18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship Race 5 & Club Championship Race 3
by Frank Quealey 17 Nov 00:58 PST
17 November 2024
Today’s Trophy: W.C. ‘Trappy’ Duncan Trophy
Race sponsor: Vaikobi
The Rag & Famish Hotel team, consisting of Harry Price, Max Paul, and Finn Rodowicz, showcased their dominance in the 2024-25 Australian 18 Footers League fleet with an outstanding performance amid the strong north-east winds on an almost empty Sydney Harbour today.
For the third time in five scheduled race days this season, the League faced 25-30 knot NE winds, making the 18-footer fleet the sole contenders against the elements.
Today’s races included Race 3 of the Club Championship and Race 5 of the Sixt Spring Championship, and similar to the season opener, the Rag & Famish Hotel team secured victories in both championships.
Micah Lane, Fang Warren, and Lewis Brake, the 2024 Giltinan world champion team, placed second behind The Rag in both races, while Finport Finance (Keagan York, Adam Gilson, Phil Marshall) finished third, and The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Hugo Stoner, Hugo Leeming, Daniel Watson) came in fourth.
They were the only four teams that completed the race.
After the first three races of the League’s club championship, Rag & Famish Hotel holds a perfect score with three points, followed by Vaikobi at 19, Yandoo at 20, Balmain (Henry Larkings) at 22, and Burrawang-Young Henrys (Simon Nearn), Sixt (Jacob Marks), and The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel) all tied at 26 points.
In the Sixt Spring Championship series, Rag & Famish Hotel leads with a total of ten points, with Vaikobi following at 24, Balmain at 26, Yandoo at 27, Burrawang-Young Henrys at 32, Sixt at 33, and Finport Finance at 37.
Only seven boats managed to start on time, while others attempted late starts to finish the race.
Despite the strong winds and choppy seas, the competition at the forefront of the fleet remained surprisingly close as teams navigated from the starting point off Clark Island to the weather mark at Beashel Buoy.
At various times, Vaikobi, Finport Finance, and Rag & Famish Hotel led the race, with Yandoo (featuring a reefed mainsail) and Lazarus (Tom Cunich) closely trailing them.
Finport Finance and The Rag rounded Beashel Buoy almost simultaneously, but The Rag & Famish crew gained an advantage in the bear-away maneuver, creating a slight gap as they headed toward the wing mark at the southern edge of Shark Island.
Yandoo was in third place just in front of Lazarus, but Lazarus’ day ended abruptly when the crew was thrown over the bow due to a sudden capsize just after rounding the mark.
Outstanding teamwork on The Rag allowed them to fend off Finport Finance’s challenge at the wing mark. However, after a challenging spinnaker run between Shark Island and Clark Island, the Rag trailed Finport Finance by 8 seconds as they completed the first of three laps.
It was remarkable that both teams managed to endure the challenging conditions for a full lap and were still nearly together heading back to the weather mark at Beashel Buoy.
Finport maintained a slight lead over The Rag but capsized shortly after crossing them, leaving Yandoo as the only competitor challenging the leader.
The spinnaker run through the center of the course was an impressive, high-speed display by the skilled Rag & Famish crew, captured closely by the SailMedia livestream video team. (It’s a must-watch for anyone interested in speed racing.)
The Rag was leading Yandoo as both crews approached the bottom mark off Clark Island, but Yandoo managed to gain a slim lead due to its smaller rig as they commenced the final lap of the race.
Again, Rag & Famish was the first to arrive at the Beashel Buoy, holding a 30-second lead over Yandoo as spinnakers were hoisted for the dash to the finish line. However, a torn spinnaker on Yandoo soon turned into one that was completely destroyed, requiring it to be lowered, effectively ending their race.
The Rag crossed the finish line 4 minutes and 31 seconds ahead of Yandoo, with Finport Finance (after yet another capsize) coming in a further 7 minutes and 59 seconds back in third place.
Special recognition goes to the young crew on The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines, which finished in fourth place. This marked the team’s best performance in the 18s, and achieving it on such a demanding day was a fantastic accomplishment. Congratulations!
Race 6 of the Sixt Spring Championship will take place next Sunday, 24 November. This will be the final race of the series. The club’s spectator ferry will follow the race, departing from Double Bay Public Wharf at 2pm.
18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship Race 5 & Club Championship Race 3 Results:
PosBoat NameFinishElapsedHandicapCorrectedCorrected Pos
1Rag and Famish (Harry Price / Max Pail / Finn Rodowicz)15:55:2601:10:26001:10:261
2Yandoo (Micah Lane / Fang Warren / Lewis Brake)15:59:5701:14:57001:14:572
3Finport (Keagan York / Adam Gilson / Phil Marchello)16:07:5601:22:56301:19:563
4The ROYAL Oak (Hugo StonerHugo Leeming Daniel Watson)16:15:0801:30:081001:20:084
DNFBalmain (Henry Larkings / Flynn Twomey / Fynn Sprott)
DNFMarine Outlet (John CooleyCam GundyJohn Walton)
DNFSixt (Jacob MarksAlex MarinelliMatt Doyle)
DNFSmeg (Nathan McNamaraJed CruickshankJack Taylor)
DNFVaikobi (Kirk MitchellAndrew StephensonDaniel Barnett)
DNFShaw and Partners (Emma Rankin / Jordan Girdis / Brando)
DNFLAZARUS (Tom Cunich / Josh Feldman / Jacob Broome)
DNFThe Kitchen Maker/ Ceasarstone (Lachlan Steel / Jerome Watts / Ben Kirkby)
DNC18 Footers Bar and Restaurant (Luca GambacortiNic LivermoreNathan Byrne)
DNCTeam Will (William Dargaville / Ryan Wilmot / James Doyle)
DNSBurrawang Young Henrys (Dan Phillips / Max Nearn / Cam MacDonald)
DNSNoakes (Bec Hancock / Seve Jarvin / Cam Walker )
