18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship & Club Championship, Race 1
by Frank Quealey 20 Oct 01:03 PDT
20 October 2024
The Australian 18 Footers League commenced its 91st season of 18ft skiff racing today on Sydney Harbour, hosting Race 1 of its 2024-25 Club Championship alongside Race 1 of the Sixt Spring Championship, competing for the Alf Beashel Memorial Trophy.
The opening day presented severe challenges with strong southerly winds gusting over 22 knots, leading to numerous issues for competitors and delivering spectacular speed, action, and accidents for spectators.
In a stunning display, the Rag & Famish Hotel team, featuring Harry Price, Max Paul, and Finn Rodowicz, clinched the victory in Race 1 of the Club Championship, finishing an impressive 7m45s ahead of the Lazarus team, which included Tom Cunich, Josh Feldmann, and Paddy Bannon.
Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell, Andrew Stephenson, and Daniel Barnett) led for the initial three legs of the course but faced spinnaker issues that dashed their hopes of winning, ultimately finishing in third place, 47 seconds behind Lazarus.
Burrawang-Young Henrys (Simon Nearn) secured fourth place, followed by Balmain (Henry Larkings), Sixt (Alex Marinelli), and The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel).
Only seven teams managed to complete the course out of the 13 that started.
From the race start in Athol Bay, Vaikobi, Finport Finance (Keagan York), Balmain (Henry Larkings), and Lazarus battled for the lead while heading towards the weather mark off Clark Island, where Vaikobi narrowly claimed first by just 10 seconds over Finport Finance, followed by Balmain, Yandoo (John Winning), Lazarus, and Smeg, which unfortunately capsized shortly after being caught in a powerboat’s wash.
With their spinnakers up for the long run to Obelisk, Vaikobi and Finport Finance showcased thrilling racing side by side, exceeding speeds of 25 knots, outpacing Yandoo, Lazarus, and the rest of the fleet.
Finport’s crew was the first to drop their spinnaker due to the severe conditions but capsized soon after, enabling Vaikobi to round the Obelisk mark with a 15-second advantage over Rag & Famish Hotel, which had made a remarkable recovery from a slow start.
As Yandoo approached the mark in third place, they capsized, allowing Lazarus to seize that position, followed by The Kitchen Maker, Burrawang-Young Henrys, and Sixt.
In winds exceeding 20 knots, the top three boats navigated towards the next mark at the southern end of Shark Island in Rose Bay.
Vaikobi and Rag & Famish Hotel took contrasting paths during the initial segment of this lengthy windward stretch, with Vaikobi maintaining her lead as the teams converged off Neilsen Park. Lazarus demonstrated solid performance, still in contact with the leaders.
At the mark, the Vaikobi team continued to lead, as both teams set up for the run across the harbor to Athol Bay, completing the first lap of the 2-lap course.
Rag & Famish Hotel took the lead when Vaikobi faced challenges at the Athol Bay mark, stretching their lead to 56 seconds over Vaikobi on the return trip across the harbor to Clark Island, with Lazarus in third place, 1 minute and 21 seconds behind.
Following a spinnaker mishap that could not be fixed, Vaikobi fell behind, finishing the race with only her two functional sails.
From that moment, it became a ‘no contest’ as the Rag & Famish Hotel crew executed a brilliant performance in challenging conditions to secure a significant victory margin. Their sailing to the Shark Island mark and commencing the run across the harbor was impressive amidst the furious winds.
The seven teams that completed the course deserve recognition for their outstanding efforts in such harsh conditions.
Today’s Club Championship race also marked Race 1 of the Sixt Spring Championship—a series consisting of 6 races based on each team’s designated handicap, with no opportunities for discards. The series will conclude on Sunday, 24 November.
Given their dominant victory, it was not unexpected that the Rag & Famish Hotel team emerged victorious in Race 1 of the Sixt Spring Championship as well.
In the Sixt Spring Championship, Rag & Famish Hotel beat Lazarus by 2 minutes and 45 seconds, with Vaikobi finishing 3 minutes and 47 seconds behind in third place, followed by Burrawang-Young Henrys, Balmain, Sixt, and The Kitchen Maker.
Next Sunday, the Australian 18 Footers League will host Race 2 of the Sixt Spring Championship. The club will have a spectator ferry following the race, departing from Double Bay Public Wharf at 2 PM, and SailMedia will livestream all the action for those unable to join the ferry.
