18ft Skiffs - NSW Champs - Final day

The Yandoo team of Tom Needham, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake demonstrated their impressive skills to win the 2025-26 NSW 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour. The race day presented challenging weather conditions, typical for much of the season, where winds fluctuated between calm and gale force, often leading to abandoned races.

Despite these challenges, the Yandoo team excelled, winning the final race decisively after a delay in the start. They concluded the series with a total of NET 10 points, with Balmain following at 17 points, and Rag & Famish Hotel at 33 points.

Both races today were sailed in light to very light breeze over two-lap windward-leeward courses with the lead and just about every placing throughout the fleet changing constantly. Margins became irrelevant and positions changed almost faster than the expert SailMedia livestream commentary team could broadcast.

Aside from the Yandoo team’s performance, there were two other teams, Balmain and Rag & Famish Hotel, who deserve recognition for their performances – both today and throughout the entire NSW Championship series.

Balmain’s team of Henry Larkings, Tom Grimes and Lachlan Pryor have been consistent and thoroughly deserved their runner-up status. The team are fast downwind and should benefit from the longer championship courses which will be featured in five races of the nine-race regatta.

The rookie Rag & Famish Hotel team of Ben Crafoord, Ryan Ewings and Max Nearn have also been near the top end of the fleet all season and, with George Morton replacing Ryan for today’s race, scored their first win of the season with a 24s win in Race 7 from Yandoo and Balmain, which finished in a dead-heat.

A second race was held despite concerns about the lack of wind and the possibility of thunderstorms. In this race, Sixt (Tom Clout) initially led by 1 minute 30 seconds but faced challenges maintaining their position as conditions deteriorated. The Yandoo team demonstrated patience and strategy, coming from behind to beat Balmain by 10 seconds, with Smeg placing third.

With racing now in recess until 17 January, the Australian 18 Footers League will host the Australian Championship over three days, from 17 to 19 January, on Sydney Harbour. The event will feature a spectator ferry and will be livestreamed, complete with expert commentary, to provide insights for viewers.

#SailMedia #18ftSkiffs #NSWChampionship #Sailing #SailingAustralia #SydneyHarbour

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