2025 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship Invitation Race - Yandoo prepares to defend the title
by Frank Quealey 7 Mar 00:27 PST
7 March 2025
As we move toward Saturday's first race of the Winnings 2025 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour, the defending champion Yandoo team faces a strong line-up of local, interstate and international challengers in what promises to be a down-to-the-wire regatta.
The Yandoo 2025 team is skippered by Tom Needham, who is contesting his first JJ regatta, and is joined by last year's winning crew members Fang Warren (sheet) and Lewis Brake (bow).
Although the trio is a new combination this season, they individually have impressive sailing records while Fang and Lewis are already multiple 18 footer championship winners.
Team owner John 'Woody' Winning, who won the 2000 Giltinan Championship and has been a multiple runner-up, was forced to retire earlier in the 2024-25 season but has total confidence in the team, which is now managed by Fang Warren.
"Fang is very enthusiastic and has the attitude and ability to run the team, and I have total confidence in the boys."
Fang had won the 2008 World 29er World championship (with Steve Thomas) when he first contested the 2009 Giltinan Championship alongside the experienced Grant Rollerson and Anthony 'Jack' Young on Slam, then later joined John Winning and Michael Kennedy in the Yandoo team in the 2019-20 season.
Lewis Brake first contested the Giltinan championship in 2020 when he sailed on URM, skippered by Marcus Ashley Jones. He moved over to sail in the bow of Tech2 with Jack Macartney and Charlie Wyatt and won the 2020-21 Australian Championship, before finally settling on Yandoo in 2023-24.
Together in 2023-24, Fang and Lewis won the Giltinan, Australian and NSW championships and with the highly talented Tom Needham have a very strong chance of retaining the title in 2025.
Today's traditional warm-up race for the 'big one' is regarded by many as more like a practice race and an opportunity for teams to flex their muscles, while some even refuse to finish the race because they believe that if you win the invitation you won't win the regatta.
While a number of teams upheld this belief today and refused to go through the finish line, or withdrew from the race before the final two legs, the racing was very good in the 12-15 knots South-East breeze, which fluctuated in strength and direction at times.
After more than one hour of sailing over the long course, the Smeg team of Nathan McNamara, Jed Cruikshank and Jack Taylor took the honours by 29s from the Queensland Big Foot Bags and Covers (Dave Hayter, Ben Roxburgh and Elliott Mahar) Team.
Balmain (Henry Larkings, Tom Grimes and Flynn Twomey) was a further 19s back in third place, followed by Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Emma Rankin), The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel) and Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell).
The fleet of 28 international teams contesting the championship made a wonderful sight on Sydney Harbour as they raced under spinnaker from Rose Bay, across the harbour, to Athol Bay and the action that followed was just as spectacular and promised to produce some great contests throughout the entire fleet.
One thing which was a highlight of the day was the performances of international teams Black Knight (Heinrich von Bayern, Germany), CiTech (Alex Vallings, New Zealand) and ASCC (Eli Liefting, New Zealand) as well as Queensland's Big Foot and the improved form of today's winner, Smeg.
While the invitation race, like many football codes trial matches, can't usually be regarded as a form guide, today's racing was far more competitive than previous invitations, and there looks to be a bigger challenge from the international teams than was anticipated.
Black Knight, Finport Finance (Keagan York), Yandoo, C-Tech and ASCC were all very impressive with a number of other teams not far behind.
The pre-series favourite Rag & Famish Hotel team raced without the regular skipper Harry Price and retired after an early capsize. The Rag has swept all before them so far throughout the season, but this one is going to test the Australian champion to the limit.
Invitation Race Results:
| Pos | Boat Name | Finish | Elapsed | Handicap | Corrected | Corrected Pos |
|---|
| 1 | Smeg
(Nathan McNamara / Jed Cruikshank / Jack Taylor) | 15:53:19 | 01:08:19 | 8 | 01:00:19 | 1 |
| 2 | Big Foot
(David Hayter / Ben Roxburgh / Elliot Maher) | 15:53:48 | 01:08:48 | 5 | 01:03:48 | 6 |
| 3 | Balmain
(Henry Larkings / Tom Grimes / Flynn Twomey) | 15:54:07 | 01:09:07 | 4 | 01:05:07 | 8 |
| 4 | Shaw and Partners
(Emma Rankin / Brandon Buyink / James turner) | 15:55:56 | 01:10:56 | 9 | 01:01:56 | 3 |
| 5 | The Kitchen Maker
(Lachlan Steel / Jerome Watts / Darcy McCracken) | 15:56:08 | 01:11:08 | 9 | 01:02:08 | 4 |
| 6 | Vaikobi
(Kirk Mitchell / Andrew Stephenson / Daniel Barnett) | 15:57:31 | 01:12:31 | 3 | 01:09:31 | 11 |
| 7 | WLTH
(Josh Sloman / George Morton / Angus Barker) | 15:58:34 | 01:13:34 | 9 | 01:04:34 | 7 |
| 8 | Team Vic
(Scott Cunningham / Brody Riley / Dave Cunningham) | 15:58:59 | 01:13:59 | 8 | 01:05:59 | 9 |
| 9 | Red Rockstar
(Benjamin Boehringer / Mickey Martin / Tamara Baumann) | 15:59:25 | 01:14:25 | 13 | 01:01:25 | 2 |
| 10 | Goat
(Luke Goble / Cam Barr / James Taylor) | 15:59:35 | 01:14:35 | 12 | 01:02:35 | 5 |
| 12 | Allen
(Anthony Godwin / Daniel Bevan / Uffe Anferson) | 16:11:18 | 01:26:18 | 13 | 01:13:18 | 12 |
| DNF | Akarana Eatery
(Tim Howse / Ollie Gilmour / Pat Morgan) | | | | | |
| DNF | ASCC
(Eli Liefting / Adam Mustill / Josh Schon) | | | | | |
| DNF | C‑TECH
(Alex Vallings / Matt Steven / Brad Collins) | | | | | |
| DNF | Finport Finance
(Keagan York / Angus Williams / Mathew Stenta) | | | | | |
| DNF | Honda Marine
(Harry Butler / Olly Lloyd / Tony Fitzgerald) | | | | | |
| DNF | Lazarus Capital Partners
(Tom Cunich / Josh Feldmann / Paddy Bannon) | | | | | |
| DNF | Marine Outlet
(Josh Porebski / Cam Gundy / Charlie Gundy) | | | | | |
| DNF | Noakes
(Bec Hancock / Cam Walker / Ben Kirkby) | | | | | |
| DNF | Sixt
(Jacob Marks / Alex Marinelli / Matt Doyle) | | | | | |
| DNF | The Royal Oak
(Hugo Stoner / Hugo Leeming / Daniel Watson) | | | | | |
| DNF | Yandoo
(Tom Needham / Fang Warren / Lewis Brake) | | | | | |
| DNC | 18 Footers B&R
(Luca Gambacorti / Nic Livermore / Nathan Byrne ) | | | | | |
| DNS | Burrawang
(Simon Nearn / Max Nearn / Tom Quigley) | | | | | |
| DNS | Gotcha4Life
(Dave Lightfoot / William Dargaville / Michael Kennedy) | | | | | |
| OCS | Black Knight
(Heinrich von Bayern / Thomas Martin / Andy Martin) | | | | | |
| OCS | Rag & Famish
(Harry Price / Max Paul / Finn Rodowicz) | | | | | |
| Comments: | | | | | | |
Entries tor the Winnings 2025 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship:
- Yandoo (Aust) Tom Needham, Fang Warren, Lewis Brake
- Rag & Famish Hotel (Aust) Harry Price, Max Paul, Finn Rodowicz
- Finport Finance (Aust) Keagan York, Matt Stenta, Angus Williams
- Black Knight (Germany) Heinrich von Bayern, Thomas Martin, Andy Martin
- ASCC (NZ) Eli Liefting, Adam Mustill, Josh Schon
- Balmain (Aust) Henry Larkings, Tom Grimes, Flynn Twomey
- Big Foot Bags and Covers (Aust-Q) Dave Hayter, Ben Roxburgh, Elliott Mahar
- Lazarus Capital Partners (Aust) Tom Cunich, Josh Feldmann, Paddy Bannon
- C-Tech (NZ) Alex Vallings, Matt Steven, Brad Collins
- Burrawang-Young Henrys (Aust) Simon Nearn, Max Nearn, Tom Quigley
- Marine Outlet (Aust) Josh Porebski, Cam Gundy, Charlie Gundy
- Vaikobi (Aust) Kirk Mitchell, Andrew Stephenson, Daniel Barnett
- Sixt (Aust) Jacob Marks, Alex Marinelli, Matt Doyle
- Smeg (Aust) Nathan McNamara, Jed Cruikshank, Jack Taylor
- Team Vic (Aust-V) Scott Cunningham, Brody Riley, Dave Cunningham
- The Kitchen Maker (Aust) Lachlan Steel, Jerome Watts, Darcy McCracken
- WLTH (Aust-Q) Josh Sloman, George Morton, Angus Barker
- The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Aust) Hugo Stoner, Hugo Leeming, Daniel Watson
- Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Aust) Emma Rankin, Joel Turner, Brandon Buyink
- Akarana Eatery (NZ) Tim Howse, Ollie Gilmour, Pat Morgan
- Noakes (Aust) Bec Hancock, Cam Walker, Ben Kirkby
- Honda Marine (NZ) Harry Butler, Olly Lloyd, Tony Fitzgerald
- Gotcha4Life (Aust) Dave Lightfoot, William Dargaville, Michael Kennedy
- 18 Footers Bar and Restaurant (Aust) Luca Gambacorti. Nathan Byrne, Nic Livermore
- Red Rockstar (Germany) Mickey Martin, Benjamin Bohringer, Tamara Baumann
- Hoefle Haus (Germany) Holger Hoefle, Eicke Dietrich, Cam De Nardis
- Goat Marine (UK) Luke Goble, Cam Barr, James Taylor
- Allen (UK) Uffe Anderson, Daniel Bevan, Anthony Godwin
Race Dates:
Friday March 7, 2025 Invitation Race
Saturday March 8, 2025 Race 1, George Calligeros Trophy
Sunday March 9, 2025 Race 2, Cliff Monkhouse Memorial Trophy
Tuesday March 11, 2025 Races 3 & 4, Alan Cole Memorial Trophy
Wednesday March 12, 2025 Races 5 & 6, A. J. Reynolds Trophy
Thursday March 13, 2025 Race 7, Bill Miller Memorial Trophy
Saturday March 15, 2025 Race 8, Big Kite Memorial Trophy
Sunday March 16, 2025 Race 9, Ribbon and J.J. Giltinan Trophy
The Australian 18 Footers League's spectator ferry will follow each of the nine races of the championship and SailMedia will livestream all the action, with expert commentary from the race track.
Watch Race 1 on March 8th: (we will be embedding all the races live on the Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com homepages)