Duelling skiffs
The rookie team on Vintec secured its first 18ft Skiff victory following two days of racing in the 18ft Skiff Spring Championship.
Written by Frank Quealey
11 November 2020
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The two races – Races 5 and 6 – of the Spring 18ft Skiff Championship were sailed in a light south-east breeze on Sydney Harbour on 7 November and produced two different winners from the red group under the Australian 18 Footers League’s unique 3-buoys handicap system.
In the first of the two races, Bird & Bear (Tom Clout, Tom Anderson and John Walton) took line honours by 1 minute 41 seconds from Yandoo (John Winning, Jasper Warren and Mike Kennedy) after the pair had staged and closely fought battle over the first lap of the two-lap windward-return course.
Vintec, sailed by the rookie team of Tom Cunich, Alex Marinelli and Flynn Twomey, were consistently in the leading group throughout the race and finished in third place, 17 seconds behind Yandoo.
Smeg (Michael Coxon), Rag & Famish Hotel (Anthony Young) and Noakesailing (Sean Langman) completed the top six.
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The latter race began in a similar fashion with Yandoo and Bird & Bear prominently placed as a result of the 3-buoys system, but a wind change as the fleet raced to the finish line dramatically turned the race on its head.
Vintec had trailed Bird & Bear and Yandoo as the teams set their spinnakers for the run to the finish line, but the young team took full advantage of the wind change to come from behind and grab its first win in the 18s.
With the fleet steaming home with l minute 41 seconds between the first thirteen boats, Vintec crossed the finish line just 4 seconds ahead of The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone (Jordan Girdis, Lachlan Doyle and Tom Quigley), with Bird & Bear finishing just another 5 seconds back in third place.
Birkenhead Point Marina (Tim Westwood) finished in fourth place ahead of Winning Group (Micah Lane) and Finport Finance (Harry Price).
Yandoo lost out badly with the wind change and finished in seventh place, but her performance over the two races has Yandoo leading the championship by three points going into next Sunday’s final race.
Yandoo has a total of 27 points, followed by the previous leader tech2 (Jack Macartney) on 30, Smeg on 39, Winning Group (John Winning Jr) on 43, Bird & Bear on 45 and Finport Finance (Keagan York) on 54.
Bird & Bear was particularly impressive in Race 5 as she raced away from the fleet over the second lap of the course.
The team led narrowly from Yandoo over the first lap, but the following windward leg across the harbour from Taylor Bay to Rose Bay was sensational as the team extended the lead to 50 seconds for the run home.
Yandoo took early control of Race 6 and was a clear leader at the end of the first lap before Finport Finance and Bird & Bear reduced the margin to just a few seconds as the group approached the Rose Bay markers.
Finport Finance actually took the lead but, under the handicap system, had to travel further to the white mark, leaving Yandoo and Bird & Bear to head first for home.
Last week’s 25–30 knot southerly winds were a distant memory as the fleet this week battled the very light conditions, but it was important as it gave the newer teams the opportunity to sharpen their teamwork.
Race 7 (the final race) of the Spring Championship will be conducted next Sunday 15 November.
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