The Australian 18 Footers League’s 2025-26 season will commence on Sunday, 12 October, with Race 1 of the 2025 SIXT Spring Championship for the Major Arthur Frizelle Trophy on Sydney Harbour.
The League will provide a spectator ferry to follow the race from Double Bay Public Wharf, and the professional SailMedia Livestream team, led by CEO Jimmy Bury, will capture all the action.
Viewers can access Sunday’s livestream coverage at https://youtube.com/live/8wfEZ2sbz-c?feature=share.
SailMedia’s presentation will feature close-up racing action and stunning views of the harbour and city, accompanied by expert commentary from former competitors familiar with the intricacies of 18ft skiff racing.
Coverage producer and director Michael Chittenden explained the setup, stating, “We have three cameras for our livestream production: a drone, a main camera on the roof of the cameracat, and a commentary team POV camera.” He further noted the importance of safety in drone operations, where a pilot and spotter monitor the area for other aircraft and obstacles.
The roof-mounted camera is described as stabilised, weatherproof, and capable of 360-degree vision. Chittenden emphasized the unique aspect of their coverage, where the commentary team is situated amidst the action rather than in a distant studio, enhancing the viewers’ experience.
Viewer engagement is a priority, with the livestream incorporating a YouTube ‘live chat’ feature that allows real-time interaction between the audience and the commentary team. This has resulted in a solid following, with approximately 15,000 viewers tuning in via YouTube and an additional 2,000 on Facebook for each race.
During the livestream, the drone provides a broad perspective of the fleet and the harbour, while the onboard camera focuses on intense racing moments, including mark roundings and tactical incidents. Chittenden expressed pride in their live production approach, which includes graphics and commentary switching done directly from the boat.
SailMedia also captures still images during races for use in reports and promotional materials for both local and international media.
The professionalism of SailMedia’s coverage has been instrumental in showcasing the beauty of Sydney Harbour and the thrilling nature of 18ft skiff racing.
Reflecting on the historical development of this coverage, it was Kerrie Winning, wife of Club President John ‘Woody’ Winning, who proposed introducing video coverage to promote the League. Inspired by her experiences in equestrian events that utilized video, she recognized the potential of filming and streaming 18ft skiff racing.
With support from her family and the late Bob ‘Killo’ Killick, a former leading skipper, the project was launched, marking the beginning of a journey that has evolved into the prominent SailMedia operation today.
As the livestream production matured, the team sought to enhance its professionalism by collaborating with Jono Whitty from AeroMedia, which laid the foundation for their advanced multi-camera setup.
The Australian 18 Footers League fleet for the 2025-26 season includes:
Ballard Properties: Bec Hancock, Cam Walker, Ed Swain
Balmain: Henry Larkings, Tom Grimes, Lachlan Pryor
Club Marine: Emma Rankin, Brandon Buyink, Jed Cruikshank
Fisher & Paykel: Brett Van Munster, tba, tba
Gotcha4Life: Kade Morgan, Graeme Fairbairn, Isaac Marney
Killer Coffee: Sam Abel, Max Voss, Nick Rozanauers
Lazarus Capital: Tom Cunich, Marc Chapon, Tim Westwood
Rag & Famish Hotel: Ben Crafoord, Ryan Ewings, Max Nearn
Redhill Estate: Max Fanzo, Mateo Brignoli, Frank Oleary
Shaw and Partners: Keagan York, Phil Marshall, Tom Anderson
Sixt: Jacob Marks, Alex Marinelli, Matt Doyle
Smeg: Ash Rooklyn, Niall Morrow, Finn Rodowicz
The Kitchen Maker: Lachlan Steel, Nathan Gulliksen, Hamish Vass
The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines: Hugo Stoner, Zann Scrimgeour, Daniel Watson
Vaikobi: Kirk Mitchell, Andrew Stephenson, Daniel Barnett
Yandoo: Tom Needham, Fang Warren, Lewis Brake
18 Footers Bar & Restaurant: Luca Gambacorti, Nathan Byrne, Nic Livermore
#18ftSkiffs #SailingAustralia #SailMedia #SydneyHarbour #SkiffRacing
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