The 2025 JJ Giltinan world champion Yandoo team of Tom Needham, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake were faultless in the 20-knot southerly winds which swept across Sydney Harbour today, as they powered their skiff to a brilliant near-all-the-way victory in Race 5 of the Sixt Spring Championship.
Sailing together for the first time since their Giltinan triumph back in March (due to sheet hand Fang Warren’s paternity leave) the trio made it look easy as they raced ahead of the fleet for all but a few hundred metres after the first set of 3-buoys rounding marks.
The Balmain team of Henry Larkings, Tom Grimes and Lachlan Pryor also gave a wonderful performance as they valiantly chased Yandoo and provided spectators with some brilliant downwind spinnaker action.
At the end of the long South course Yandoo crossed the finish line 2m21s ahead of Balmain.
The new Shaw and Partners Financial Services skiff (Keagan York, Max Paul and Tom Anderson) finished a further 1.39s back in third place, after having to temporarily use borrowed sails on the day. This team will only get better in the weeks to come.
Sixt (Jacob Marks, Alex Marinelli and Matt Doyle) was in third place for most of the race before coming home fourth, but the placing was enough for the team to increase their lead in the Spring Championship with only next Sunday’s race still to be sailed.
Matt Stenta, who was part of the 2022 Giltinan world champion Andoo team, took over the role as skipper in today’s race, and with Josh McKnight and Jack Taylor, came home in fifth place ahead of Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell, Andrew Stephenson and Pete Nicholson).
Yandoo won the start at the pin end of the line, just ahead of The Killer Coffee Co, skippered by Cam McDonald, with Balmain, Sixt and Vaikobi close behind.
On the short work across from the start in Athol Bay to the 3-buoys marks off Clark Island, Yandoo immediately established a lead but Brett Van Munster’s Fisher & Paykel took advantage of a more favourable rounding mark to grab a narrow lead.
The fleet raced at high speed under spinnaker towards the bottom mark at Obelisk as the southerly wind powered their sails.
After the long run, Yandoo held a 10s lead over Balmain with Sixt also in close contact with the lead. Lazarus (Tom Cunich) was fourth, followed by The Killer Coffee Co, Club Marine (Emma Rankin), Shaw and Partners and Andoo.
The champion Yandoo team edged away on the long work back to the mark off the southern end of Shark Island and was 1m37s clear of Balmain, Sixt and Lazarus, which were all closely bunched.
Yandoo’s speed in a gust as she rounded the mark was incredible and it took the experienced team 35s before the crew could perform the bear away.
Balmain’s crew were again showing terrific speed under their bright orange spinnaker as Henry Larkings and his team drove the boat hard in their chase of the leader. Their effort reduced the margin by 15s and the lead was 1m15s as the two leaders headed back to Clark Island to contest the second lap of the course.
This time, Yandoo had established such a lead over the rest of the fleet that, despite having to go to the furthest mark, she still held a comfortable lead over the relentless challenging Balmain.
With the wind as strong as ever, the two leaders were brilliant as they again raced down the long spinnaker leg to Obelisk at high speed with centreboards continually showing as the boats took on the chop.
It has been a tough start to the season for the young and new teams in the fleet and today’s conditions were a big test for 16 starters, but it was a positive sign for the fleet when all but three completed the course – and all three retired with gear failures.
The present point scores in the Sixt Spring Championship, with only one more race to be sailed. Sixt leads with a total of 15 points, followed by Club Marine (Emma Rankin, Jed Cruikshank and Brandon Buyink) and Yanbdoo in equal second place on 23 points.
Fisher & Paykel is fourth on 31 points, followed by Rag & Famish Hotel (Ben Crafoord) on 33, Balmain 35, Sotheby’s Ballard Property (Bec Hancock) and Vaikobi equal on 37, Lazarus Capital Partners 39 and The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel) on 43 points.
THERE IS NO DISCARD APPLYING TO THE SPRING CHAMPIONSHIP.
The next race of the Sixt Spring Championship will be held alongside Race 3 of the Club Championship on Sunday, 16 November.
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