Several past 18ft Skiff champions returned to the class on Friday when they skippered boats from the Australian 18 Footers League's 2020-2021 Season fleet in the annual 'Supercup' series on Sydney Harbour.
A 12-16 knot south-east breeze allowed each team to carry the big No. 1 rig for the three races over two-lap windward-return courses.
The action began with Winning Group (Adam Beashel) and Smeg (Trevor Barnabas) setting the early downwind pace on the first lap in Race 1, but the action soon became more dramatic as the majority of the fleet converged at the bottom mark.
Within a matter of seconds, one capsize led to another, and another as the two leaders set off on the final lap of the course.
Smeg went on to win the race by 6 seconds from Winning Group. Vintec (John Winning) finished a further 1 minute 27s back in third place, just 2s ahead of Rag & Famish Hotel (Andrew Cuddihy), with Finport Finance (Rob Greenhalgh) another 2s further back in fifth place.
tech2 (Chris Nicholson) finished only sixth in that race, but soon made up for it by scoring an all-the-way victory by 28s in the following race. Winning Group finished in second place again, followed by Finport Finance, Noakesailing (Sean Langman, Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Euan McNicol) and Smeg.
Winning Group continued her consistency over the three races and held a narrow lead at times in the final race, but this time had to settle for second place again when Noakesailing grabbed a 4s victory on the final spinnaker run to the finish.
tech2 was 9s further back in third place, followed by Shaw and Partners, Bird and Bear (Warwick Rooklyn) and Finport Finance.
Although the Winning Group team of Adam Beashel, Seve Jarvin and Sam Newton had to be satisfied with three second placings in the three races, the consistency enabled the team to take out the overall Supercup series.
The annual event continues to entertain the spectator fleet as the former 18ft Skiff champions return to the racing fleet.
Race 15 of the Club Championship will be conducted on Sunday.
Race 1 Results:
Pos Boat Name Elapsed
1 Smeg (Trevor Barnabas/Ricky Bridge/Trent Barnabas) 00:16:50
2 Winning Group (Adam Beashel/Seve Jarvin/Sam Newton) 00:16:56
3 Vintec (John Winning Snr Tom Cunich/Alex Marinell) 00:18:23
4 Rag & Famish Hotel (Andrew Cuddihy/Anthony Young/Dave Ewings) 00:18:25
5 Finport Finance/Breene & Breene Solicitors (Rob Greenhalgh/Matt Stenta/Phil Marshall) 00:18:27
6 Tech2 (Chris Nicholson/Charlie Wyatt/Lewis Brake) 00:18:50
7 Bird and Bear (Warwick Rooklyn/John Walton/James Dorron) 00:18:51
8 Lazarus Capital Partners (Nick Press/Andrew Hay/Jerome Watts) 00:19:11
9 Shaw & Partners Financial Services (Euan McNicol/Jim Colley/Shaun Conner) 00:19:33
10 Noakesailing (Sean Langman/Ed Powys/Josh Porebski) 00:19:39
11 Yandoo (Adrienne Cahalan Fang Warren/Mike Kennedy) 00:20:29
12 AppliancesOnline.com.au (Tim Robinson/Kurt Fatouros/Cameron McDonald) 00:22:32
13 Birkenhead Point Marina (Hugh Stodart/Alex Chittenden/Felix Daverio) 00:25:07
DNF Ilve (Kevin Wadham/Pedro Vozone/Paddy Bannon)
DNF Noakes Blue (John Winning Snr/Rory Cox/Ollie Scott Mackie)
DNF Andoo (Malcolm Page Marcus Ashley Jones/Matt Doyle)
Race 2 Results:
Pos Boat Name Elapsed
1 tech2 (Chris Nicolson/Charlie Wyatt/Lewis Brake) 00:17:14
2 Winning Group (Adam Beashel/Seve Jarvin/Sam Newton) 00:17:42
3 Finport Finance/Breene & Breene Solicitors (Rob Greenhalgh/Matt Stenta/Phil Marshall) 00:18:00
4 Noakesailing (Sean Langman/Ed Powys/Josh Porebski) 00:18:04
5 Shaw & Partners Financial Services (Euan McNicol/Jim Colley/Shaun Conner) 00:18:36
6 Smeg (Trevor Barnabas/Ricky Bridge/Trent Barnabas) 00:18:47
7 Yandoo (Adrienne Cahalan/Fang Warren/Mike Kennedy) 00:18:52
8 Vintec (John Winning Snr/Tom Cunich/Alex Marinelli) 00:19:12
9 Bird and Bear (Warwick Rooklyn/John Walton/James Dorron) 00:19:20
10 Lazarus Capital Partners (Nick Press/Andrew Hay/Jerome Watts) 00:19:23
11 AppliancesOnline.com.au (Tim Robinson/Kurt Fatouros/Cameron McDonald) 00:22:14
DNS Birkenhead Point Marina (Hugh Stodart/Alex Chittenden/Felix Daverio)
DNC Ilve (Kevin Wadham/Pedro Vozone/Paddy Bannon)
DNC Noakes Blue (Gary Phillips/Rory Cox/Ollie Scott Mackie)
DNC Andoo (Malcom Page/Marcus Ashley Jones/Matt Doyle)
DNF Rag & Famish Hotel (Andrew Cuddihy/Anthony Young/Dave Ewings)
Race 3 Results:
Pos Boat Name Elapsed
1 Noakesailing (Sean Langman/Ed Powys/Josh Porebski) 00:18:14
2 Winning Group (Adam Beashael/Seve Jarvin/Sam Newton) 00:18:18
3 Tech2 (Chris Nicolson/Charlie Wyatt/Lewis Brake) 00:18:27
4 Shaw & Partners Financial Services (Euan McNicol/Jim Colley/Shaun Conner) 00:18:45
5 Bird and Bear (Warwick Rooklyn/John Walton/James Dorron) 00:18:53
6 Finport Finance/Breene & Breene Solicitors (Rob Greenhalgh/Matt Stenta/Phil Marshall) 00:19:05
7 AppliancesOnline.com.au (Tim Robinson/Kurt Fatouros/Cameron McDonald) 00:19:28
8 Rag & Famish Hotel (Andy Cuddihy Anthony Young/Dave Ewings) 00:19:37
9 Lazarus Capital Partners (Nick Press/Andrew Hay/Jerome Watts) 00:19:46
10 Yandoo (Adrienne Cahalan/Fang Warren/Mike Kennedy) 00:20:07
11 Smeg (Trevor Barnabas/Ricky Bridge/Trent Barnabas) 00:20:21
12 Vintec (John Winning Snr 00:21:39
13 Birkenhead Point Marina (Hugh Stoddart/Alex Chittenden/Felix Daverio) 00:23:50
DNC Ilve (Kevin Wadham Pedro Vozone/Paddy Bannon)
DNC Noakes Blue (Gary Phillips/Rory Cox/Ollie Scott Mackie)
DNC Andoo (Malcom Page/Marcus Ashley Jones/Matt Doyle)
Spectators can follow the race on board the club's spectator ferry, however due to the COVID-19 policy, numbers are limited. Booking online is essential at: www.18footers.com.au/18-footers-sailing/spectator-ferry
For those unable to make it out onto the water, the club's live broadcast team will be on Sydney Harbour to capture all the action. Live streaming is available at www.18footers.com by clicking on the '18 Footers TV' link.
