It was an unfortunate opening to the Australian 18 Footers League’s 2025-26 summer season today when strong westerly winds, gusting to more than 30 knots, forced the club to abandon Race 1 of the SIXT Spring 18ft skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour.
Eleven of the fourteen teams entered for the race attempted to reach the start in the dreadful conditions that prevailed, and only three were able to cross the start line after a 30 minutes delay.
Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich, Marc Chapon, Tim Westwood), Rag & Famish Hotel (Ben Crafoord, Ryan Ewings, Max Nearn) and Club Marine (Emma Rankin, Brandon Buyink, Jed Cruikshank) all survived long enough to cross the start line, but it was soon obvious that it was going to be impossible for an 18 to sail the course and the race officials quickly abandoned the race.
Despite the conditions, the Lazarus Capital Partners team showed great skill and determination, completing one lap of what would have been the shortened course. As champion heavy weather 18 footer sailor David Witt once remarked, “never give up just because it’s really strong wind; test how far you can go because you might need to know when it really counts in a major championship”.
While the Lazarus team gave an excellent exhibition in the conditions and look headed for a very successful campaign over the coming months, there were two other great efforts by The Rag and Club Marine teams. The Rag & Famish Hotel’s three crew members were racing for the first time together, and only Max Nearn has had a full season in the 18s prior to today’s race. Each of the three have strong bios and are expected to perform well in the rookie season, but today’s effort was more than most onlookers would have expected from a ‘rookie’ team in their first race.
Congratulations to the Emma Rankin-led Club Marine team. Emma, in her third season, continues to show her grit and determination and this season has a team which will give her the opportunity to show her true skill.
Race 1 of the Australian 18 Footers League’s Club Championship will be sailed next Sunday (19 October). Race 2 of the SIXT Spring Championship, for the Alf Beashel Memorial Trophy, will be held in conjunction with the championship. The League’s new spectator ferry will follow the race, which will also be livestreamed by the SailMedia video team.
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