The Australian 18 Footers League’s 91st season of 18ft skiff racing began on Sydney Harbour today when the club conducted Race 1 of its 2024-25 Club Championship and Race 1 of the Sixt Spring Championship, for the Alf Beashel Memorial Trophy.
Conditions for the opening day were extremely tough with strong southerly winds gusting over 22knots providing competitors with numerous problems and spectators with unbelievable speed, action and accidents aplenty.
At the end of the day, an incredible victory in Race 1 of the Club Championship went to the Rag & Famish Hotel team of Harry Price, Max Paul and Finn Rodowicz which crossed the finish line 7m45s ahead of the Lazarus team of Tom Cunich, Josh Feldmann and Paddy Bannon.
Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell, Andrew Stephenson and Daniel Barnett) led for the first three legs of the course but spinnaker problems ended the teams hopes of victory half way through the race and she fell back to finish third, a further 47s behind Lazarus.
Burrawang-Young Henrys (Simon Nearn) finished in fourth place, ahead of Balmain (Henry Larkings), Sixt (Alex Marinelli) and The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel).
These were the only seven teams able to complete the course from the 13 starters.
Right from the start in Athol Bay, Vaikobi, Finport Finance (Keagan York), Balmain (Henry Larkings) and Lazarus were vying for the lead as the fleet headed for the weather mark off Clark Island where Vaikobi took the honours by just 10s from Finport Finance, Balmain, Yandoo (John Winning), Lazarus and Smeg, which unfortunately capsized moments later after being caught in the wash of a power boat.
With their spinnakers set for the long run to Obelisk, Vaikobi and Finport Finance put on a spectacular exhibition as the pair raced at more than 25knots alongside each other, ahead of Yandoo and Lazarus and the rest of the charging fleet.
Finport’s crew were the first to drop their spinnaker to the extreme conditions but capsized soon after, leaving Vaikobi to round the Obelisk mark with a 15s lead over Rag & Famish Hotel, which had recovered brilliantly from a slow start.
Yandoo was holding third place as she approached the mark, but capsized, allowing Lazarus to take that position ahead of The Kitchen Maker, Burrawang-Young Henrys and Sixt.
In the 20+ knots of wind, the leading three boats battled their way to the next mark, which was at the southern end of Shark Island in Rose Bay.
Vaikobi and The Rag took different courses over the early part of this long windward stretch and Vaikobi continued to hold her lead when the pair met off Neilsen Park. Lazarus was showing good form and was still within touch with the two leaders.
The Vaikobi team was still leading at the mark as both teams set themselves for the run across the harbour to Athol Bay where they completed the first lap of the 2-lap course.
Rag & Famish Hotel grabbed the lead when Vaikobi’s team had problems at the Athol Bay mark and increased her lead to 56s over Vaikobi on the work back across the harbour to Clark Island. Lazarus was still in third place 1m21s behind The Rag.
When Vaikobi’s crew had a spinnaker problem, which couldn’t be rectified, she fell back and was forced to complete the course with just her two working sails.
From that point it became a ‘no contest’ as the Rag & Famish Hotel crew sailed brilliantly in the conditions to record their big margin victory. Their performance going to the Shark Island mark and starting the run across the harbour was amazing in the ‘howling’ wind.
It was a great effort by all seven teams who completed the course in such severe conditions.
The handicap section of today’s Club Championship race was Race 1 of the Sixt Spring Championship, which is a 6-race series, based on each team’s allocated handicap, and there is NO discard. The series will conclude on Sunday 24 November.
Following the size of her ‘scratch’ victory, it is not surprising that the Rag & Famish Hotel team also took out Race 1 of the Sixt Spring Championship.
In the Sixt Spring Championship, Rag & Famish Hotel defeated Lazarus by 2m45s with Vaikobi a further 3m47s back in third place, ahead of Burrawang-Young Henrys, Balmain, Sixt and The Kitchen Maker.
Next Sunday the Australian 18 Footers League will stage Race 2 of the Sixt Spring Championship. The club’s regular spectator ferry will follow the race, leaving Double Bay Public Wharf at 2pm and SailMedia will livestream all the action for those who can’t make it out on the ferry.
Frank Quealey
Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.
