Ask a skiff sailor what the hardest boat is to sail and most will nominate the 12ft skiff, a development class sailed by two crew and providing some of the hairiest downwind rides imaginable and it has attracted – and kept the attention of – young and older sailors alike.
At the 2026 triSearch 2ft Skiff Interdominion, being sailed out of the Australian 18 Footers League at Double Bay this week, the youngest sailor is 15-year-old Oliver Smith, who crews for his dad, Jacob Smith. Oliver’s mate, 17-year-old Will Wendt is crew for James Glassock on Chapman High Performance Sails. The pair love the frisky ‘12’s’.
Both young sailors have been mixing it on Sydney Harbour with the best in the business at the ‘Worlds’ of 12ft skiff sailing, the Interdominion, an annual competition between Australia and New Zealand. And it is highly unusual to find one as young as Oliver in the class. It may even be a first.
“I sail a Cherub and I’ve been sailing the 12 (named Shu Styx) for about three months now – only every now and again though,” says Oliver who already has a big ambition to race an 18 footer.
“I got into the 12 because Pete took me for a ride and it was fun,” says Oliver of Peter Hill, who races the striking green 12 named Arrogant Frog, with his brother Steven. The brothers have been actively recruiting new blood to this exciting class, where sailing in big conditions is like trying to ride a bull and stay aboard. It definitely provides a thrill factor.
“I like sailing with Dad,” Oliver says. Jacob responds, “I wouldn’t have bought the boat except for Oliver. And if I didn’t sail with him, I wouldn’t do nearly as much sailing. The idea was to get into the 12 and then later into an 18 footer.”
Oliver says of the 12, “I like it a lot. It’s a handful to sail though,” I don’t like sailing with the no. 1 jib – I like the smaller jibs. The next couple of days will be hard,” he says of the forecast 15 plus knot sea breeze.
The Smiths struggled in the nor’ easter yesterday, but finished the first race only to have the time limit expire before they crossed the line in Race 7. They are, however, by no means last in the pointscore, so credit to them.
And that’s because he weighs just 57 kilos. Dad, Jacob, is also on the light side, meaning it will be hard to keep their boat upright in the windy conditions. So the smallest rig and sails will be deployed and the two will need to be on their toes to stay afloat in a class that features regular capsizes – sailing on the edge.
The boat has four rigs to suit the varying conditions and the Smiths will be looking at no 4 for the expected nor’ easters. They are not the only lighter crews in the class, so it just means sailing a little more conservatively when the wind is up.
At the other end of the scale is the most mature in the fleet, 75-year-old Kiwi sailor, Tim Bartlett, who keeps very fit as skipper of The Darkside. Two races a day and delays on the water make it a long one, but Bartlett and others such as Murray Press, Graham Catley (NZL), Greg Roake (NZL) and Glenn Farquhar.
Bartlett has won the Interdominion six times – the first in 1985 in Brisbane. Then he won it four times in a row from 1996 to 1999 and then again in 2002. These days, he is contented beating those in his age bracket, such as Murray Press, who is regularly in the top five at the various Championships.
At 71, Murray can count wins against his nine-time Interdominion winning son, Nick. Murray and his crew Mark Muirhead can mix it in all conditions, but do particularly well in light air. They have won the Veterans title, for over 55-year-olds, numerous times. They are also best placed of the ‘older blokes’ in seventh overall, sailing consistently with five sixth places, a fifth and a seventh.
Counting up who at the event has done the most Interdominions, Farquhar, who owns the Bird, is skippered by Matt Peat. At 69, he says, “I’ve done 33, Greg Roake’s (Asko) done 32 and Tim’s (Bartlett) done 31.”
Catley is 71 and says his entrée to sailing 12s came because of his father. “My father was a keen sailor and followed the 18s, so I got into sailing and skiffs became the best to sail. I started sailing 12s in 1974.”
Farquhar’s 12ft sailing started at Vaucluse Amateur 12ft sailing Club with his older brother Dave back in the ‘70s, last sailing Checkmate together. He came into the class as his father, Gordon, sailed a 12, buying Trivial from Dick Winning.
Murray Press is a second generation 12ft skiff sailor. His father Harry Christian Press was an established 12s sailor whose heydays were the ‘50s and 60s with a boat named after him – H.C. Press.
triSearch is a subsidiary of InfoTrack www.trisearch.com.au. Support sponsorship comes from Your Move Conveyancing https://yourmoveconveyancing.com.au/ and Pete’s Home Loans www.peteshomeloans.com.au.
The Interdominion was first held in 1957 on Sydney Harbour and has become a prestigious annual competition between Australia and New Zealand, competing for the coveted Silasec Trophy. This trophy, donated by Keith Golding of Sealwall Trading Company, features the names of many notable sailors in its history.
For more information on the 12ft Skiff class and events, visit https://www.skiff.org.au/.
Di Pearson/12ft Skiff media
Hashtags: #12ftSkiff #SailingAustralia #SydneyHarbour #InterdominionChampionship #TriSearch
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