It won’t go down as the most glamorous way to find out you’re a state champion, but the crew onboard IMEI Barnabas Building were happy to claim victory after a weird and wild end to the NSW 16ft Championships at St George on the weekend.
After the fleet limped through heat four in tough conditions on Saturday, the final two races on Sunday both got underway only to be abandoned after a strong nor’ wester and nor’ easter fought each other for domination, producing gusts of up to 30 knots.
The race committee, which did a tremendous job trying to complete heats on a challenging weekend, had no choice but to declare the title would be decided on the first four races.
And IMEI BB (Joel Beashel) had done just enough to clinch the crown.
The Manly boat recorded a first, third and 10th at Middle Harbour on the first weekend of the titles and backed it up with a third at St George on Saturday to eclipse clubmate Imagine Signage (Nathan Wilmot) by a point.
Belmont’s Shade to Order (skippered by Olympic gold medallist Tom Burton), who won the Saturday race, was third overall with defending champion Red Pumps (Tyler Dransfield) fourth and Bosker Building (Sarah Lee) fifth.
“If only you could organise the conditions, we would have ordered something different,” NSW 16ft Skiff president Felix Prince quipped.
“We got through one long race on Saturday in trying conditions and did our best to get through two more races on Sunday but the conditions had the final say. “It was pretty full-on.”
Beashel – at 17 years and nine months – becomes the youngest skipper to win the NSW title less than a year after winning the Australian 16ft Championship at just 16. The teenager and crew Trent Barnabas and Rob Napper found out they were state champions in less-than-ideal circumstances.
“We were on our ear at the bottom gate after our third swim with the main halfway out of a track,” Beashel revealed. “We looked over and saw the (race abandoned) flags up, which was a pretty good sigh of relief.
“We knew we had won it but it still would have been nice to have done it by sailing (a full race) on the last day.”
Beashel, as always, was full of appreciation for the two “old blokes” next to him.
“It was an awesome effort for those guys to get me around,” he said. “They do their job very well all the time. I’ve got nothing to complain about.”
Belmont’s Coastal Advisory Australia (Ben Bruniges) survived most of the carnage to secure the handicap trophy, while Bella Group Services (Craig Wright) finished on top in the Youth division.
Sarah Lee was a clear winner in the Ladies division, finishing ahead of Manly’s Zoe Dransfield and St George clubmate Amy Mulkearns.
And in the 13s, Manly’s Harken (Heidi Bates/Orlando Sandlik) added another title to its collection without hitting the water.
With no racing possible over the weekend due to the heavy winds, Harken was declared state winner on the strength of its two firsts and a second over the first three heats.
Clubmate and rival Buckingham Marine (Ash Napper/Theo Franklin) finished a point behind in second, with Kitchenmaker (Tayla Lees/Oliver Barrett) third. The much-improved Kitchenmaker also claimed handicap honours.
NSW 16ft Skiff State Titles Results
NSW 13ft Skiff State Titles Results
Words Adam Lucius
Photos SailMedia | Michael Chittenden
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