October 9, 2019

NOAKES BLUE BECOMES SEAN LANGMAN’S LATEST TEAM IN THE 18s

NOAKES BLUE BECOMES SEAN LANGMAN’S LATEST TEAM IN THE 18s

When Yvette Heritage and her Noakes Blue 18ft Skiff team line up next Sunday (October 13) for the opening race of the Australian 18 Footers League’s 2019-2020 Season, she will be leading the third team sponsored by Sean Langman’s Noakes Group company to support new, talented sailors in the Sydney 18 Footer fleet.

Aside from his wonderful record of achievement on the water, Sean has always been a person with a positive outlook and an ever-ready willingness to assist talented sailors in their quest to achieve results in keeping with those talents.

Sean is a person prepared to ‘put his money where his mouth is’ and has previously supported two other campaign for newcomers to the 18s, as well as sponsoring his own campaigns.

Jacqui Bonnitcha was the original sailor to receive Sean’s support and sailed Noakes Youth in the 2007 JJs. Ash Rooklyn later received similar support, now Yvette Heritage is about to become Sean’s third beneficiary.

Yvette joined the 18s for her rookie season in 2018-2019, then recently skippered ILVE at Lake Garda in the European 18ft Skiff Championship as part of her preparation for Sydney Harbour 2019-2020.

She explained the reason for Noakes support of her team this season. “The Noakes Blue theme represents the Recreation business side of Noakes which has an approach of inclusiveness within their business and the community.”

”Noakes’ sponsorship has also allowed me to be sailing on a newer boat this season, with newer gear and sails, which will allow us to be competitive with the experienced 18s fleet.“

“We very much appreciate the support from Sean and the Noakes team throughout the past couple of months. it has been invaluable and has allowed us to practice with more experienced 18s sailors.”

“Yvette is yet to finalise her team but says that “Mustafa Ingham, a young, up-and-coming sailor with experience in high performance catamarans and offshore sailing, will be in the bow.”

“Mustafa filled in last season on the 18s and wanted to come back for more.”

“We are hoping to improve from last season’s introduction to 18s and match it with the already competitive 18s fleet.”

Australian 18 Footers League President said: “Our club fully appreciates Sean’s efforts to support talented sailors in the class as it fits perfectly with the Club’s policy of introducing new talent to the 18s to ensure the sport’s long-term future.”

Spectators can get up close and personal with the teams in the rigging area, then follow the racing on board the spectator ferry, which leaves Double Bay Wharf, alongside the rigging area, each race day at 2pm.

For those who can’t make it onto the water:

Live streaming is available on 18FootersTV

18 Footers TV

March 9, 2019

PROTEST DECISION CTECH V BING LEE

Protest Hearing
C-Tech vs Bing Lee
Hearing at the Australian 18 Footers League on 7th March 2019.
Event: Race 4
C-Tech, represented by; Alex Vallings
Big Lee, represented by, Micah Lane
FACTS FOUND
1. The incident occurred just after the last mark of the course with C-TECH in 4th
place and BING LEE in 5th place.
2. C-TECH was on starboard gybe setting her spinnaker.
3. BING LEE established a windward overlap on C-TECH from clear astern.
4. BING LEE’s wing caught the wing of C-TECH causing damage to C-TECH
and also causing her to capsize.
5. C-TECH completed the race finishing in 15th place.
6. BING LEE completed a one turn penalty in accordance with the sailing
instruction 16.
CONCLUSION
1. BING LEE being windward boat failed to keep clear of C-TECH the leeward
boat and broke rule 11.
2. C-TECH was unaware a collision was going to occur and had no opportunity
to keep clear.
3. Due to the damage incurred C-TECH is entitled to redress.
4. BING LEE having completed a one turn penalty cannot be further penalised.
RULES APPLICABLE
11,14, SI 16
DECISION
C-TECH is granted redress and is to be given points equal to 5th place.
Lister Hughes
Chairman
7th March 2019.
Protest Committee; Howard Elliot, Steve Hatch, Lister Hughes.

March 9, 2019

PROTEST DECISION – NOAKES V RMARINE

Noakes vs RMarine
Hearing at the Australian 18 Footers League on 7th March 2019.
Event: Race 4
Noakes, represented by; Sean Langman
FACTS FOUND
1. There was an incident between NOAKES and RMARINE with both boats
agreeing to arbitration in accordance with sailing instruction 19.
2. RMARINE accepted an arbitration penalty in accordance with Appendix T.
3. NOAKES retired from the race due to damaged sustained.
CONCLUSION
Due to the damage NOAKES is entitled to redress.
RULES APPLICABLE
44.3(c) 62.1(b), Appendix T, SI 19
DECISION
NOAKES is granted redress and is to be given average points of races 1 to 7
excluding race 4, the race in question.
Lister Hughes
Chairman
7th March 2019.
Protest Committee; Howard Elliott, Steve Hatch, Lister Hughes.

March 5, 2019

Decision of the Protest Committee Protestor: ASKO and ASCC – Protestee: Race Committee – Race 1

2019 JJ Giltinan’s

Decision of the Protest Committee

Protestor: ASKO and ASCC

Protestee: Race Committee

Race 1 – 2nd March 2019

Facts Found
ASKO and ASCC were identified and scored as OCS by the Race Committee.
The Race Committee subsequently viewed video footage of the start, cross checked their data with that.
The Race Committee stated they believed an error had been made in scoring ASKO and ASCC as OCS and requested the Protest Committee award both boats redress.

Conclusion
The Race Committee made an improper action in scoring ASKO and ASCC as OCS.
ASKO and ASCC are entitled to redress under rule 62.1(a)

Decision
ASKO and ASCC shall be scored in Race 1 in their original finishing positions.

Protest Committee
Rob Ware IJ, David Tallis IJ, Gary Manuel IU, Simon Barrington NJ
4th March 2019

March 5, 2019

Decision of the Protest Committee – Protestor: Winning Group – Protestee: Honda Marine – Race 1

Decision of the Protest Committee
Protestor: Winning Group
Protestee: Honda Marine
Race 1 – 2nd March 2019

Facts Found
Honda rounded the leeward mark in race 1
Contact was made between the mark and Honda’s Stbd bowsprit support wire, and stbd wing.
Video evidence taken from a drone and a moving camera boat were submitted as evidence

Conclusion
It is not clear from the evidence presented that the mark was “attached to or shifted” as stated in SI 12.4
It is not possible to determine if the contact with the mark was deliberate as opposed to inadvertent.

Decision
Protest dismissed

Protest Committee
Rob Ware IJ, David Tallis IJ, Gary Manuel IU, Simon Barrington NJ
4th March 2019

March 5, 2019

Decision of the Protest Committee – Protestor: Winning Group Race 2 JJ Giltinan

2019 JJ Giltinan’s

Decision of the Protest Committee

Protestor: Winning Group – Request for Redress

Race 2 – 3rd March 2019

Facts Found
Winning Group was sailing on stbd tack downwind with three on the wire.
A yacht under propulsion engine and towing a large kayak, was travelling from North to South on a converging course with Winning Group.
Winning group adjusted course to pass astern of the yacht and hailed for the yacht to continue her course.
The yacht suddenly turned towards the North and attempted to cross in front of Winning Group.
Winning Group luffed to avoid the yacht and ragged their spinnaker.
A collision occurred between Winning Group’s spinnaker and rig with the yacht’s rig.
Winning Group sustained significant damage to her spinnaker and rig and retired from the race.
Winning Group checked and confirmed the safety of the crew aboard the yacht.

Conclusion
The yacht was a vessel required to keep out of the way of Winning Group under Colreg Rule 18a (iv)
Winning Group sustained damage due to the actions of a boat not racing that was required to keep clear. 62.1(b)

Decision
Winning group shall be scored points for Race 2 equal to here average of all races excluding race 2, any drop race and Race 9 on the final day.

Protest Committee
Rob Ware IJ, David Tallis IJ, Gary Manuel IU, Simon Barrington NJ
4th March 2019

March 3, 2019

Race 1 , Winning Group J.J. Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship

The defending champion Honda Marine team of Dave McDiarmid, Matt Steven and Brad Collins showed that they will be hard to beat again this year when they scored an impressive win in Race 1 of the Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour today.

In a controversial start to the championship, two of the leading championship contenders, Asko Appliances (James Dorron) and ASCC (Josh Porebski) were recalled for an OCS start.

With protests lodged for various incidents, provisionally, Honda Marine defeated Winning Group (John Winning Jr., Sam Newton, Seve Jarvin) by 2m34s, with Smeg (Michael coxon, Ricky Bridge, Mike McKensey) a further 18s back in third place.

The new Birkenhead Point Marina team, headed by rookie skipper, Tom Anderson, finished in fourth place, ahead of Appliancesonline.com.au (Brett Van Munster), Yandoo (John Winning), Finport Finance (Keagan York) and The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone (Jordan Girdis).

The race was sailed in a 10-15-knot NE breeze with all teams electing to use their bigger No. 1 rigs.

After a close race to the windward mark amongst the leading four or five teams, Winning Group held a narrow lead over Honda Marine as spinnakers were set for the run to the wing mark off the southern end of Shark Island.

There was little between the two skiffs for the entire downwind run and only 10s separated the pair at the bottom mark off Clark Island, where Honda Marine had gained the lead.

Smeg was in third place at the point, followed by Birkenhead Point Marina and R Marine Pittwater (Simon Nearn).

On the following windward leg back to the Beashel Buoy, Honda Marine and Winning Group elected to sail entirely different courses and Honda Marine had increased her lead to 32.

The New Zealanders increased the margin to 45s after the long spinnaker run back down the middle of Sydney Harbour to the Clark Island mark and from that point the result wasn’t really in doubt.

Encouraging performances came from the Birkenhead Point Marina team and the German team, Marinepool (Heinrich vonn Bayern), as well as R Marine Pittwater, which was in the top four placing until midway through the race.

The Winning Group 2019 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship

Race dates for the remainder of the championship are:

Sunday March 3

Tuesday March 5

Wednesday March 6

Thursday March 7

Saturday March 9

Sunday March 10

The club will have a spectator ferry following each days’ racing, leaving Double Bay Public Wharf at 2pm.

NOTE: THERE WILL BE TWO SPECTATOR FERRIES ON SUNDAY MARCH 3 & SUNDAY MARCH 10

For those who can’t make it onto the water:

Live streaming is available on 18FootersTV

March 2, 2019

WINNING WAY FOR THE 18ft SKIFFS

WINNING WAY FOR THE 18ft SKIFFS

The Winning Group sponsors 2019 JJ Giltinan Championship

The ongoing success of Australia’s iconic, 127-year-old sport of 18ft Skiff Racing on Sydney Harbour, owes so much to the incredible support of the Winning family and the Winning’s family business.

Now, as the Australian 18 Footers League prepares to host the 2019 JJ Giltinan Championship (from March 2-10), the Winning family’s influence on the sport’s success has never been more evident.

For the 13th consecutive year, the JJ Giltinan Championship has been sponsored by the Winning Group brands, but there is so much more to their participation at all levels of the sport.

The Winning Group is also one of the favourites to win the 2019 championship after the teams second place in the national titles..

John Winning Jr., the 2002 World 29er champion (Nathan Outteridge was runner-up), had a couple of successful seasons in the 18s, but has been missing from the fleet for several seasons due to time constraints with his role running the Winning Group.

As he did with his business life, John (known in the sailing community as ‘Herman’, a nick-name given to him by his father) was determined to make every effort possible to ensure his sailing life was done with the best people as part of his team.

Being an achiever, ‘Herman’ would certainly want to reach the high-point of the sport that his father did in 2000.

John ‘Woody’ Winning won the 2000 JJ Giltinan Championship in the AMP Centrepoint-sponsored skiff on Sydney Harbour.

For his 2018-2019 season campaign, ‘Herman’ spoke to his long-time friends Seve Jarvin and Sam Newton to join the team on Winning Group.

Despite their heavy commitments at various levels of international sailing, both gave John the assurance that they would support the campaign as often as they could throughout the season and would be a part of the 2019 JJ challenge to try and win back the coveted trophy from the 2018 championship-winning kiwis.

To win the 2019 title against the 25-boat fleet, comprising the best 18ft skiff teams from five nations, young John will have to beat the 2000 champion, his father, who will skipper his self-sponsored Yandoo skiff.

As well as the two Winning-sponsored teams, Winning Group and Yandoo, Appliances Online has sponsored a top class skiff for Brett Van Munster and his team.

The Winning family is not only interested in the present fleet. ‘Woody’ has always had a deep passion for the sport, but an even stronger passion to acknowledge the history of the sport and the men who gave so much to ensure its longevity.

Aside from his competition in the present high-tech fleet at the League, ‘Woody’ supports and competes every Saturday in the ‘Historical 18s’ fleet of 1950s-style boats at the Sydney Flying Squadron.

Many former 18 Footer sailors compete regularly in the ‘Historical 18s’ fleet, and several of the League’s elite sailors from the modern fleet also go out as ‘guest’ crew to compare the two dramatically different versions of the 18 footer class.

When the 25 boats line up for Race 1 of the championship on Saturday, there will be an incredible eight teams with a link to the Winning Group and the Winning family.

Companies such as Asko Appliances, whose skiff is the current Australian, NSW and Club champion, and Smeg, a multiple Giltinan champion, have been involved with the League for many years. Others such as Panasonic, Ilve and Vintec have also joined the fleet in more recent years.

In today’s Invitation Race on Sydney Harbour, the defending Honda Marine team of David McDiarmid, Matthew Stevens and Brad Collins showed the speed and boat handling skills to suggest that they will be the ones to beat omce the championship-proper gets under way tomorrow.

The Honda Marine crew led the fleet around the first lap of the NE course, in a light breeze, before deciding to pull out of the race to avoid any damage to the boat or their gear before tomorrow’s big one.

Keagan York’s Finport Finance was the top Australian skiff over the first lap of the course and trailed Honda Marine by just 10s. When Honda Marine pulled out of the race Finport Finance led the fleet, but superstition took over and the team elected not to sail through the line, and so avoided being the winner of the Invitation Race.

The official result was a win for John Winning Jr and his Winning Group team of Seve Jarvin and Sam Newton, who took the honours by 49s from Asko Appliances (James Dorron, Harry Bethwaite, Trent Barnabas), with Noakesailing (Sean Langman, Ed Powys, Nathan Edwards) a further 59s back in third place.

The Winning Group 2019 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship

Race dates are:

Saturday March 2

Sunday March 3

Tuesday March 5

Wednesday March 6

Thursday March 7

Saturday March 9

Sunday March 10

The club will have a spectator ferry following each of the seven days’ racing, leaving Double Bay Public Wharf at 2pm.

NOTE: THERE WILL BE TWO SPECTATOR FERRIES ON SUNDAY MARCH 3 & SUNDAY MARCH 10

For those who can’t make it onto the water:

Live streaming is available on 18FootersTV

February 10, 2019

February 10th 2019 Australian Championship Race 6 & 7 – President’s Cup

The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone and Bing Lee teams shared the spoils of victory in the two races sailed on Day 4 of the Australian 18ft Skiff Championship, on Sydney Harbour today, but Asko Appliances holds the barest of leads going into next Sundays final two races of the championship.

Jordan Girdis, Lachlan Doyle and Tom Quigley sailed superbly to take out Race 6 of the championship in The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone, then went down by just 6s to Bing Lee (Micah Lane, Peter Harris, Scott Babbage) in the following race.

NSW champion, Asko Appliances (James Dorron, Harry Bethwaite, Trent Barnabas) continued the consistency the team has shown throughout the championship to record a second, then third placing today, to hold a one point lead over the hard-charging The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone and Winning Group (John Winning Jr.).

Asko Appliances has a net total of 14 points, followed by The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone and Winning Group on 15, Bing Lee on 17 and Smeg (Michael Coxon) on 18, and The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Aron Everett) on 27 points.

Today’s first race was sailed over a three-lap windward-return course in a 10-12-knots SE breeze, then the following race was over two laps in a 6-7-knots Easterly breeze.

In Race 6, Winning Group held the early lead narrowly from Smeg, The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone, Asko Appliances and Appliancesonline.com.au (Brett Van Munster) at the windward mark.

Winning Group retained the narrow lead at the bottom mark but The Kitchen maker-Caesarstone was making a charge and soon grabbed the lead on the work back into the Rose Bay windward mark.

The final spinnaker run from Rose Bay to the finish in Taylor Bay produced an exciting battle between The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone and Asko Appliances.

The more experienced Asko team tried everything in an attempt to grab a victory, and the pair gybed several times before The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone finally crossed the finish line with only 6s to spare.

Race 7 looked likely to be another victory for Girdis and his TKM team when the skiff held a narrow lead over Bing Lee at the windward mark.

Another close spinnaker battle developed, but this time The Kitchen Maker lost out when they lost wind off Steele Point and allowed three other teams to overtake.

Winning Group were handicapped by a torn spinnaker but were still with the leading group which included Noakes Sailing (Sean Langman) and Smeg.

Bing Lee’s team held a solid lead at the final windward mark but had to withstand a fast-finishing The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone to take the honours by 6s – a similar winning margin to Race 6.