Defending champion, Sail Inc., has taken out the 12 foot skiff NSW Championship, sailed over two weekends on a mix of courses in a variety of conditions, including Day 1 being abandoned due to extreme conditions that returned just before the second race on Day 2.
Lane Cove 12ft Sailing Skiff Club’s (LCSSC) Sail Inc., skippered by Nick Press, had usual crew Andrew Hay for just one race, before Andrew Stevenson stepped in for the remaining four races. The change in crew made the win all the sweeter for Press.
Sail Inc. topped the scoreboard with 11 points, from the continually improving Sydney Sailmakers crew of Josh Tasker ( who was then substituted by Henry Larkin), with regular crew Brendan Jenkins.
Sydney Sailmakers won the opening race last weekend and finished the Championship just one point adrift of the winners. Brett Hobson and Peter Nicholson (Geotherm) placed third. The latter two boats represent Sydney Flying Squadron (SFS).
Challenging conditions throughout meant that five of the intended six races were sailed, resulting in no race drop coming into play.
Press came into today carrying a trio of third places: “We were the underdogs coming in, in third place, so we needed for things to go our way. To be honest, the best call was Andrew making us go out with our second rig. Sydney Sailmakers chose their third rig, so they were underpowered,” he said.
Back to yesterday, the fleet sailed in a 12-15 knot easterly. “It was really shifty,” Press recalled. “At one point we were leading the first race, but parked in the westerly transition, picked up, dropped off again, but came back to finish third.”
Sydney Sailmakers won that race from Geotherm.
The second race belonged to Sydney Sailmakers, which led from start to finish. Geotherm was second and Sail Inc. third. Meanwhile, Arrogant Frog, sailed by brothers Peter and Steve Hill, port tacked the fleet at the start – and got away with it!
Today’s two races were the deciders. Sailing on home territory in a 15 knot sou-easter, the course taking in Kerosine Bay and Goat Island areas, Sail Inc. won both to claim the title.
The biggest decision today was which rig to go with. Second rig was the way to go, Red Energy (LCSSC) finished second in both races, while Sydney Sailmakers had their worst result with a sixth in the first race. They moved up to third in the final race, after struggling with the small third rig, but it wasn’t enough.
“The southerly came through with plenty, but it faded. It was really up and down and gusty,” Press said.
Stay Connected Electrical (Jakub Ronowicz/ Ben Faulkner from SFS) were right up there in the second race, but had a swim, which cruelled it for them.
Brendan Jenkins came ashore despondent this afternoon. Leading the series coming into the day, rig choice cost them dearly. He said of the series, “We made a mistake in the first race that was costly, then we sailed a great second race. We saw glory and ran for it.
“We’ve definitely been sailing well, apart from that one mistake. Half the battle is picking the right rig and we picked the wrong one today. I’ve always believed the biggest thing to results is consistency and mistakes are all part of the process,” he concluded.
Top place on handicap went to Arrogant Frog from Abbotsford 12ft Flying Squadron, sailed by brothers Peter and Steve Hill on 22 points. Red Energy, this week skippered by Dan Phillips in place of Murray Press with usual crew, Mark Muirhead, was second on 26 points.
Held over four days and two weekends – 29 and 30 November at Sydney Flying Squadron and 6 and 7 December out of LCSSC, the first weekend was a tough one for competitors and officials.
“Lucky Sydney Flying Squadron had enough rescue boats. A 35 knot westerly with big gusts hit us,” said competitor (The Bird) and class Race Secretary, Glenn Farquhar. “So thanks to the Squadron and their rescue boats for that weekend,” Farquhar said.
“Then we only got one race in the second day because the nor’ easter transitioned to a big westerly late in the afternoon, so we had to cancel that race.”
First held on Sydney Harbour in 1957, next up is the one they’ve all been waiting for – the Interdominion. This will be the 63rd edition of the annual competition between Australia and New Zealand for the Silasec Trophy – the one everyone wants and the hardest one to win.
Representation will come from the three Sydney clubs: Abbotsford 12ft Flying Squadron, Lane Cove 12ft Sailing Skiff Club, Sydney Flying Squadron, along with those from Brisbane 18 Footers in Queensland and their nemesis from across the ditch at Royal Akarana Yacht Club in Auckland and Worser Bay Boating Club in Wellington.
Sponsored by triSearch, a subsidiary of InfoTrack www.trisearch.com.au, with support sponsorship from Your Move Conveyancing https://yourmoveconveyancing.com.au/ and Pete’s Home Loans www.peteshomeloans.com.au, the Interdominion, is to be hosted by the Australian 18 Footers League on Sydney Harbour between 3-10 January 2026.
There will be a Spectator Ferry on 4 and 10 January, departing from the Double Bay Wharf at 2pm, so bring your friends and family along to be a part of the action!
Di Pearson/12ft Skiff media
For further details and updates on the 12ft Skiff class, visit https://www.skiff.org.au/.
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