Pre-season preparation has significantly contributed to the early success of the young Sixt 18ft skiff team in the Australian 18 Footers League’s 2025 Spring Championship, currently taking place on Sydney Harbour.
Skipper Jacob Marks, along with team manager and sheet hand Alex Marinelli and Swedish sailor Rasmus Rosengren (filling in for bowman Matt Doyle), lead the series with four points following a close victory over Kirk Mitchell’s Vaikobi in Race 3 last Sunday.
After an abandoned Race 1 due to 30-knot westerly winds, Sixt has exhibited consistent performance across the two completed races and holds a five-point lead over the Lazarus Capital Partners team, consisting of Tom Cunich, Marc Chapon, and Tim Westwood.
The Club Marine team, featuring Emma Rankin, Brandon Buyink, and Jed Cruikshank, successfully completed the course in strong winds during Race 2 and maintained their performance in lighter conditions during Race 3, placing them just one point behind Lazarus in third.
Anticipation builds as the team looks forward to utilising the 2022-23 Australian champion hull, previously raced as Finport Finance, upon its return from an international championship regatta in Italy.
As the points table stands with three races remaining and no discards, Sixt sits in first with Jacob Marks at four points, followed by Lazarus Capital Partners at nine points and Club Marine at ten points.
This season marks a different approach compared to last season when Sixt received their boat late. The team ensured they were well-prepared in the off-season to start the 2025-26 season positively. “We performed well at times last season and aimed for more consistency this year,” Marks stated.
Marks also expressed that he had more time to dedicate to preparing the boat this year compared to the previous season, and with successful pre-season sailing practices, the team aims to carry their momentum through to the Giltinan Championship in March.
Last Sunday was a positive milestone for the Sixt sponsorship, achieving their first victory in the 18s, with aspirations to win their second Spring Championship since their partnership commenced in the 2023-24 season.
With regular bowman Matt Doyle absent, the team sought a replacement for the previous two weeks. Emma Rankin, skipper of the Club Marine team, recommended Rasmus Rosengren, an accomplished sailor. Rosengren’s experience has been instrumental in placing Sixt at the top of the points table.
Rankin remarked, “It’s fantastic to see Sixt over the line first on scratch, indicative of the effort put in by the regular crew pre-season. Rasmus was an excellent find to fill in for them.” Rosengren has a notable sailing background, having represented Sweden in various classes.
Meanwhile, the Fisher & Paykel team, led by class boat builder Brett Van Munster with a young crew, stands in equal fourth place with the Giltinan world champion Yandoo team, both having 13 points.
The competition also saw standout performances from SailGP’s Tash Bryant and Australian 16 footer champion Joel Beashel taking on skippering roles for Yandoo and Rag & Famish Hotel, respectively.
Looking ahead, Race 4 of the SIXT Spring Championship on 2 November will coincide with Race 2 of the Club Championship, promising an exciting day of racing, especially if predictions of 15-knot North East winds materialise. Tom Needham seeks to secure Yandoo’s victory from Race 1, but competition from Lazarus Capital Partners, Sixt, Balmain, and Vaikobi is anticipated.
Also debuting will be the new Shaw and Partners skiff, skippered by 2022-23 Australian champion Keagan York. The League’s spectator ferry will follow the race, departing Double Bay Wharf at 2pm, with live action streamed by SailMedia.
For updates, follow the racing excitement on social media.
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