Lewis Davies Leads Finn NSW Championship

The sailor Chris Links pointed to as ‘one to watch’ has taken an early lead at the Finn NSW Championship, which started on Pittwater today, in ideal 10-14 knot north-easterly winds.

Three races were completed, with Lewis Davies from Victoria scoring a pair of second places and a third, amassing a three-point lead over local sailor Links. Sam Ede, a club mate of Davies at Daveys Bay Yacht Club, sits a further four points behind, being the only competitor in the Under 30s category at this event.

Lewis, who only began sailing a Finn in 2022, remarked on his consistent performance, stating, “I had a consistent day. I wasn’t far behind Nocka (defending champion Anthony Nossiter) in the first race. And in the second, I wasn’t far behind Ian (McKillop).”

The first two races saw stable wind conditions, favouring the left side of the course. However, Race 3 presented challenges with light and shifty winds. Davies expressed his frustrations during this race, saying he struggled to find wind downwind.

At 35 years old, Davies is among the youngest in the fleet and prefers to keep his focus on sailing rather than the point score. “I don’t want to know the points difference, but it’s good to have the lead,” he mentioned. He added, “I’m feeling good in the boat. I didn’t make any real mistakes today. The focus of this regatta for me is consistency and less risk taking. I had good downwind speed and I used it to my advantage.”

Davies acknowledged the level of competition, stating that every sailor poses a threat. In the last race, he considered pushing for a better position but opted for caution, stating that finishing anywhere from first to tenth was a risk he didn’t want to take.

Several competitors struggled with course navigation, dropping down the leaderboard or failing to finish. This is unlikely to happen again, tightening the competition for the next races.

Race 1 was a longer three-lap course, which suited defending champion Nossiter, with Davies and Ede finishing second and third, respectively. In Race 2, Davies again secured second place, finishing just seven seconds behind McKillop, while Links came in fourth.

In Race 3, Matt Visser from NSW took the win, with Links following closely and Davies finishing third. Nossiter could not maintain his early momentum, falling to fifth in Race 2 and ninth in Race 3, admitting he was still getting back into the Finn sailing rhythm.

Nossiter expressed hopes for a breezier day tomorrow to mix things up. The first day at the Finn NSW Championship, hosted by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club on Pittwater, kicked off with three solid races in ideal spring conditions, setting the stage for the final three races to determine the Championship.

Many competitors are preparing for the 2027 Finn Australian Championship, scheduled for February at Twofold Bay Yacht Club in Eden on the NSW South Coast.

The Finn NSW Championship is organised by RPAYC in conjunction with the NSW Finn Class Association, featuring nineteen boats representing NSW, Victoria, and Queensland.

Top ten overall after three races:

1. Stay Slipper (AUS55) Lewis Davies (Vic) 7 points

2. Maggie (AUS72) Chris Links (NSW) 10

3. Lads on Tour (AUS111) Sam Ede (Vic) 14

4. Layla (AUS110) Marcus Whitley (NSW) 14

5. Norge (AUS221) Anthony Nossiter (NSW) 15

6. Ken (AUS26) Ian McKillop (NSW) 18

7. Go (AUS321) Richie Robertson (Vic) 21

8. Does My Bung Look Big In

This? (AUS231) James Mayjor (NSW) 22

9. Somehow Someday (AUS240) Dougal Watt (Vic) 28

10. MB7 (AUS121) Tim Ede (Vic) 31