
Fisher & Paykel - Hugo Stoner, Julian Taylor, Hugo Leeming
Killer Coffee Co - Ryan Ewings, Matt Stenta, Finn Rodowicz
Lazarus Capital Partners - Tom Cunich, Logan Radford, Jack Taylor
Ocius - Dante Oliveri, James Hodgson, Nick Rozenauers
Rag & Famish Hotel - Ben Crafoord, Marc Chapon, Max Nearn
Shaw and Partners Financial Services - Keagan York, Otto Henry, Jerome Watts
Sixt - Jacob Marks, Alex Marinelli, Matt Doyle
Smeg - Ash Rooklyn, Ricky Bridge, Tom Quigley
Sothebys - Bec Hancock, TBA, TBA
TBA - Lachlan Steel, George Morton, Sam King
The Kitchen Maker - Jordan Girdis, Josh Feldmann, Jacob Broom
The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines - Kade Morgan, Graeme Fairbairn, Noah Chennal
Thurlow Fisher Lawyers - Joel Beashel, Shaun Connor, Trent Barnabas
Vaikobi - Kirk Mitchell, Max Vos, Paddy Bannon
Yandoo - John Winning Jr, Fang Warren, Lewis Brake
18 Footers Bar & Restaurant - Luca Gambacorti, TBA, TBA