18ft Skiff NSW Championship kicks off this Sunday
by Frank Quealey 26 Nov 22:54 PST
1 December 2024
The Rag & Famish Hotel crew, consisting of Harry Price, Max Paul, and Finn Rodowicz, heads into the first day of racing for the 2024-25 NSW Championship next Sunday as the top contender for the title, following a remarkable performance in the Australian 18 Footers League this season, where they clinched the Sixt Spring Championship on Sydney Harbour last weekend.
The reigning champion Yandoo team poses the greatest challenge to The Rag’s crew, although their start has been disrupted in the first six weeks as their regular skipper, John ‘Woody’ Winning, has missed several races due to a recurring injury.
Woody aims to return this weekend, but if he’s unable to, 2024 Giltinan World champion Micah Lane will likely take the helm of Yandoo, along with Fang Warren and Lewis Brake.
The strong winds that have struck the fleet during most of this season’s races have caused difficulties for several teams as they work to establish combinations and adapt to different boats.
One such team is Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell, Andrew Stephenson, and Daniel Barnett), which finished a narrow third behind Yandoo and Andoo last year but has faced some costly setbacks after a strong start to 2024-25.
Kirk is understandably frustrated but states, “I know what we can do and will keep pushing forward.”
Another team struggling to show its potential in the opening six weeks is the Lazarus Capital Partners-sponsored crew of Tom Cunich, Josh Feldmann, and Paddy Bannon, who have displayed good boat speed yet have missed opportunities for better results due to on-water incidents with other skiffs.
Tom is frustrated with some of the “incidents” and now faces the added challenge of losing Josh for the near future after he recently “sliced his leg on the side of the boat.”
The young Sixt team, composed of Jacob Marks, Alex Marinelli, and Matt Doyle, is another crew disappointed with their start to the 2024-25 season. Alex remarked, “We are very disappointed that we’ve had to withdraw from the last two races due to damages, and we’ve decided to focus on completing the full course this weekend.”
Compounding their challenges, Alex noted, “Our hull was damaged last Sunday, and we need to get the builder to fix it before Sunday.”
Each of these three teams has the ability to quickly turn things around, and next weekend will present a great chance for them to start their championship campaigns.
The NSW Championship will take place over the next four Sundays, with two races conducted each day on specially-designed short courses that maintain the essence of true harbor courses at approximately half the usual length.
NSW Championship race schedule:
Races 1 & 2 – Sunday – 1 December 2024
Races 3 & 4 – Sunday – 8 December 2024
Races 5 & 6 – Sunday – 15 December 2024
Races 7 & 8 – Sunday – 22 December 2024
While it’s challenging to gauge the potential of some major contenders due to the unfavorable winds experienced so far, two teams have shown enough competence to suggest they are ready to seize a victory if the top two teams falter.
Balmain’s Henry Larkings, Tom Grimes, and Flynn Twomey demonstrated consistent performance during the Sixt Spring Championship and undoubtedly possess the talent to mount a serious challenge. Another team to watch is the 2022-23 Australian champions, Finport Finance, led by Keagan York (skipper) and Phil Marshall (bow).
NSW Championship entries include:
Yandoo: John Winning
Rag & Famish Hotel: Harry Price
Vaikobi: Kirk Mitchell
Balmain: Henry Larkings
Finport Finance: Keagan York
Lazarus Capital Partners: Tom Cunich
Smeg: Nathan McNamara
Burrawang-Young Henrys: Simon Nearn
Sixt: Jacob Marks
The Kitchen Maker: Lachlan Steel
Marine Outlet: John Cooley
Shaw and Partners Financial Services: Emma Rankin
The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines: Hugo Stoner
Noakes: Bec Hancock
Team Will: William Dargaville
18 Footers Bar & Restaurant: Luca Gambacorti
A new spectator ferry has quickly become a hit and will follow all the races throughout the championship.
SailMedia will livestream every race:
