Please select your home edition
Edition
CoastWaterSports 2014

18ft Skiff Australian Championship at Sydney Flying Squadron - Race 1

by Frank Quealey 13 Jan 2013 07:49 GMT 13 January 2013

Defending champion Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, skippered by Michael Coxon, led all the way in a variable South East breeze to take out Race 1 of the 2012-2013 Australian 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour today.

Coxon with his team of Dave O'Connor and Trent Barnabas took the lead soon after the start and were never headed over the long SE course to defeat arch rival Gotta Love It 7 (Seve Jarvin, Scott Babbage, Peter Harris) by 19s.

Coopers-Rag & Famish Hotel (Jack Macartney, David Witt, Mark Kennedy), challenged the leaders throughout the entire course before finishing a further 50s back in third place.

Former Australian champion Micah Lane was fourth on Appliancesonline.com.au, followed by Lumix (Jonathan Whitty) with the revolutionary wing mast and Yandoo, skippered by John Winning.

On a day which provided all teams with plenty of headaches, the Thurlow Fisher Lawyers crew were in control from the outset and led by 50s at the first windward mark.

Despite variations in wind direction and strength, the Thurlow Fisher Lawyers lead was never less than 30s and the final margin was more a reflection of Coxon's conservative covering tactics.

After the race Coxon was very happy with the performance under the trying conditions:

"We got a good start and I was particularly pleased with our boat speed".

"Added to that, our crew work was excellent under some difficult conditions and it was a great way to start the championship".

"Heavy ferry traffic and the changing wind conditions made life difficult, but once we were in the lead we were more concerned with covering our challengers".

Lumix was second behind Thurlow Fisher at the first mark, with Southern Engineering Services (Adam Barnes), De'Longhi-Rabbitohs (Simon Nearn), Coopers-Rag & Famish Hotel, Asko Appliances (Marcus Ashley-Jones) and Yandoo in a group just behind Lumix.

A fast spinnaker run by Smeg (Trevor Barnabas), Team Daly (Nick Daly) and Gotta Love It 7 saw that trio feature in the top six at the bottom mark.

The windward leg back to the Clark Island mark saw a massive wind shift with many placings changing dramatically.

Thurlow Fisher's lead was back to 35s as Coopers-Rag & Famish Hotel moved up into second place ahead of Smeg and Gotta Love It 7.

Lumix was caught on the "wrong side" of the course and lost several places.

The spinnaker run to Chowder Bay took a toll on the fleet as Smeg and Mojo Wine (Matt Searle) capsized and only quick crew work by Malcolm Page and his team on The Kitchen Maker saved a capsize when they received bad air from a passing ferry.

Over the latter stages of the race, the weather closed in and spectators were treated to the unusual site of watching the two leaders come to the finish in misty conditions.

Congratulations to Adam Barnes and his crew on showing their best form since joining the 18s when they took out the handicap section of the race in Southern Engineering Services.

More photos will be published later on www.18footers.com.au and www.flying18s.com. Video coverage of the race can be seen on www.18footerstv.com.

More Beth Morley photos can be found here.

Spectator Ferry photos will also be published on www.18footers.com.au and www.flying18s.com during the coming week.

Don't forget 'Pick the Podium' again this season with prizes to be won by just making some selections on which teams you think will fill the placings in Sunday's race. For full details go to www.18footerstv.com/18-promo

The club's regular spectator ferry will follow next Sunday's Race 2 of the Australian Championship, leaving Double Bay Wharf at 2.15pm.

Related Articles

Sunday's racing to decide 18ft Skiff NSW champion
It will all come down to two short course races in Sydney Harbour It will all come down to two short course races to decide which team will become the 2024-25 NSW 18ft skiff champion when the 16-boat fleet lines up for the final day's racing on Sydney Harbour next Sunday. Posted on 18 Dec
18ft Skiff NSW Championship Day 3
The race for the title will go down to the final day The race to decide the 2024-25 NSW 18ft skiff Championship winner will come down to the final day's racing on Sydney Harbour next Sunday after the two leading teams shared the honours in the two short course races contested on Sydney Harbour today. Posted on 15 Dec
18ft Skiff NSW Championship Races 5 & 6 preview
Rag & Famish Hotel and Finport Finance share the lead going into Sunday's racing Pre-series favourite Rag & Famish Hotel and the 2022-23 Australian champion Finport Finance share the lead going into next Sunday's Races 5 and 6 of the NSW 18ft skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour. Posted on 11 Dec
18ft Skiff NSW Championship Day 2
Wins for Rag & Famish Hotel and Finport Finance Following the forced abandonment of Races 1 and 2 of the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship, due to an intense storm which hit as the fleet prepared to race, the series began on Sydney Harbour today when Races 3 and 4 were conducted. Posted on 8 Dec
18ft Skiff NSW Championship re-starts on Sunday
Following the abandonment of Races 1 and 2 due to a severe electrical storm Following the abandonment of Races 1 and 2 of the NSW 18ft skiff Championship last Sunday, due to a severe electrical storm and the threat of a possible follow up, the Australian 18 Footers League will now stage Races 3 and 4 next Sunday. Posted on 4 Dec
18ft Skiff NSW Championship Day 1
Intense electrical storm accompanied by heavy rain and hail cancels racing Officials were forced to abandon racing on Day 1 of the NSW 18ft skiff Championship today when an intense electrical storm accompanied by heavy rain and hail swept in from the west, reducing visibility to near zero on the Sydney Harbour course. Posted on 1 Dec
18ft Skiff NSW Championship starts on Sunday
The Rag & Famish Hotel team go in as favourites The Rag & Famish Hotel team of Harry Price, Max Paul and Finn Rodowicz goes into the opening day's racing of the 2024-25 NSW Championship next Sunday as favourite to take the title after an outstanding start to the Australian 18 Footers League season. Posted on 27 Nov
18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship Race 6
The Rag & Famish Hotel team wrap up the series win The Rag & Famish Hotel team of Harry Price, Max Paul and Finn Rodowicz wrapped up the 2024 Sixt Spring 18ft skiff Championship, which concluded on Sydney Harbour today. Posted on 24 Nov
18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship Final Preview
The Rag & Famish Hotel team have dominated the season so far Three of the best teams in 2024-25 season fleet put on a great exhibition of power, speed racing in a 25-30 knot nor'easter on Sydney Harbour last Sunday with only a few secs separating them for more than two-thirds of the long course Posted on 20 Nov
18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship Race 5
Another brilliant exhibition by the Rag & Famish Hotel team in the strong north-east wind The Rag & Famish Hotel team of Harry Price, Max Paul and Finn Rodowicz continued their domination of the 2024-25 Australian 18 Footers League with another brilliant exhibition in the strong north-east wind conditions on a near-deserted Sydney Harbour. Posted on 17 Nov