The Yandoo team of Micah Lane, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake grabbed the lead shortly after the start and despite a strong challenge from the Shaw and Partners Financial Services team over the concluding stages of the race led all the way to take out Race 1 of the 2025-26 Australian 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour today.
Strong winds earlier in the day forced race officials to alter the race schedule of two short course races and elected to sail one full length race over the South-East course. It was a decision which produced an excellent race in very poor conditions.
Rain, poor visibility and fluctuating wind strengths throughout the race challenged the fleet and there were some very good performances by a number of teams, but the 2023-24 Australian and Giltinan champion team of Lane, Warren and Brake were superb and have set the benchmark for the remainder of the regatta, which concludes on Monday.
At the end of the long SE course, Yandoo crossed the finish line 40 seconds ahead of Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Keagan York, Matt Stenta and Tom Anderson), with a fast-finishing Balmain (Henry Larkings, Tom Grimes and Lachlan Pryor) a further 1 minute and 39 seconds back in third place.
GC Sails, representing the Brisbane 18 footers SC, won the start and was always within the top four placings throughout the entire race. Skippered by Scott Cunningham, GC Sails finished in fourth place just ahead of Fisher & Paykel (Brett Van Munster), Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich), Smeg (Ash Rooklyn), Brisbane 18 Footers (Josh Sloman), Rag & Famish Hotel (Ben Crafoord) and The Oak Double Bay-4Pines (Hugo Stoner).
Yandoo took the lead soon after the start, leading by 10 seconds from Shaw and Partners at the weather mark off Shark Island then extended it to 30 seconds after the long spinnaker run across the harbour to Robertson Point.
There was a great battle behind the two leaders with little between Balmain, GC Sails, Brisbane 18 Footers, Lazarus, Smeg, Fisher & Paykel and Big Foot Bags and Covers (Dave Hayter, Qld).
Yandoo again extended her lead to 40 seconds at Clark Island before the fleet’s next downwind leg to the mark off Chowder Bay.
The spinnaker run tested all the crews as the wind dropped and the rain and visibility became worse.
Over the next three legs of the course, two windward legs and a spinnaker run between Chowder Bay, Rose Bay and Taylors Bay produced more fluctuating conditions. The breeze dropped as the fleet worked into Rose Bay Mark and Yandoo increased her lead to 1 minute and 20 seconds, but Shaw and Partners dragged that back to just 15 seconds at Taylors Bay after electing to run on the western side of Shark Island under spinnaker while Yandoo’s went to the east.
The Shaw and Partners team tried desperately to grab the lead from Yandoo on the final spinnaker run but trailed by 5 seconds as both headed to the finish. Yandoo eased away over the final work to the finish for her 40 seconds victory.
Racing continues tomorrow when the Australian 18 Footers League will conduct Day Two of the Australian Championship. Day Three (the final day) will be sailed on Monday 19 January. The club’s spectator ferry will follow the racing and SailMedia will livestream all the action with an expert commentary team on the course to provide information for viewers: http://youtube.com/video/oDfz6FPL77c/livestreaming.
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