Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo 2023 S-Series LEADERBOARD

Australian 16ft Skiff Sprint Series final at Belmont

by Adam Lucius 7 Feb 2023 06:49 UTC 4 February 2023

They say lightning doesn't strike twice. But try telling that to the Australian 16ft skiff fraternity.

Less than a month after Typhoon came back from the dead to pip the luckless St George entrant Noakes (Dave O'Connor) for the Australian 16ft Championship, the two boats went head-to-head in a dramatic "extra-time" final at the Australian sprint series at Belmont on Saturday. And again it was Wilmot and Typhoon who came out on top.

It came after an exhausting and thrilling day of racing, with 54 starters whittled down to a top 10 shoot-out, semi-finals and finals. Typhoon and Noakes were locked on points when the spray settled so it went to a points countback. On countback, the boats still couldn't be separated so it came down to a one-on-one sail-off - two laps of the course in a winner-takes-all decider. Cue even more drama.

Typhoon led around the last mark by about 50m but Noakes wasn't done with yet. It hunted Wilmot downwind and forced a penalty on their rival, forcing Typhoon into a 360 degree turn before both boats set their spinnakers for the finish line. Noakes appeared to have its nose in front but Typhoon, sailing slightly lower, fought back to greet the finishing gun about a boat length ahead.

"It's a really good rivalry we've got going with the Noakes. They're a great boat and a great bunch of blokes," Wilmot said. "It was an exhausting day - we sailed 10 races in all - and we probably would have settled for a toss of the coin at the end, but they sent us back for the sail-off and we managed to get the job done. "It's been a good few weeks for everyone involved."

The thrilling and fitting finale at Belmont was watched by Typhoon team owner Craig Nicholls from a mobile phone in the loungeroom of Manly 16ft Skiff Club president Rolf Cohen back in Sydney. "We've gone from having nothing to having the Typhoon name on the Australian 16ft title and now the Australian sprint series," a euphoric Nicholls said. "It's been an incredible few weeks and a testament to the sailing ability and dedication of everyone in the team." When Nicholls says team, he means it in its truest sense.

Typhoon has a WhatsApp group containing some of the best skiff sailors in the world, with Nicholls and Olympic gold medalist Malcolm Page ensuring the boat is fully staffed each weekend around the commitments of the various participants. At Belmont, Brett Davis stepped back in to resume his spot from Barnabas and Simon Hoffman replaced the unavailable Page. It was a near seamless transition.

Capping off a memorable weekend, Typhoon backed up to take out Sunday's Belmont Bay Championship. It was particularly special win for Davis and Hoffman, who both hail from the region.

Related Articles

Manly 16ft Skiff Club Championship Heat 3
For five years, Kurt Hansen was lost to sailing Burnt out after a prolonged stint travelling the globe in the 49er class, the then 22-year-old walked away from the sport to pursue other interests - including ironman triathlon events - while building a career in the renewable energy sector. Posted on 12 Nov
Manly 16ft Skiff Club report
A record number of females are entering the various classes At Manly 16ft Skiff Club, a record number of females are entering the various classes on the back of the path paved by some of Australia's finest women sailors. Posted on 30 Oct
Manly 16ft Skiff SC Port Jackson Championship
One of the most unforgiving races on the 16ft skiff calendar The Port Jackson Championship is regarded as one of the most unforgiving races on the 16ft skiff calendar. One small mistake or miscalculation and your day can be over as Sydney Harbour shows who's boss over two gruelling hours. Posted on 22 Oct
Manly 16ft Skiff Club Championship Heats 1 & 2
They say ignorance is bliss.. They say ignorance is bliss... It's also a winning formula if you happen to be Manly 16ft Skiff Club sailor Tyler Dransfield. Posted on 18 Oct
Sponsors, Club Financial Support and Media
The key drivers for 13ft Skiff Success Whether he's dressed in a business suit or wetsuit, Hugh Skeen is seeing the growth of the 13ft skiff class first-hand. Posted on 25 Sep
Manly16s first Season Pointscore
Winning culture and Flying 11s - the key to Manly's sailing success A quick glance at the results from Saturday's first point-score race of the season tells you all you need to know about the conveyor belt of quality sailors emerging from Manly 16ft Skiff Club's enviable junior program. Posted on 17 Sep
Manly 16ft SC's 2024/25 season officially starts
New season, new boats, new crews Manly 16ft Skiff Club's 2024/25 season officially kicked off last Saturday with a non-pointscore race in a dying southerly, with 17 boats facing the starter's gun. Posted on 13 Sep
Swap Day - The happiest day of the year
A lot of fun had at Manly 16ft Skiff Club Former Manly 16ft skiff sailing champion Joe Turner thought he had his day all mapped out when he woke Saturday morning. Posted on 27 Mar
New Club Champions decided at Manly 16s
The initial signs didn't look great when Heidi Bates and Orlando Sadlik first joined forces The initial signs didn't look great when Heidi Bates and Orlando Sadlik first joined forces on Harken 13ft Skiff Team ahead of Manly's 2023/24 13ft season. Posted on 19 Mar
Manly 16' Skiff Club Championship heat 7
Now Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page can add another honour to the list They've won Olympic gold medals, national 16ft titles and state championships. Now Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page can add another honour to the list - Manly 16ft Skiff club champions. Posted on 14 Feb
Savvy Navvy 2024Maritimo 2023 S600 FOOTER