The first two races of the 2025-26 NSW 18ft skiff Championship were conducted by the Australian 18 Footers League in very light Easterly breezes of no more than 9-10 knots on Sydney Harbour.
The Balmain team of Henry Larkings, Charlie Wyatt, and Lachlan Pryor took overall honours, leading the championship after the first day’s racing.
In Race 1, Balmain continued last week’s winning form, defeating Smeg (Ash Rooklyn, Niall Morrow, and Finn Rodowicz) by 37 seconds, with Yandoo (Micah Lane, Fang Warren, and Josh Feldmann) finishing third, a further 39 seconds back.
Sixt (Jacob Marks) finished fourth, ahead of The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Hugo Stoner) and Rag & Famish Hotel (Seve Jarvin).
Race 2 saw Club Marine (Emma Rankin, Aron Everett, and Brandon Buyink) giving a brilliant display to defeat a fast-finishing Rag & Famish Hotel (Seve Jarvin, Ryan Ewings, and Max Nearn) by 17 seconds, with Race 1 winner Balmain finishing third, 10 seconds back.
Yandoo claimed fourth place, followed by Sotheby’s Ballard Property (Bec Hancock) and Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Keagan York).
Emma Rankin’s victory made her the second female skipper to win a championship race in the 18s, and the first to win a race in the NSW Championship.
Along with Bec Hancock, both skippers are competing effectively against highly skilled male teams.
After the day’s racing, Balmain held a three-point lead with a total of 4 points over Yandoo on 7, Rag & Famish Hotel on 8, and Smeg on 11. Club Marine and Sixt were on equal points at 12, followed closely by Sotheby’s Ballard Property and Shaw and Partners at 14 points.
Handicap events conducted alongside the two championship races produced wins for both Balmain and Club Marine. In total, Balmain posted a handicap score of 7 points for the day, outpacing Sotheby’s Ballard Property with 8 points and The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel) on 9 points.
It was a slow day for the teams as they searched for breezes across the harbour over the windward-leeward courses between Athol Bay and Point Piper.
In Race 1, Balmain took an early lead with a 7-second advantage at the weather mark before a capsize shifted the lead to Yandoo, which held a 30-second lead at the bottom mark. Balmain rebounded superbly on the second beat, overcoming a 40-second deficit at the bottom mark to finish successfully by 37 seconds ahead of Smeg and Yandoo.
Race 2 featured Rag & Famish Hotel leading the fleet to the first weather mark by a mere 5 seconds over Sotheby’s Ballard Property, followed by Yandoo, Sixt, Smeg, and Shaw and Partners. After the spinnaker run back to the bottom mark, Club Marine emerged as a serious challenger, reducing the gap to just 3 seconds.
On the final beat, Club Marine outperformed the fleet to extend a lead of 55 seconds over Rag & Famish Hotel, Sotheby’s Ballard Property, Yandoo, and Balmain.
The Australian 18 Footers League will conduct Race 6 of its club championship next Sunday, with the usual Spectator Ferry leaving Double Bay Wharf at 2pm and SailMedia covering all the racing action.
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