Visit www.18footers.com for the very best in 18 foot skiff racing from Sydney Harbour and beyond

The Yandoo team of John Winning Jr, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake had already won the 2026 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship, presented by The Winning Group, after yesterday’s race, but officially took out the title for the third consecutive time at the conclusion of today’s Race 9 on Sydney Harbour. In today’s race, which was sailed in 15-18 knot North East wind, it was the German team of Heinrich von Bayern, Tom Martin and Andy Martin on Black Knight which took the honours when they won their first race in a JJ Giltinan championship regatta since Heinrich first began competing in 2018. The team handled the conditions superbly, and after taking the lead on the second leg of the course, held off spirited challenges from the fleet to record the historic victory for a German team. Black Knight finished 1m13s ahead of the second placed Queenslander GC Sails (Scott Cunningham, Joel Turner and Dave Cunningham), with New Zealand’s Shaw and Partners (Eli Liefting, Sam Street and Josh Schon) a further 31s back in third place. First NSW boat to finish was the fourth-placed Vaikobi, skippered by Kirk Mitchell, ahead of Shaw and Partners Financial Services-Australia (Keagan York), Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich), Smeg (Ash Rooklyn), Sixt (Jacob Marks), Big Foot Bags & Covers (Dave Hayter, Qld) and Balmain (Henry Larkings) in 10th place. Although Yandoo finished well out of the top placings in today’s race she topped the scoreboard with a total of 22 points, followed by Shaw and Partners Financial Services-Australia on 28 points. GC Sails was third on 41, followed by Lazarus Capital Partners on 52, Black Knight on 54, Sixt on 55, Vaikobi on 59 Shaw and Partners-New Zealand on 63.4 (including a scoring penalty in Race 9), Smeg on 68 and The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel) on 74 points. New Zealand’s Shaw and Partners won a great race to the weather mark at the Beashel Buoy to lead narrowly from Black Knight, with Smeg in third place ahead Vaikobi, GC Sails, Lazarus, Big Foot and Yandoo. Black Knight and Shaw and Partners-NZ had a great battle along Shark Island as they approached the wing mark off the southern end of the island where Black Knight got the upper hand to lead narrowly. GC Sails was also challenging strongly in third place and Yandoo also looked a threat, with her #1 rig, in fourth place. The German team held off the challengers and still had a 5s advantage over Shaw and Partners-NZ as the fleet headed back to the Beashel Buoy for the second time. Positions behind the two leaders remained unchanged with GC Sails in third place ahead of Yandoo, Smeg, Vaikobi, Big Foot, Lazarus, Rag & Famish Hotel (Ben Crafoord), Balmain and Sixt. The beat to Beashel Buoy was decisive as Black Knight extended her lead to 20s over the now second placed GC Sails ahead of Shaw and Partners-NZ, which was 50s back from the leader. After the second spinnaker run back to Clark Island, Black Knight’s lead over GC Sails was still 22s but the hard charging Queensland team reduced this margin back to just 10s as the pair headed for the wing mark and run between the islands to the finish line off Clark Island. Once again, the crew work of the German team was first class and Black Knight powered away from GC Sails on a spectacular run to the finish 1m13s ahead of the determined challenger. The spectacle of the entire fleet finishing at high speed under spinnaker towards Clark Island was not only a brilliant way to finish the regatta, it was one of the best spectacles of the entire season. Words by Frank Quealey Shot and Edited by Sprott Media Visit www.18footers.com for the very best in 18 foot skiff racing from Sydney Harbour and beyond

Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 - Race 9

The Yandoo team of John Winning Jr, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake became the world 18ft Skiff champions on Sydney Harbour today despite only managing to finish in seventh position in Race 8 of the 2026 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship, presented by The Winning Group, which was sailed in extremely light conditions. In one of most incredible sailing races you would ever want to see, the Lazarus Capital Partners team of Tom Cunich, Marc Chapon and Tim Westwood produced a brilliant final lap of the course to defeat Sixt (Jacob Marks, Alex Marinelli and Matt Doyle) by 1m17s, with The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel, George Morton and Jerome Watts) just 9s further back in third place. Shaw and Partner Financial Services-Australia (Keagan York) finished in fourth place only 1s ahead of Queensland’s GC Sails (Scott Cunningham). Australian champion Balmain (Henry Larkings) was sixth, ahead of Yandoo, Shaw and Partners –New Zealand (Eli Liefting), Rag & Famish Hotel (Ben Crafoord) and Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell) to round out the top-10. With only tomorrow’s final race of the championship still to be sailed, Yandoo has a net total of 15 points, after discarding her worst result. Regardless of the team’s placing in the final race, it can finish no worse than with a final total of 22 points, which is two better than the best score its nearest rival, Shaw and Partners-Australia can achieve. Shaw and Partners Financial Services-Australia is presently on 23, ahead of the third placed GC Sails on 39 points, and is assured of second placing overall. GC Sails is in a good position to take the remaining podium place but will need to consolidate to stay ahead of Lazarus Capital Partners (46 points) and Sixt (47 points), which are in fourth and fifth placings respectively. Shaw and Partners-New Zealand is the leading international team, in sixth place, with a total of 52 points, followed by Germany’s Black Knight (Heinrich von Bayern) on 53, Vaikobi on 55, Smeg (Ash Rooklyn) on 61 and The Kitchen Maker on 62 points. Today’s race was sailed in extremely light wind, which forced the race officer to shorten the windward-leeward course from four laps to three. From the first windward beat from the vicinity of Garden Island to the weather mark in Rose Bay, the race provided constant changing conditions, leaders and positions throughout the entire fleet. Lazarus and Shaw and Partners-Australia were early leaders as the fleet headed to Rose Bay but it was the German crew on Black Knight which led by 15s from Lazarus when spinnakers were set to run back to the gates at the bottom of the course. Shaw and Partners was relegated back to third, ahead of Club Marine (Emma Rankin), GC Sails, Shaw and Partners-NZ, Berlin Bears (Philipp Nocke, Germany), Rag & Famish Hotel and Yandoo, which was 1m10s from the lead. Teams chose many angles in the search for the best wind and by the time the fleet reached the bottom gates on the first lap GC Sails had opened up a 50s lead over Shaw and Partners-Australia and Yandoo. Black Knight, who led at the weather mark was nowhere to be seen. The next beat was no easier to predict and again psitions were changing by the minutes. This time Shaw and Partners-Australia had a 35s lead from GC Sails with Yanddo, now 55s behind the leader, in third place. Shaw and Partners-Australia retained her lead on the following spinnaker run and headed on the final windward leg 45s ahead of Rag & Famish, GC Sails, Yandoo and Shaw and Partners-NZ. There was a massive group following the five leaders and one of the last teams to round the gate was Sixt. Trying to describe the final windward leg would not be possible as the positions were changing faster than you could check. Lazarus had gone to the LHS of the course and was now in the lead while Sixt, which had been in about 20th place at the bottom mark was now in second place, 12s from the lead. Lazarus’ crew handled the conditions superbly and powered away from the fleet on the run to the finish while Sixt and The Kitchen Maker had a great battle to decide second and third place. If the predicted 14-14 knots NE wind prevails tomorrow we should get a great action of speed sailing and spectacular spinnaker runs. Visit www.18footers.com for the very best in 18 foot skiff racing from Sydney Harbour and beyond

Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 - Race 8

Two more outstanding performances by the brilliant Yandoo crew of John Winning Jr, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake, on Sydney Harbour today, has given the defending champion team an almost unbeatable lead in the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship, presented by The Winning Group, with only two more races still to be sailed on the weekend. In a SSE 15knots breeze, Yandoo took out the first race (Race 6) by 22s from Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich, Marc Chapon and Tim Westwood) with Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell, Andrew Stephenson and Daniel Barnett) a further 39s back in third place. Queensland’s Big Foot Bags & Covers (Dave Hayter) finished in fourth place ahead of Shaw and Partners Financial Services-Australia (Keagan York), Sixt (Jacob Marks), Smeg (Ash Rooklyn), GC Sails (Scott Cunningham, Queensland), Fisher & Paykel (Brett Van Munster) and The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel) in tenth place. Yandoo’s performance in the latter race (Race 7) was even more impressive as the crew were once again faultless to defeat a very hard challenging Shaw and Partners Financial Services-Australia by 42s with Shaw and Partners Financial Services-New Zealand (Eli Liefting) another 31s back in third place. The German Black Knight team, led by Heinrich von Bayern, finished in fourth place ahead of Sixt, GC Sails, The Kitchen Maker, Brisbane 18 Footers (Josh Sloman, Queensland), Smeg and New Zealand’s ASCC (Campbell Stanton). After each boat has discarded its worst race result to date, the scoreboard shows the net positions as Yandoo leading on 8 points, followed by Shaw and Partners Financial services-Australia on 19. GC Sails is third on 34 points, followed by Black Knight on 41, Shaw and Partners Financial Services-New Zealand on 44. Three teams, Lazarus Capital Partners, Vaikobi and Sixt are all equal on 45 points, followed by Smeg on 47 and in tenth place ASCC on 49 points. Race 6: Racing today was over the South-Short Course, and it ws Big Foot Bags & Covers which grabbed an early 13s lead on the beat from the start in Athol Bay to the weather mark off Clark Island. Andoo-USA (Mikey Radziejowski) was in second place, ahead of Sixt, Lazarus and Shaw and Partners-Australia. The spinnaker run to Chowder Bay was a very tight angle which forced teams to drop their spinnakers. The Big Foot crew were under pressure but held off the challengers to reach the Chowder Bay mark with a 4s advantage over Lazarus, Andoo-USA, Vaikobi, Yandoo, Sixt, The Kitchen Maker, Shaw and Partners-Australia and GC Sails. The next leg was a beat across the harbour to the mark off Shark Island and the contest was close as Yandoo closed on Big Foot and Lazarus. Experienced crew work won out for the Yandoo team which took the lead and headed for Athol Bay under spinnaker ahead of a group including Big Foot, Lazarus, Sixt, Vaikobi, Andoo-USA and Shaw and Partners-Australia. Yandoo held a 10s lead over Lazarus at the end of the spinnaker run but was under pressure on the next beat to Clark Island. Lazarus actually crossed Yandoo but the champion crew came back strongly to re-take the lead and head for the finish back at Athol Bay with a 9s margin over a determined Lazarus team. Race 7: The young Queensland crew on Brisbane 18 Footers led from the start but more wonderful crew work from the Yandoo’s crew saw them. 20s ahead of Shaw and Partners-New Zealand with the Brisbane 18 Footers back in third place ahead of Fisher & Paykel. They were closely followed by a group including Lazarus, Sixt, Shaw and Partners-Australia, The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Hugo Stoner) and GC Sails. The spinnaker run to Chowder Bay in this race was far more predictable than the earlier race and the New Zealand Shaw and Partners challenged strongly the test Yandoo to the limit. The kiwi team got to within 17s of Yandoo but from that point in the race the defending champs were never headed. Race officials shortened the course to eliminate the final spinnaker run from Clark Island to Athol Bay and Yandoo crossed the finish line in lighter wind to score a comfortable 42s victory. The experience of the Yandoo crew is dominant and the trio rarely make a mistake (if ever) and there looks to be no competitor in the fleet that will be able to stop them from taking out a third consecutive Giltinan World championship. Visit www.18footers.com for the very best in 18 foot skiff racing from Sydney Harbour and beyond

Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 - Race 6 & 7

Day 4 of the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship, presented by The Winning Group, was a far better day for the 27-boat fleet when a perfect North East breeze, on Sydney Harbour today, replaced the extremely light conditions which forced the postponement of one race on Day 3 of the championship. The racing was spectacular in the 15-18 knots NE wind and victory results were split in the two races, although the defending champion still holds the overall lead despite not scoring a win today. In the opening race (Race 4) Shaw and Partners Financial Services-Australia (Keagan York, Max Paul and Tom Anderson) led for most of the race to score a 39s victory over the defending champion, Yandoo (John Winning Jr, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake), with Queensland’s GC Sails (Scott Cunningham, Joel Turner and Dave Cunningham) just another 3s back in third place with a torn spinnaker. The second of today’s races was sailed in identical conditions and this time the honours went to the Lazrus Capital Partners team of Tom Cunich, Marc Chapon and Tim Westwood who scored a brilliant 6s victory over a fast-finishing Yandoo, with Germany’s Black Knight (Heinrich von Bayern, Tom Martin and Andy Martin) just 5s behind in third place. With four more races still to be sailed in the championship and discarding of each boat’s worst performance yet to be brought into play, Yandoo leads the scoring with a five race total of 13 points. Fellow NSW team, Shaw and Partners-Australia holds second place with a total of 19 points. Each team has a worst score of 7th placing so any discard at this point will not change Yandoo’s overall six points lead. GC Sails is presently in third place on 33 points, followed by Black Knight on 37, New Zealand’s consistent ASCC (Campbell Stanton) on 39, Smeg (Ash Rooklyn), Rag & Famish Hotel (Ben Crafoord) on 46, Vaikobi Kirk Mitchell) on 50, Sixt (Jacob Marks) and New Zealand’s Shaw and Partners (Eli Liefting) both on 55 and today’s race winner Lazarus on 58 points. A number of those boats and others outside that list have very large discards in their totals and the table could look quite different after tomorrow’s two races. Race 4: Yandoo, Shaw and Partners-Australia and Vaikobi were well placed at the boat end of the start line and when the fleet tacked after the beat into Taylors Bay, it was Vaikobi which held a narrow lead over a tightly bunched group. The beat to the weather mark past Nielsen Park was spectacular in the NE wind with many teams in contention behind Shaw and Partners-Aust, which had raced to the lead with great boat speed in the conditions. Shaw and Partners turned with a 10s advantage over GC Sails, followed by Vaikobi, Shaw and Partners-NZ, and a group including Black Knight, Smeg and ASCC. Sixt was next, followed by Yandoo which had just completed a penalty turn for an apparent infringement. Shaw and Partners-Aust led the spinnaker run into Taylors Bay and, despite having to avoid harbour traffic, raced to the bottom gates where she held a 12s lead over GC Sails, Vaikobi, Shaw and Partners-NZ, Black Knight, ASCC, Smeg, Sixt and Yandoo, which went to the opposite gate to the leading group. Shaw and Partners’ crew work was excellent on the second beat and the team increased the lead over GC Sails to 30s as spinnakers were set for the run to the finish. Yandoo had recovered brilliantly after the first lap and was now in third place and challenging GC Sails. While Shaw and Partners’ victory was never in doubt, the race between GC Sails and Yandoo was brilliant as the pair raced almost alongside each other to the finish line where Yandoo got the verdict by 3s. Unfortunately GC Sails suffered a torn spinnaker just before the finish line which obviously made the team’s task too difficult against the champion Yandoo crew. Race 5: Black Knight was prominent in the middle of the line at the start with Yandoo and Shaw and Partners-Aust electing to start at the boat end and Lazarus was the leader at the pin end. On the long tack across the harbour to Taylors Bay, the fleet was spread wide as several teams had elected to tack early. Lazarus was in the lead on the LHS closely followed by Andoo-USA (Mikey Radziejowski) with ASCC also in contention. The Lazarus crew were sailing perfectly and held a clear 20s lead over Andoo-USA, ASCC, Sixt, Black Knight, Yandoo and Shaw and Partners-NZ. Lazarus was just as impressive on the run to the bottom set of gates and, despite a strong challenge by Black Knight, maintained a handy margin as the crew set off for the final beat to the weather mark. The chasing pack could make little time up on Lazarus although Yandoo was starting to make a move which got her into second place, within 10s of the leader. Again, the run to the finish was another thriller as Lazarus raced at high speed just ahead of Yandoo and Black Knight to a 6s victory. Visit www.18footers.com for the very best in 18 foot skiff racing from Sydney Harbour and beyond

Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 - Races 4 & 5

Day 3 of the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship, presented by The Winning Group, was a frustrating one for all teams, officials and spectators as a lack of wind reduced the planned racing from two races to just a single two-lap windward-leeward Race 3 on Sydney Harbour today. The day’s racing started on time in very light wind and it was the series leader Yandoo which held a narrow lead over New Zealand's Shaw and Partners Financial Services at the end of the first lap when the breeze died and the race officer abandoned the race. There was a break of more than 45 minutes while the fleet waited to hopefully get a race started, then finally a decision was made to stage Race 3. While the wind was still light throughout the two-lap race, the racing was tight at the head of the fleet. The Smeg crew of Ash Rooklyn, Josh Porebski and Niall Morrow took an early lead after electing to go to the left hand side of the course and led narrowly at each rounding mark before finally taking a narrow 4s victory. The Kitchen Maker crew (Lachlan Steel, George Morton and Jerome Watts) pushed Smeg to the limit and almost grabbed a last minute win after the two leading teams staged a spinnaker-gybing match race over the final leg of the course. Another great battle was going on behind Smeg and The Kitchen Maker duel. Two New Zealand teams, ASCC (Campbell Stanton, Ollie Gilmore and Pat Morgan) and Shaw and Partners Financial Services-NZ (Eli Liefting, Sam Street and Josh Schon) were having a similar gybing duel right to the finish line before ASCC finally won the day narrowly from her Kiwi team mate, finishing third 52s behind The Kitchen Maker. Keagan York’s Shaw and Partners Financial Services-Australia finished in fifth place, ahead of Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich), Yandoo (John Winning Jr), Germany’s Black Knight (Heinrich von Bayern), Rag & Famish Hotel (Ben Crafoord) and Club Marine (Emma Rankin). Due to the delayed start and lack of breeze the scheduled Race 4 was not sailed today and the scoreboard after the races doesn’t accurately show the overall position as a number of the leading teams are already carrying results they would expect to discard later. The total scores from all three races have defending champion Yandoo ahead on 9 points, followed by Shaw and Partners Financial Services-Australia in second place on 11 points, Rag & Famish Hotel on 18, Queensland’s GC Sails (Scott Cunningham) on 22, Smeg on 27 and the Australian champion Balmain (Henry Larkings) on 28 points. As predicted, the two-lap windward-leeward races in light wind usually produce unpredictable results and today’s Race 3 was no exception. Smeg’s crew showed in the Invitation Race prior to the start of the championship that their boat was quick in these conditions and their crew work was outstanding as they grabbed the early lead with good tactics. Smeg led ASCC by 18s at the first weather mark, followed by the Kitchen Maker, Shaw and Partners-Australia, Black Knight, Lazarus, Rag & Famish, Shaw and Partners-NZ, Balmain, Sixt (Jacob Marks), Club Marine, Berlin Bears (Philipp Nocke, Germany) and Yandoo, which was 1m20s behind the leader. At the bottom mark, Smeg retained her 18s advantage over the fleet but it was now The Kitchen Maker that was throwing out the challenge as the pair set off for the final weather mark. There was less than 10s between the two leaders as they set spinnakers for the run to the finish and it was a great race over the final leg to give Smeg her 4s victory. The overall positions should become a little clearer after tomorrow’s races (scheduled Races 5 and 6) but the most accurate position won’t occur until after Thursday’s Race 7. The Host Club, Australian 18 Footers League’s spectator ferry will follow all races and ferry tickets may be purchased via this link Buy Ferry Tickets SailMedia will livestream all the action from the course, along with expert commentary and iewing of the coverage of Races 5 and 6 will be available on youtube.com/video/8nk8PkikIIQ/livestreaming Visit www.18footers.com for the very best in 18 foot skiff racing from Sydney Harbour and beyonds

Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 - Races 3 & 4

Race 2 of the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship, presented by The Winning Group, produced conditions totally opposite to those of the opening race but the result was the same as the outstanding defending champion Yandoo team took the honours with another display of brilliant crew work on Sydney Harbour today. Skippered by John Winning Jr, with Fang Warren on the sheet and Lewis Brake in the bow, Yandoo won the start at the boat end of the line and was never headed as the blue-hulled flyer led for the entire long Southerly course in wind that ranged from 20+ knots at the start to a near zero as the crew battled to finally cross the finish with a 4m48s margin in hand. It was an awesome display and one that has Yandoo in a very strong position to win a third consecutive JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship. After Yandoo had established a lead 55s at the end of the second leg of the course, the battle for the next two spots on the podium became the centre of interest for the spectators and they weren’t disappointed as four teams battled for the two positions. Queensland’s GC Sails (Scott Cunningham, Joel Turner and Dave Cunningham) grabbed second placing just metres from the line to finish 1s ahead of the New Zealand’s Shaw and Partners Financial Services team of Eli Liefting, Sam Street and Josh Schon and Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich, Marc Chapon and Tim Westwood) which was just another 1s back in fourth place. Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell, Andrew Stephenson and Daniel Barnett) finished fifth ahead of Australia’s Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Keagan York. Max Paul and Tom Anderson) which recovered well after being below its best earlier in the race. Following the two races completed so far, Yandoo heads the points table with a total of 2 points, followed by Shaw and Partners Financial Services-Australia and Shaw and Partners Financial Services-New Zealand both on 8, GC Sails on 9, Rag & Famish Hotel (Ben Crafoord) on 11, and Lazarus Capital Partners on 13. Vaikobi is next on 15 points, followed by Fisher & Paykel on 19, Balmain also on 19 and Germany’s Black Knight (Heinrich Von Bayern) on 23 points, to round out the Top-10. The strong wind prior to the race caused a number of capsizes but the race to the weather mark was closely fought before Yandoo got the upper hand to lead Big Foot Bags & Covers (Aron Everett) by 20, followed by Shaw and Partners-NZ, Rag & Famish, GC Sails, Lazarus, The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel), Vaikobi and Sixt (Jacob Marks). A flying spinnaker run to Obelisk was spectacular as the skiffs raced at high speeds. Yandoo’s crew were outstanding and increased their lead to 55s over Lazarus which edged ahead of Big Fooy, GC Sails, Shaw and Partners-NZ and Balmain. NZ’s ASCC (Campbell Stanton) was another big improver and rounded in seventh place ahead of Black Knight and Vaikobi. GC Sails was impressive on the beat back to the Shark Island mark where she reduced the leader’s margin back to 42s but after the long 2-sail reach across the harbour to Athol Bay Yandoo had extended it again to more than 50s. The margin was out further, to 1m25s, at the Clark Island mark as spinnakers were set for the second run to Obelisk, however this time conditions had changed in both wind direction and strength. It made no difference to the leader which put the race beyond any doubt when there was now two minutes between Yandoo and Lazarus, which rounded the mark inside GC Sails. White caps had disappeared and the wind was down on the earlier strength over the next two legs of the course as Lazarus, GC Sails and Shaw and Partners-NZ battled hard for the minor placings. To complete another erratic sailing day of wind conditions on Sydney Harbour this summer, as the leaders headed for the finish line in an overcast mist and rain the wind that had been in excess of 20-knots at the start of the race was now gone and all teams were struggling to reach the finish line. Races 3 and 4 of the championship will be sailed on Tuesday (March 10). The two-race per day format often throws up an unusual result or some drama which could radically change the scoreboard. Visit www.18footers.com for the very best in 18 foot skiff racing from Sydney Harbour and beyond

Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 - Race 2

The opening race of the JJ Giltinan 18ft skiff World Championship 2026, presented by The Winning Group, produced a day dominated by light wind strength and a number of changes of direction which made for many surprising performances throughout the fleet, but nothing was going to stop the defending champion Yandoo team which powered to a great victory on Sydney Harbour today. Starting from the pin end of the line, Yandoo’s crew were unable to cross the fleet and for the first few minutes of the race were in the pack, but like many champions the crew found a way out and by midway up the first beat were a clear leader. By the end of the race Yandoo’s team of John Winning Jr, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake easily crossed the finish line with a 1m4s victory over Australia’s Shaw and Partners Financial Services, (Keagan York, Max Paul and Tom Anderson). After a race-long battle between Rag & Famish Hotel (Ben Crafoord, Ryan Ewings and Max Nearn) and Fisher & Paykel (Brett Van Munster, Logan Radford and Tom Quigley), The Rag finally came out on top to take third place 1m10s behind Shaw and Partners. New Zealand’s Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Eli Liefting) finished in fifth place, ahead of The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel), Queensland’s GC Sails (Scott Cunningham), Australian champion Balmain (Henry Larkings), Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich) and Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell) which finished in tenth place. Two disappointments came from the strong German Black Knight team, skippered by Heinrich von Bayern, which finished in 11th place ahead of yesterday’s Invitation race winner Smeg, skippered by Ash Rooklyn. On the plus side, the Andoo-USA team of Mikey Radziejowski, David Liebenberg and Daniel Roberts performed above expectations and with a little ‘luck’ could have finished closer to the top-10. In the conditions, the race officer/starter set a windward-leeward three-lap course, which had an elapsed time of 1:17:33. In very tricky conditions during the first minutes of the race, Shaw and Partners (Aust), Fisher & Paykel, Andoo-USA and Shaw and Partners (NZ) were at the head of the fleet which was spread across the harbour as the teams tried to find the best breeze. The experienced Yandoo crew went hard to the left and by midway up the first beat had established a small, but clear lead which enabled Yandoo to lead Shaw and Partners (Aust) by 12s. The young, lightweight Rag & Famish Hotel crew had also been near the leading group and grabbed third place ahead of Fisher & Paykel as the fleet set spinnakers for the run back to the bottom gates. Andoo-USA was in fifth place, ahead of Black Knight, Shaw and Partners (NZ) and GC Sails. Yandoo’s downwind speed was good and she opened up the lead to 25s over Shaw and Partners while Fished & Paykel had moved just ahead of Rag & Famish. Three boats came to the gates in line with Shaw and Partners (NZ) and GC Sails using their greater experience in 18s to both round the gate ahead of Andoo-USA. After the following beat back to the weather mark, Yandoo continued to extend her lead over Shaw and Partners, which was now to 47. The third boat was again Rag & Famish Hotel ahead of Fisher & Paykel, but this pair were now 1m45s from the lead. Over the next lap of the course, to the final weather mark, yandoo was 1m20s ahead of Shaw and Partners as the two leading teams headed for the finish near Clark Island where Yandoo crossed for an impressive win and early favouritism to take out her third consecutive Giltinan world title. Tomorrow’s weather prediction of 11-14 knots SE-SSE wind will provide all the ingredients for action and hopefully the opportunity for several teams to regain their best form to challenge Yandoo. Visit www.18footers.com for the very best in 18 foot skiff racing from Sydney Harbour and beyond

18ft SKIFFS - Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 - Race 1

The traditional Invitation Race got the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026, presented by The Winning Group, under way in a 8-10 knot SE breeze on Sydney Harbour today and produced an absorbing contest which wasn’t decided until the final one hundred metres of the long South-East course. At the finish, it was the Australian champion Balmain team of Henry Larkings, Tom Grimes and Lachlan Pryor who won the day narrowly from a ‘gutsy’ Smeg team of Ash Rooklyn, Josh Porebski and Niall Morrow, which had led for almost the entire race. Defending champion Yandoo (John Winning Jr, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake) finished in third place, ahead of Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Keagan York), Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell) and Brisbane’s GC Sails (Scott Cunningham). The battle between Balmain and Smeg was a brilliant way to start the carnival as the pair raced the entire course in the top two positions with the margin between them at just two rounding marks extending beyond 20 secs. A majority of the fleet went to the RHS of Shark Island on the beat from the start in Taylors Bay to the weather mark in Rose Bay where Balmain led narrowly from Smeg, Queensland’s Big Foot Bags & Covers (Dave Hayter), Shaw and Partners Financial Services NZ (Eli Liefting), Shaw and Partners (Aust), Yandoo, Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich), Club Marine (Emma Rankin), Vaikobi and GC Sails. In a spectacular spinnaker run across the harbour to Robertson Point the two leaders extended their break over the rest of the fleet as Smeg rounded the mark just 8s ahead of Balmain. Shaw and Partners (Aust) was 50s back in third place ahead of Yandoo and Shaw and Partners (NZ). GC Sails was next with Vaikobi, Sixt (Jacob Marks) and Fisher & Paykel (Brett Van Munster) close behind. A match race developed between the two leaders on the beat to Clark Island where Smeg led by 20s as spinnakers were set for the spinnaker run to Chowder Bay. Balmain was 55s ahead of Shaw and Partners (Aust) with Yandoo 1m35s from the lead in fourth place. The margins between the first three boats was unchanged at Chowder but it was the beat across to Rose Bay where Smeg’s crew produced some brilliant sailing to increase the leading margin to 40s. On the following spinnaker run to Taylors Bay, Balmain and Yandoo both gained significant time on the leader and the race was back on with only 8s separating Smeg and Balmain as they headed back across the harbour to Rose Bay. Balmain took advantage of a slightly slower mark rounding by Smeg and crossed to grab a narrow lead but Smeg returned the favour on the next cross and took it back. Smeg then extendd the margin and once again Smeg’s lead got back out to 32. Balmain's downwind boat speed has been outstanding all season, particularly in lighter winds, and she reduced the margin back to just 3-4 boat lengths at Robertson Point as the pair headed for home near Clark Island. Smeg went to the right and Balmain to the left; when they came together near Clark Island Balmain had regained the lead once more and crossed the finish line with the narrow winning margin and plenty of confidence for the championship regatta, which begins tomorrow. The championship is expected to be one of the most closely contested JJs for several years. If today’s racing is any indication, we are in for a tremendous series which may come down to an overall decision as close as today’s race. Visit www.18footers.com for the very best in 18 foot skiff racing from Sydney Harbour and beyond

Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 - Invitation Race

The Yandoo team of John Winning Jr, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake formalised their victory in the Australian 18 Footers League’s Club Championship for 2025-26 season with another masterly display in Race 14 (the final race), which was sailed in a 10-15 knots North East breeze on Sydney Harbour today. The League’s other major season championship, the Season Point Score was won convincingly by the Sixt team of Jacob Marks, Alex Marinelli and Matt Doyle, which finished with a winning margin of 18 points over the nearest challenger in the fleet. Yandoo led for almost the entire three-lap NE course to defeat the Australian champion Balmain team (Henry Larkings, Tom Grimes and Lachlan Pryor) by 1m21s, with Vaikobi (Kirk Mitcxhell, Andrew Stephenson and Daniel Barnett) a further 1m0s back in third place. Germany’s Black Knight (Heinrich von Bayern) finished in fourth place ahead of Smeg (Ash Rooklyn) and Brisbane’s GC Sails (Scott Cunningham). Yandoo finished the Club Championship with a total of 29 points, followed by Balmain on 59, Rag & Famish Hotel (Ben Crafoord) on 76, Sixt on 91, Vaikobi on 92 and Smeg on 87 points. The final points in the League’s Season Point Score: Sixt finished on 157 points, ahead of Club Marine (Emma Rankin) on 175, with Balmain and Vaikobi level on 182 and Rag & Famish Hotel on 197. After an even start in 10-11 knots of breeze, Balmain led narrowly once the fleet settled. Yandoo was in second place and there was a tense battle between Black Knight, Vaikobi, Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Keagan York) and Smeg for the next four placings as the fleet headed to the weather mark at the Beashel Buoy. The powerful Yandoo team quickly settled into gear and grabbed the lead from Balmain before holding a 9s lead at the mark. Vaikobi was another 21s back in third place just ahead of Black Knight, Shaw and Partners, Smeg and Lazarus, which made a strong recovery after being recalled at the start. A large fleet of Optimists in the Rose Bay area was a challenge for the 18s as they sped downwind under the big #1 spinnakers to the wing mark off the southern end of Shark Island and again it was the experience of the Yandoo team that performed best as they extended their lead over Balmain to 35s and headed for the bottom mark off Clark Island to complete the first lap of the course. While it was already looking much like a Yandoo victory, the race for the podium placings was close and exciting as there was only a few seconds separating Balmain, Shaw and Partners, Vakobi and Black Knight as the four teams set off for the second beat to Beashel. GC Sails and Rag & Famish headed the next group which included Brisbane’s Big Foot Bags & Covers (Dave Hayter), Lazarus and Sixt. The breeze freshened on the second beat and the battle for second got even closer. Shaw and Partners edged ahead of Balmain before Balmain came back on the next cross to regain the placing. Meanwhile, Yandoo’s crew was revelling in the slightly stronger breeze and increased the leading margin, over Balmain, to 48s as spinnakers were set for the run back down the middle of the course to Clark Island. Shaw and Partners, Black Knight and Vaikobi continued their close battle ahead of Smeg, GC Sails and Big Foot Bags & Covers. Shaw and Partners was showing good form and challenging Balmain but capsized in a gybe, leaving Balmain more secure in second place, now 49s behind the leader. With victory well in sight for the current Giltinan World champion Yandoo team, the crew were more than happy to keep a loose cover on their major challenger over the final triangle lap of the course then put on a spectacular spinnaker run to the finish off Double Bay. As a final hit-out for the upcoming 2026 JJ Giltinan World Championship, Yandoo has definitely set the benchmark and will go into the JJs regatta as favourite to retain the title, but it won’t be easy as the 9-race regatta includes four short course races which can be unpredictable, especially in light winds. The challengers from Germany, New Zealand and Queensland, as well as several top contenders from the League’s fleet will put the defending champions to the test and we should see one of the closest championships in recent history. Livestream commentary courtesy of Sail Media Visit www.18footers.com for the very best in 18 foot skiff racing from Sydney Harbour and beyond

18footers - SEASON POINTSCORE RACE 20 / CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP RACE 14

Another day of incredibly tough racing conditions during the 2025-26 season couldn’t stop the reigning world 18ft skiff champion Yandoo team of John Winning Jr, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake from scoring a hard-fought victory in the Australian 18 Footers League’s Season Point Score Race 19 on Sydney Harbour today. In light SE winds which dropped to near zero for a good section of the long course, Yandoo outlasted the gallant crew (Joel Beashel, Trent Barnabas and Andy Martin) of the German Black Knight skiff to cross the finish line with a winning margin of 28s. The youngest crew in the fleet (Ben Crafoord, Ryan Ewings and Max Nearn) produced probably their best race since joining the 18s this season to bring Rag & Famish Hotel home in third place 2m6s behind Black Knight. Australian champion Balmain (Henry Larkings) finished in fourth place, ahead of Brisbane’s Big Foot Bags & Covers (Dave Hayter) and fast-finishing Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich). The race began in just 5knots of breeze with the leaders in the fleet splitting into two separate groups, each side of Shark Island, as they headed for the weather mark off the southern end of the island. Yandoo’s crew, which went to the LHS grabbed a 20s break over Rag & Famish Hotel and Black Knght, which both went to the RHS, and the trio set up what would become a great three-way battle for more than half the course. The Yandoo crew did some running repairs on the long spinnaker run across the harbour to Robertson Point but managed to retain a 20s break over their nearest rival, which was now Black Knight. Rag & Famish was thirs ahead Of Big Foot, Balmain, The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel), and Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Keagan York). A slight change of wind direction on the beat to Clark Island allowed Black Knight to take advantage of the RHS of the course and grab a 40s break over Yandoo and Rag & Famish Hotel as spinnakers were set for the run to Chowder Bay. The first part of the run produced a good, close spinnaker battle between the two leaders before the wind dropped and created massive problems to the leaders as well as half the which were left spread across the harbour. In little breeze, Black Knight finally rounded the Chowder Bay mark with a 30s advantage over Yandoo with Rag & Famish just 15s further back in third place. The following leg into the weather mark south of Shark Island was slow as the leaders struggled to find breeze until they cleared Steel Point. The Black Knight crew were first to pick up the breeze but the experienced Yandoo team elected to go futher to the LHS of the course and reduced the margin back to 20s and the challenge was back on. Unfortunately for the young Rag team, they went closer to Shark Island and didn’t get the ‘lift’ and dropped off the three-way battle after a great effort to match their more experienced opponents. On the loop across to Taylor’s Bay (under spinnaker) and back to the weather mark off Shark Island, Black Knight held a 7s lead over Yandoo and the pair of champion crews produced an exciting race in ‘ordinary’ conditions. The final spinnaker to Robertson Point was going to be critical to both teams as they raced alongside each other for most of the run before Yandoo finally ‘rolled over’ Black Knight and headed for the finish line off Clark Island with a narrow lead of just 4s. With more breeze, now around 10-knots, Yandoo’s crew revelled in the conditions and eased away from the Black Knight to record their 28s victory in the race which took 1hr27m35s to complete. Credits: Livestream footage courtesy of Sail Media Shot and Edited by Sprott Media Words by Frank Quealey Visit www.18footers.com for the very best in 18 foot skiff racing from Sydney Harbour and beyond