Please select your home edition
Edition
Youmans Studio Asset 2 1456x180 TOP

13ft & 16ft Skiff NSW State Championships Preview

by Adam Lucius 26 Nov 16:57 NZDT 30 November - 1 December 2024
Manly 16ft Skiff Club hosting 2nd round of the State Championships 30th Nov - 1st Dec © SailMedia

The winners of this weekend's 13ft/16ft NSW Championships will have done it the hard way following a hectic shoot-out that will test mind, body and craft.

With only one heat of the States possible at Port Hunter a fortnight ago - leaving race officials with the unenviable task of quickly re-scheduling the program to ensure a result - it will all come down to four races across two days at Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club.

The last man - or woman - standing on Sunday afternoon will have truly earned it.

Bosker Build (Sarah Lee) will take a slight advantage into the weekend after winning the one and only heat at Newcastle, while Manly's Imagine Signage (Nathan Wilmot) comes in hot after a come-from-behind win in last Saturday's club long pointscore race. Wilmot, chasing his third state title in six years, described it as the perfect tune-up.

"We're going to have four races on our home track so it was nice to get out there and be challenged by a quality fleet," he said. "There's going to be no real point in holding yourself back and trying to preserve yourself through four races on the weekend. "It's just a matter of going flat out and trying to win every race and seeing where you finish up. "The States' program has moved around a bit over the years and you just learn to adapt with whatever they come up with. "I don't think anyone will be thinking more than one race ahead at a time."

Lee and her Bosker crewmates Pete Mackie and Kurt Warner certainly won't be thinking that way as they head across the bridge on Saturday morning. "It's nice to start the weekend knowing we have one win on the board but there's still a lot of competition ahead of us," Lee acknowledged. "The biggest challenge in having four races in two days is possible gear breakages and also the mental challenge of multiple races in a short period of time. "We have a 'no blame' mentality aboard Bosker Build. If someone makes a mistake we move on quickly. "If we have a bad start we usually just say 'it's a long race' and we've proven we can make our way to the front from a bad start."

Long Pointscore Heat 5 Race Report (23 November 24)

Imagine Signage did not have it all their own way in the final hit-out before States, getting off to a slow start in Manly's fifth long pointscore race of the season. They looked up to see a large portion of the fleet ahead of them. Red Pumps (Tyler Dransfield) appeared to have the race in their keeping until eventually reeled in by a patient and persistent Imagine.

Wilmot said: "Our first lap was a bit average but once we got going on the first big beat up from Balmoral, the boat was going nicely and we managed to get through the fleet. "We just kept chipping away and thought that if we were in with a chance at the last bottom mark, hopefully we can pass them (Red Pumps). "We managed to do it a little bit earlier than that and just extended a little but on the last beat."

IMEI (Joel Beashel) made a late dash to claim second ahead of Red Pumps, with Modern Concept Construction (Kurt Hansen) fourth.

In the 13s, Harken (Heidi Bates/Orlando Sadlik) continued their absolute dominance with another all-the-way win. They finished almost six minutes ahead of Botany Scaffold (Sophie Hart) with QED (David Tulk/Gareth Burns) and Sail Media (Ben Milham/Liam Karunaratne) the next two boats home.

State Championship racing gets under way from 1.30pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Related Articles

2024 NSW 13ft Skiff State Championship
A quartet of podium finishes landed Heidi Bates & Orlando Sadlik a maiden title A quartet of podium finishes landed Harken (Heidi Bates/Orlando Sadlik) a maiden NSW 13ft Skiff State Title. Posted on 2 Dec
A dramatic finish to NSW 16ft Skiff Championship
It's hard to recall a more eventful weekend Has there ever been a more dramatic finish to a NSW 16ft Skiff Championship in its 118-year history? Posted on 2 Dec
Manly's pathway to progress
A youth sailing success story in Australia The Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club is a success story against a background of dwindling support for youth sailing in Australia. Posted on 26 Nov
Manly 16ft Skiff Club Championship Heat 3
For five years, Kurt Hansen was lost to sailing Burnt out after a prolonged stint travelling the globe in the 49er class, the then 22-year-old walked away from the sport to pursue other interests - including ironman triathlon events - while building a career in the renewable energy sector. Posted on 12 Nov
Manly 16ft Skiff Club report
A record number of females are entering the various classes At Manly 16ft Skiff Club, a record number of females are entering the various classes on the back of the path paved by some of Australia's finest women sailors. Posted on 30 Oct
Manly 16ft Skiff SC Port Jackson Championship
One of the most unforgiving races on the 16ft skiff calendar The Port Jackson Championship is regarded as one of the most unforgiving races on the 16ft skiff calendar. One small mistake or miscalculation and your day can be over as Sydney Harbour shows who's boss over two gruelling hours. Posted on 22 Oct
Manly 16ft Skiff Club Championship Heats 1 & 2
They say ignorance is bliss.. They say ignorance is bliss... It's also a winning formula if you happen to be Manly 16ft Skiff Club sailor Tyler Dransfield. Posted on 18 Oct
Sponsors, Club Financial Support and Media
The key drivers for 13ft Skiff Success Whether he's dressed in a business suit or wetsuit, Hugh Skeen is seeing the growth of the 13ft skiff class first-hand. Posted on 25 Sep
Manly16s first Season Pointscore
Winning culture and Flying 11s - the key to Manly's sailing success A quick glance at the results from Saturday's first point-score race of the season tells you all you need to know about the conveyor belt of quality sailors emerging from Manly 16ft Skiff Club's enviable junior program. Posted on 17 Sep
Manly 16ft SC's 2024/25 season officially starts
New season, new boats, new crews Manly 16ft Skiff Club's 2024/25 season officially kicked off last Saturday with a non-pointscore race in a dying southerly, with 17 boats facing the starter's gun. Posted on 13 Sep
C-Tech 2021 (Spars-QFX Racer) 728x90 BOTTOMCBGTG_summer24_digital_728x90 BOTTOMU-DECK 2023 - No.1 728x90 BOTTOM