Please select your home edition
Edition
Savvy Navvy 2024

The Rag leads 18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship at the halfway mark

by Frank Quealey 6 Nov 06:04 UTC

The Rag & Famish Hotel team of Harry Price, Max Paul and Finn Rodowicz is currently dominating the Australian 18 Footers League fleet after the first three weeks racing and leads both the 2024-25 season Sixt Spring Championship and Club Championship series being sailed on Sydney Harbour.

The Rag team has won both Club Championship races and Race 1 of the three Sixt Spring Championship series and has already set a high standard for the international opposition that will contest the JJ Giltinan Championship in March.

Crew work on Rag & Famish Hotel has been excellent in some testing conditions, but it will have to be at its best in next Sunday's Race 4, when it gives starts of up to ten minutes to the rest of the fleet, as a result of their success so far.

Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell, Andrew Stephenson, Daniel Barnettr), the closest challenger to the series leader, has been a model of consistency highlighted by a win in the 3-buoys Race 2 but will also have to be at her best from a one minutes handicap.

The third-placed Balmain (Henry Larkings, Tom Grimes, Flynn Twomey) is another consistent performer in the three weeks of racing to date, and will be a strong force from a handicap of four minutes on Sunday.

Two others to watch from 'favourable' handicaps are Lazarus (Tom Cunich) off six minutes and Finport Finance (Keagan York) from three minutes. Both teams have been performing well but have had a couple of costly incidents, which have affected their points total in the series.

Last Sunday's winner of Race 3 of the Sixt Spring Championship, The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel) has been penalised under the racing conditions of the series but the team has been sailing well in the new boat, which has only been in the water for one month.

Burrawang-Young Henrys (Simon Nearn), Smeg (Nathan McNamara) and Sixt (Jacob Marks) should also be prominent from their relative handicaps on Sunday.

Leading scores in the Sixt Spring Championship are:

9 Rag & Famish Hotel (Harry Price)
11 Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell)
13 Balmain (Henry Larkings)
17 The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel)
19 Burrawang-Young Henrys (Simon Nearn)
20 Sixt (Jacob Marks)
25 Yandoo (John Winning)
26 Smeg (Nathan McNamara)
33 Lazarus (Tom Cunich)
33 Shaw and Partners (Emma Rankin)

The previous 3-buoys race, won by Vaikobi two weeks ago, produced the best race of the season so far with the positions changing continually throughout the entire fleet.

Sunday's 3-buoys race will be another must-watch race and everyone should take the opportunity to go out onto the race track and watch the action aboard the club's spectator ferry, which leaves Double Bay Public Wharf at 2pm.

Related Articles

18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship Race 4
Strong southerly winds forced the cancellation of today's race Strong southerly winds, gusting to more than 30 knots, forced the cancellation of today's Race 4 of the Sixt Spring 18 footer championship on Sydney Harbour. Posted on 10 Nov
18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship Race 3
Another impressive performance by the talented Rag & Famish Hotel Another impressive performance by the talented Rag & Famish Hotel 18ft skiff crew of Harry Price, Max Paul and Finn Rodowicz secured the team their second win of the series when they took out Race 2 of the Australian 18 Footers League's Club Championship. Posted on 3 Nov
Vaikobi leads the 18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Series
Kirk Mitchell, Andrew Stephenson and Daniel Barnett have been one of the most consistent teams Since the beginning of last season's (2023-24) 18 footer campaign, the Vaikobi team of Kirk Mitchell (skipper), Andrew Stephenson (sheet hand) and Daniel Barnett (bow) have been one of the most consistent teams. Posted on 30 Oct
18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship Race 2
A 8-12 knot north-east wind for the 16 teams Race 2 of the 2024 Sixt Spring 18 footer Championship was conducted by the Australian 18 Footers League on Sydney Harbour today when 16 of the club's teams faced the start in a 8-12 knot north-east wind. Posted on 27 Oct
On Board Video from the 18ft Skiffs
The headcam footage gives you an idea of how wild the conditions were! The first race of the 18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship & Club Championship on Sydney Harbour saw big winds, where only seven of the 13 boats finished the race. Posted on 24 Oct
18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship continues
The fleet is hoping for better sailing conditions on Sunday After being battered by a 20-25 knot southerly wind on Sydney Harbour last Sunday, the Australian 18 Footers League fleet returns to the harbour waters again next Sunday to contest Race 2 of the Sixt Spring Championship and Mick Scully Memorial Trophy. Posted on 23 Oct
18ft Skiff Sixt Spring Championship Race 1
The 91st season of 18ft skiff racing began on Sydney Harbour today The Australian 18 Footers League's 91st season of 18ft skiff racing began on Sydney Harbour today when the club conducted Race 1 of its 2024-25 Club Championship and Race 1 of the Sixt Spring Championship Posted on 20 Oct
18ft Skiff 2024-25 Season Preview
The 91st season of continuous 18ft skiff racing commences on Sunday The Australian 18 Footers League's 91st continuous season of 18ft skiff racing on Sydney Harbour will commence next Sunday (20 October) when the club conducts Race 1 of the six-race Sixt Spring Championship. Posted on 16 Oct
18ft Skiffs: Rod Zemanek
Shortened career for 18 footer champion Rod Zemanek doesn't have the same high profile in 18 footer history as many other leading skippers over the past 100 years, but he was certainly one of the best during a sailing career which was shortened by a business career. Posted on 15 Sep
Architect of the grand design
You're talking about one hell of a journey, thus far, and there are a few things that could help I have had several conversations with one, Mick Miller, in the last few weeks. Typically, they've lasted around 40 to 60 minutes. An interesting guy, for sure. Now did I just hear a collective 'Whoop-de-do'? It's OK. I got it. Posted on 25 Aug
Savvy Navvy 2024Maritimo 2023 S-Series FOOTER