Day Two of the 2025-26 Australian 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour was an historic day as the German team of Black Knight (Heinrich Von Bayern, Tom Martin and Andy Martin) became the first international team to win a heat of the title in its 114-year-old history.
The German team excelled in the SE wind conditions, taking both races convincingly, establishing themselves as strong contenders for the upcoming JJ Giltinan Championship, to be held on the same course in March.
In the first of the day’s races, Black Knight defeated Brisbane GC Sails (Scott Cunningham, Joel Turner and David Cunningham) by just 2 seconds in an exciting finish, after a closely contested battle throughout the race. The third position was claimed by another Brisbane team, Big Foot Bags and Covers (Dave Hayter, Trent Neighbour and Elliott Mahar), finishing 36 seconds behind GC Sails.
Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Keagan York) came in fourth, followed by Sixt (Jacob Marks) and Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell).
In the second race of the day, Black Knight again faced tough competition from GC Sails for the first half. A misfortune struck GC Sails with a gear issue that caused them to lose approximately two minutes, allowing Black Knight to secure a 48-second victory over Yandoo (Micah Lane, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake).
Shaw and Partners (Keagan York, Matt Stenta and Tom Anderson) finished just 10 seconds behind Yandoo, followed by Sixt, GC Sails, and Vaikobi.
While it was a triumphant day for Black Knight, it was disappointing for the prior day’s winners, Yandoo, who suffered from a gear issue before the first race and a poor start in the second, hindering their chances for victory.
The racing has been challenged by fluctuating wind strength, heavy rain, and low visibility over the past two days.
Despite these conditions, the racing remained tight, with both the German and Brisbane teams presenting formidable competition to the local skippers.
Due to the weather, only one race was conducted on Day One, raising the possibility of three races being held on Day Three to complete the planned six-race regatta.
Each team can discard their worst result from the final scoring. If Black Knight discards her worst score, she could lead with 2 points, ahead of Yandoo at 3 points. However, both cannot afford further poor results in the upcoming races.
Current standings show Shaw and Partners leading with a total of 9 points (which would be reduced to 5 points after the discard), followed by GC Sails with 11 points (reduced to 6 after discard).
Tomorrow’s races will be crucial, especially if three races are conducted, as the outcome may hinge on the final spinnaker run in the last race.
Racing continues tomorrow with Day Three (the final day) of the Championship. The Australian 18 Footers League’s spectator ferry will follow the races, and SailMedia will livestream the action with expert commentary available for viewers: http://youtube.com/video/vfU41lcpK0M/livestreaming.
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