18ft Skiff NSW Championship - Overall
by Frank Quealey 22 Dec 21:02 NZDT
22 December 2024
The Rag & Famish Hotel team of Harry Price/Josh Porebski, Max Paul and Finn Rodowicz became the 2024-25 NSW 18ft skiff champion after an exciting day of action-packed racing in the final two races of the championship on Sydney Harbour today.
While defending champion Yandoo and the up-and-coming Balmain teams were the two winners of today's races, the overall consistency of the Rag & Famish Hotel team throughout the series proved too much for the rest of the fleet to overcome.
The Rag finished with a net total of 8 points, followed by Finport Finance (Keagan York, Angus Williams and Phil Marshall) on 10, Yandoo (Micah Lane, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake) on 13.
Balmain (Henry Larkings) was on 18, followed by Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich) on 27, Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell) on 28, Smeg (Nathan McNamara) 32, Sixt (Jacob Marks) 36, Burrawang-Young Henrys (Simon Nearn) 39 and The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel) on 42, which rounded out the top-10.
The 8-10knot shifting Easterly breeze was ideal conditions for the fleet after a battering earlier in the season and the racing was spectacular for the spectator fleet as the teams gave nothing away to the opposition as they attempted to round the marks - particularly the weather mark in Rose Bay.
In the first of today's races (Race 7), Yandoo came from behind at the final mark to defeat Rag & Famish Hotel by 6s with Finport Finance just 2s further back in third place.
Lazarus finished fourth, followed by Smeg, Vaikobi, Balmain, Sixt, Burrawang-Young Henrys and Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Emma Rankin).
Balamin was in a close battle for the lead at the weather mark when she was involved in a near-collision with another competitor and capsized, but in the latter race, Balmain's crew grabbed the race lead soon after the start and led all the way to defeat Yandoo by 14s in another close finish. Finport Finance was a further 6s back in third place.
Rag & Famish Hotel never really recovered from a slow start and finished in fourth place, ahead of Lazarus, Vikobi, Sixt, Burrawang-Young Henrys, The Kitchen Maker and Smeg.
In a dramatic weather mark rounding in Rose Bay, Finport Finance took the lead but Yandoo's spinnaker run to the wing mark off Clark Island was superb and the team opened up a 20s break over Finport as the fleet headed to Athol Bay.
Yandoo's crew misjudged the angle which allowed Finport Finance and The Rag to come back and relegated Yandoo back into third place as the trio headed back to Rose Bay.
The lead changed several times among the three leaders in the shifty breeze and Finport Finance held a 10s lead at Rose Bay as they headed for the finish line off Clark Island.
Yandoo's crew were back to their best again on the tight run and grabbed the honours in a great race.
The young Balmain team has been showing good, consistent form in recent weeks, without a major placing, but their upwind tactics and boat speed in both races today shows what we can expect as the season moves into the major championships in the new year.
In Race 8, Balmain was a clear 20s leader over Finport Finance at the Rose Bay weather mark and increased the lead to 30s on the tight downwind legs to Athol Bay.
Despite the challenges from the more experienced Yandoo, Finport Finance and Rag & Famish Hotel teams, Balmain sailed the final windward leg brilliantly and had extended the lead again, to 40s, as they raced to the finish at Clark Island.
The racing was close and the action, particularly at the weather mark, was no-holds-barred.
In the League's Season Point Score series, Noakes (Bec Hancock took out Race 7 from Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Emma Rankin) and Lazarus. In Race 8, Balmain defeated Shaw and Partners and Lazarus.
Lazarus Capital Partners leads the series with a total of 65 points, followed by Balmain on 69, Rag & Famish Hotel 73, Burrawang-Young Henrys 74 and The Kitchen Maker on 76.
Today was the last race day at the Australian 18 Footers League for 2024. Racing will resume with the club's 90th Anniversary celebrations on Friday, January 31 with the Super Sprint Series, Saturday February 1 - Harbour Marathon and Sunday February 2 - Queen of the Harbour.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Team | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | Rag and Famish (HarryPrice / Max Paul / FinnRodowicz) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 2 | Finport (Keagan York
Angus Williams. PhilMarshall) | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 3 | Yandoo (John Winning(Woody) / Fang Warren
Lewis Brake ) | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 |
| 4 | Balmain Private (HenryLarkings Tom Grimes FlynnTwomey) | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 18 |
| 5 | Lazarus Capital Partners(Tom Cunich / JoshFeldmann / Paddy Bannon) | 8 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 27 |
| 6 | Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell
Andrew Stephenson / DanielBarnett) | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 28 |
| 7 | Smeg (Nathan McNamara
Jed Cruickshank / JackTaylor) | 5 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 32 |
| 8 | Sixt (Jacob Marks / AlexMarinelli / Matt Doyle) | 12 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 36 |
| 9 | Burrawang Hotel (SimonNearn / Max Nearn
Cameron McDonald) | 9 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 39 |
| 10 | The Kitchen Maker(Lachlan Steel / JeromeWatts / Darcy McCracken) | 7 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 42 |
| 11 | Marine Outlet (John CooleyCam Gundy John Walton) | 10 | 9 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 58 |
| 12 | Gotcha4life (WilliamDargaville / Ryan Wilmot
James Doyle) | 13 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 61 |