Manly16s

Moonen Yachts skipper Daniel Turner had two choices when he rounded the top mark eighth in Manly Skiff Club's first long course race of the season last Saturday.

He could either stick to the pre-race plan and trust things to come right or enact a Plan B on the run and track a different path back through the fleet.

Turner told his crew Kirk Mitchell and Gus Williams to forget what had just happened and stay true to what they'd discussed back in the rigging park.

"It was a pretty flukey westerly, so it was snakes and ladders all day long," Turner explained.

"That first lap we got pretty belted and rounded the top mark eighth.

"We had a game plan and the first lap went against that, but we doubled down on it to see if it came good and it did."

Moonen made its way through the pack as contenders dropped off one by one in the challenging 6-18-knot breeze, winning by almost four minutes from Red Pumps (Bruce Savage), Sail Racing (Felix Grech) and Red Pumps Red (Tyler Dransfield).

Explaining the decision not to panic and change tactics, Turner said: "We thought it was a pretty traditional kind of westerly and we chose the left-hand side of the course as the favoured side.

"The second time around we stuck to the left and it did what we thought it would do.

"It's just a matter of backing yourself and believing in the strategy. Good crew work helps as well."

New-born babies, work and a desire to have a clean break over winter meant Moonen hadn't hit the water since March.

If there was any rust, it was well concealed.

"We jumped straight back into where we were (six months ago)," Turner said.

"You've got to be patient, stay calm and be confident in the boat and the crew work.

"It definitely helps to have that combination. You know it will eventually come good if you stick to what you discussed."

Turner is in the enviable position of having two quality bowmen – Mitchell and Matt Stenta – to call on for what shapes as the busiest of seasons.

"Our line-up really depends on whether Matt's got a lunch booking at Queen Chow at Manly or not," Turner smiled.

"He's been there the last two weeks with his new bride, so we're just waiting to hear back.

"I think we will have a shared bowman role with Matt and Kirk. We are very fortunate to be able to call on guys of that calibre for such a big season.

"I haven’t seen this much energy and so many boats in the water this early in the season.

"Everyone is really enthusiastic and wanting to be part of it.

"There's some good silverware to be won and there will be no relaxing."

Racing continues at Manly next Saturday with two short course races.

An hour before last Saturday's opening race of Manly 16ft Skiff Club's 2022/23 season, Cunninghams skipper Nick Connor was seriously considering not going out.

With a fierce southerly whipping up a solid swell – and mindful of potential boat damage so early in the season - he was about to err on the side of caution.

"I wasn't that keen because knowing my luck with breaking stuff, and the fact we hadn’t sailed together before, I thought in that breeze we could be in a bit of trouble," Connor said.

"It wasn't looking good but about an hour from the start most of the fleet decided they were going out so that's when we decided to go for a sail.

"I just thought 'whatever happens, happens'."

It proved a smart decision.

Botany Access (Chris Thomas) grabbed the early ascendancy, heading to the top mark in front of a pack featuring Cunninghams, Sail Racing (Felix Grech) and Sutech Building Consultants (Michael Koerner).

But when Thomas capsized soon after, it opened the door and Connor and crew Alex Chittenden and Michael Childs pounced.

Cunninghams snatched the lead and didn't let go, taking it home for Connor's first win in two years and the first win by any boat in Manly's centenary year.

Sail Racing was close behind in second, with SBC and Botany Access filling third and fourth respectively.

As mentioned, it was the first time the skipper, Chittenden and Childs had sailed together but it clicked instantly.

"Alex hasn’t sailed a 16s season for quite a few years and I twisted his arm to come back for the 100th year and I've sailed with Mike once last season," Connor explained.

"So this was our first time together. We capsized before and after but managed to stay upright throughout the race.

"It was just good to see everyone out there having a crack because they weren't the easiest conditions to sail in."

Cunninghams is fully invested in the club's 100th year celebrations, eyeing the nationals in January as well as all the other major regattas.

Connor said: "It’s a big year and plenty of us want to make it a good season.

"We're up for everything and this is the best possible way to start."

The smiles on the kids' faces said it all.

Manly Skiff Club's annual Swap Day – where the next generation of sailors are given their shot aboard a 16-footer under guidance from a fleet member – attracted around 40 youngsters eager for a spin with the best in the business.

Most of the Manly fleet adopted a budding skiff sailor or two for three shortcourse races around the harbour, with the emphasis as much on learning and it was fun.

Red Pumps sheethand Greg Windust had four of his own kids onboard, with four others jumping in at one stage for a crowded but laugh-filled ride.

"We're trying to get them addicted so they’re hooked for life like the rest of us," he said.

"Us older guys have to make an effort to do this day because it's so important the kids become familiar with a skiff and lose some of that apprehension.

"You can see by the look on their faces that they really get into it and enjoy the experience once they get a handle on how it all works.

"At one stage I had my oldest steering and my youngest in the bow. The 11-year-old who steered said it's just like sailing a Manly Junior.

"Once you learn the technique in a 16, it's probably easier than a Manly Junior.

"This is a great day to find all that out."

Manly 16ft Skiff Club junior sailing chairperson Ryan Thomas took his own kids and a friend's kids out and was blown away by the response.

He said: "The kids were super nervous to begin with because they don't know what to expect, but once we get racing they were absolutely loving it.

"We also had a number of kids from the 29er class come along to see what the 16s is all about and I think they got a lot out of it.

"They normally graduate out of the 29ers around the age of 17 and are looking for their next opportunity and this gives them a hands-on experience.

"They got the chance to experience what the boat is like with a view to potentially moving onto a 16 in the next couple of years.

"It was a really successful and worthwhile day for all involved."

Taking it all were sailors at the other end of the age spectrum – former greats attending the popular Old Buffers Day.

National, state and club champions mingled with sailors from yesteryear to reminisce about the good old days in the first reunion for more than two years.

Hosted by president Rolf Cohen and director Craig Nicholls at the licensed club, more than 60 ex-skiff sailors were present as the next generation of skiff sailors were put through their paces on the harbour.

"To have Swap Day and Old Buffers at the same time really showcased where the club has come from and where it is headed," Cohen said.

"It's vital that we continue to recognise those who paved the way for all of us who followed.

"These are arguably the two most important days on the club's calendar. It's a reminder of our past and also a pointer to our future."

The Generation Next theme continues on Saturday when Manly hosts an open day for novice sailors.

The Manly Junior, Flying 11s and 13ft classes will all be represented, with kids from early teens and under welcome to come down and try their hand under expert tuition.

This year's Manly 16ft club championship was short but far from sweet.

Only five of the scheduled nine heats went ahead as the unsettled summer weather wreaked havoc, forcing several abandonments.

But when the gun did fire, the heat was on in every race.

Moonen Yachts emerged a clear winner, taking out four of the five races to leave IMEI (Dave O'Connor), Sail Racing (Felix Grech) and Red Pumps (Bruce Savage) to share the minor placings.

It was a third straight club championship win – and fourth overall – for Moonen skipper Daniel Turner.

Crew Gus Williams (3 wins) and Matt Stenta (2 wins) have been with Turner most of the way, while Kirk Mitchell has proved a more than capable fill-in when called into action.

Altis Consulting (Phil Cooke) held off Fluid Building (Clint Bowen), Sutech Building Consultants (Michael Koerner) and Moonen to claim overall handicap honours.

"This one was pretty special. It’s been the most competitive season on record – at state, national and clubbies – and really hard to do well in every race," the victorious Turner said.

"It's not only the top two boats at Manly, its three or four boats up there bashing you up and giving you hell.

"There's definitely strong competition within the club and it’s only going to get stronger.

"The races we did get away we sailed the best we could, as the results show."

Moonen was a little off the pace in the first of Manly's two shortcourse races last Saturday, finishing behind seven other boats as Red Pumps (Bruce Savage) took line honours from IMEI (Sarah Lee filling in for O'Connor), Sutech and Sail Racing on a day of exciting little rig, big swell sprint racing.

Sutech led into the last downwind leg but got caught in the lee of a super yacht and dropped back to third as Red Pumps took full advantage of the opening.

Moonen, who had guest crewman and Sutech's main sponsor Steve Bowen onboard, resumed normal transmission with victory in the second race.

IMEI, with Lee doing a great job, claimed its second runner-up placing for the day, with Sail Racing third and Red Pumps fourth.

IMEI finishes the season as the overall shortcourse pointscore winner and Sutech the handicap winner.

Next Saturday, Manly hosts the annual swap day where budding 16ft sailors get the chance to go out for a spin with the regular fleet.

Even the best can get it wrong at times.

Olympic goal medallist and reigning national 16s champion Nathan Wilmot almost cost Ronstan the Botany Bay Championship (BBC) on Saturday following the slightest error of judgement.

After clearing out to a comfortable lead in the shifting conditions, Wilmot failed to identify a channel marker and ran Ronstan aground.

"We had a little beat up to the top mark and a small run to the finish and were covering Brydens (Tom Clout) and I forgot to look where the channel marker was," he explained.

"We went a little inside it, we hit the bottom and the boys went around the forward stay and capsized.

"That was the moment I thought I'd stuffed it up."

He had but he hadn't.

Standing in waist deep water, crew members Malcolm Page and Max Paul were able to recover quickly and go after new leader Brydens as Manly clubmate Moonen Yachts (Daniel Turner) made its own play for the lead.

Wilmot redeemed himself by picking a few decent shifts and negotiating the current better than his rivals to regain pole position.

Ronstan won the 112th BBC by 71 seconds from Brydens, Toogara (Josh Tasker), Eric's Storage (Harry Lawson) and Moonen.

Five Manly boats – Ronstan, Moonen, Red Pumps (Bruce Savage), Cunninghams (Nick Connor) and Vaikobi (Felix Daverio) – finished in the top 10.

The win made it back-to-back Botany Bay triumphs for Wilmot.

"Something always seemed to go wrong, and we kept losing the lead but always managed to get back in front of them," the skipper said.

"It was a lot of fun. We were fast all day and just sailed our own race without worrying too much about the other boats.

"The Botany Bay, with all its history, is right up there when it comes to races you want to win."

The victory could prove Ronstan's last outing of the season.

Sailing commitments elsewhere are likely to drag Wilmot and Page away, but they are already planning another campaign after a successful 2021/22 aboard a boat borrowed from Wilmot's cousin Ryan.

Ronstan won the nationals, finished second in the Australian sprint series and took out the BBC.

Wilmot said: "If that was our last big race of the season, it’s good to finish off with a win like that.

"It's come to an end pretty quickly and we probably didn’t do as much as we'd like, but we'll be back to do it properly with our own boat next year."

Fireball skipper James Downey is prepared to take a few steps back in order to move forward as his tough first-season initiation in Manly's competitive 16ft Skiff fleet draws to an end.

Downey and his young crew James Pinnington and Sam Skeen are finding the step up from the 13s steep, but they're not backing away from the fight.

Quite the opposite in fact.

"We're putting our hands up to sail as much as possible and continue to learn," Downey said.

"Results-wise we are struggling a bit, but this is the most experienced fleet in all the classes and we are learning on the go.

"We knew it was going to be hard – and it is – but we are really enjoying being part of a bigger fleet and the social aspect of it all."

Asked the biggest challenge in making the leap from 13 to 16s, Downey said: "It's about getting in a rhythm and doing all the one-percenters right.

"It's harder to communicate with three in the boat (rather than two) and as the skipper you’re meant to be calling the shots.

"I'm leaning on them (Pinnington/Skeen) a bit but we are improving and it will only get better the more we sail together."

A quick look at the various pointscore tallies shows Fireball sitting 15th in the shortcourse and annual pointscore, 16th in the club championship and eighth in longcourse standings.

"We will keep chipping away and keep trying to learn but we don’t want to sail too conservatively," Downey said.

"We'd rather make some mistakes trying stuff than sitting back."

Fireball's progression this season hasn’t been missed at the pointy end of the fleet.

Club championship leader Daniel Turner is just one of many who have been impressed with what they’ve seen.

"First starters, they've best-on-ground for merchandise – I got myself three mini bottles of Fireball," the Moonen Yachts skipper laughed.

"But in all seriousness, any young team putting together a boat and, more importantly, a sponsor like they have will do well.

"There are big things ahead for those guys."

Meanwhile, heat eight of the club championship was abandoned last Saturday as the breeze failed to materialise.

Four of the scheduled nine club championship heats have now been called off and may not be rescheduled.

The title could be decided over just five heats, with the final race set for March 12.

A capsize on the way to the start line is not normally a great omen for what lies ahead, but it proved just the tonic for Manly 16ft skiff Sail Racing in Saturday's back-to-back pointscore races.

Skipper Felix Grech and crew Paul Darmanin and Tom Potter took a swim five minutes before the starter's gun fired and used it as a much-needed wake-up call.

Sail Racing went on to win the day's first race by 41 seconds and backed it up with victory in race two.

It was a quality performance on a day when wind, swell and rain all conspired to make the going extremely tough for the fleet.

"It was ranging anywhere from eight to 16 knots, so conditions were up and down and really bumpy. It was tricky to keep the boat moving quickly," Grech said.

"The capsize on the way out there made us realise how bad it was and switched us on and kicked us into gear.

"Tom and Paul did an incredible job and we were fast all day, but that (capsizing) might have to be part of our pre-race ritual from now on."

Sail Racing did have to overcome one other glitch before claiming victory in race one, mistakenly pulling up after two laps in the belief the race was over.

But such was the advantage over its pursuers, Grech was able to recover and maintain the lead while completing the last lap and making it the official finish line.

Red Pumps (Bruce Savage), Sutech Building Consultants (Michael Koerner) and Botany Access (Chris Thomas) filled the minor placings.

The top four in race two read: Sail Racing, Moonen Yachts (Daniel Turner), Red Pumps, Botany Access.

Sail Racing (race one) and Shebang (race two) shared handicap honours.

Sail Racing's great late season form has given it renewed hope of challenging runaway club championship leader Moonen over the closing weeks.

Turner holds a comfortable lead after winning all four heats of the nine-race series.

Grech said: "We haven't seen that sort of domination for a while, probably not since we were first got into the class when the Fire Stopping and Fluids were up there all the time.

"It’s a bit reminiscent of that. 'Ruffy' (Turner) is sailing incredibly well but we'll try to sneak a couple of wins off him.

"We've got to make him sweat. We can’t make it too easy on him."

Better late than never.

That's the way Manly 16ft Skiff Club skipper Felix Grech is looking at Sail Racing's hot run of form as we head into the final stages of the 2021/22 season.

Sail Racing finished ninth at the nationals after a sixth at the state titles but has won two of the last three races back at Manly during January, adding last Saturday's non-pointscore long course race to its list of recent successes.

The victory can largely be attributed to Grech holding his nerve and showing some sailing smarts by opting for the big rig when those around went small, rightly predicting the nor' easter would not freshen greatly during the afternoon.

Red Pumps (Bruce Savage) was the only other boat to go with the big rig and it was no surprise to see it join Sail Racing almost neck and neck at the first mark.

A super quick downward leg saw Grech pull away to a big lead and leave the rest of the fleet in his wake.

Sail Racing finished almost five minutes clear of runner-up Ronstan (Nathan Wilmot), with Red Pumps third and IMEI (Dave Gilmour) fourth.

"We were fortunate that it was us and one other boat who went big rig," Grech admitted.

"As soon as we got there we rigged up the big rig because it just didn’t look like a true sea breeze.

"It didn’t look like it was going to get anywhere near 20-knots, and we had Alex (Chittenden) filling in for Paul (Darmanin) on the bow and he's a little heavier, so even if it did go a little breezier we had that extra weight.

"The sea breeze never filled in – it got to 8 to 12 knots – and a couple of boats made the call to go small and probably swayed the rest of the fleet.

"We rigged up on our own and didn’t pay any attention to anyone else and it worked out well."

It was Sail Racing's second win in a fortnight, prompting Grech to declare: "It's taken a while but it's all coming together at the back-end of the season.

"The last few weeks have been really good and we're hoping to get a couple of wins in the club championships before the year is over."

Sail Racing was just pipped for handicap honours, finishing second behind Fireball (James Downey) and just in front of Capital Brewing Co (Jessica Iles) and Bartley Construction (Nathan Lilley).

Moonen Yachts skipper Daniel Turner would rather not read this story.

If he did, he might find out how he and crew Gus Williams and Matt Stenta are closing in on a rare piece of Manly 16ft Skiff Club history.

After four wins from as many starts in the club championship series, Moonen Yachts could join a select club of boats to win the title without losing a heat.

Past records are not fully conclusive, but we can tell you fewer than 10 skiffs have managed the feat in over nearly a century and none in the past 18 years.

There are still at least two races to go - and as many as five depending on re-scheduling (three heats were abandoned earlier in the season) - and Turner is reluctant to look too far ahead, knowing how fatal that can be.

"You'd take those results any day of the week, but you don't have to win races to win events," he pointed out after winning heats six and seven last Saturday.

"I've never added up my scores and results in any event until the last race because you can win with all thirds and lose with a heap of firsts.

"You've got to be really careful with what you do and say and keep your head down and bum up and hope to God that your momentum carries you through."

Turner talks from experience.

Moonen Yachts won two heats at the recent Australian 16ft Championships but was pipped for overall honours by clubmate Ronstan (Nathan Wilmot), which didn’t win a race but peeled off a succession of podium finishes.

Turner said with a laugh: "I'm getting used to winning heats and not events. It’s all about consistency and that was shown again at the nationals.

"I was extremely happy with how we went from a preparation point of view right through to how the boys performed on the water in lighter and heavier conditions.

"We narrowed it down to two mistakes all week that cost us that regatta.

"To be able to walk away and pinpoint exactly where you lost the series, I'm kind of happy with that."

The two club championship heats at the weekend weren't far off a heat of the nationals in terms of intensity and competition.

Turner went as far as to declare it the best racing he's seen from a Manly fleet in his 10-plus years.

The jostling for the top five finishes in both races was on from the get-go and went right down to the wire.

Moonen rounded Red Pumps (Bruce Savage) just after the top mark in the first race after picking a good shift and went on to win from IMEI (Dave O'Connor), Sail Racing (Alex Chittenden) and Fluid Building (Dave Gilmore).

Things were slightly more comfortable for Turner in the follow-up race, Moonen clearing away from the fleet early to claim a fourth straight victory for the series, with Fluid Building, IMEI and Sutech Building Consultants (Michael Koerner) filling the minor placings.

The top five on the overall pointscore reads: Moonen Yachts (3pts), IMEI (6), Fluid Building (11), Red Pumps (11) and Sail Racing (11).

Moonen and Sutech Building Consultants share top spot in the handicap division.

If you're going to win your first race of the season, why not make it a really big one?

Sail Racing (Felix Grech) hadn’t been on the top step of the podium since the 2020/21 season but broke the 12-month drought in the most emphatic fashion, beating defending Australian champion Ronstan (Nathan Wilmot) in Manly 16ft Skiff Club's long course pointscore race last Saturday.

Grech and crew Paul Darmanin and Tom Potter overcame a sluggish start, which saw them third last at the top mark, to roar home in a shifting 8-16 knot northerly.

Sailing Racing finished nine places behind Ronstan at the nationals but can now lay claim to be the first boat to beat the reigning 16s kings.

"We didn’t have a very good first upwind but had a really good first downwind," Grech explained.

"We won the race on the downwind. We managed to put a bit of ground on everyone.

"It was good to get one back on those guys (Ronstan) They had a great nationals and are so hard to beat, so we're really stoked to do it against them and get our first win of the year."

Sailing Racing took a deliberately low-key approach to the Australian Championships, cognisant of the fact they hadn't put the hours in to press the pointy end of the fleet.

Grech said: "We were taking it fairly easy pre-nationals because we'd had Covid restrictions and everyone was going away and had work or lifestyle commitments.

"We've been basically keeping life on track so scaled it back a bit.

"There's been no massive goals…it's more about going out there and having a lot of fun without taking it super serious."

But don’t mistake the laidback attitude for a lack of intent.

The Sail Racing team, using the big rig for the first time this season, looked pretty ruthless once it headed the feet and pulled away for a 89-second win over Ronstan.

Bart (Chad Beeby) was third with Botany Access (Gerard Smith) fourth.

The ageless Craig Nicholls dusted off the ring rust to pilot Typhoon to a handicap win from Bart, Botany Access and Ronstan.

Nathan Wilmot's sailing CV doesn’t feature too many holes, but there's been one gap eating away at him for years.

The Olympic gold medallist had eight cracks at winning the Australian 16ft Skiff Championship heading into this year's regatta – and came up empty on each occasion.

So when Wilmot teamed with Olympic crewmate Malcolm Page and good mate Brett Davis for a shot at this year's crown aboard Ronstan, he kept his ambitions modest.

The trio only sailed once together prior to the nationals and the skipper wasn't sure how they'd gel when the heat was on against a crack fleet.

He needn't have worried.

Ronstan took out the title from Manly clubmates IMEI (Dave Gilmour) and Moonen Yachts (Daniel Turner) after the most consistent of regattas at Belmont.

Wilmot steered the boat to three seconds, a third, three fourths and a fifth to win by a solitary point after the ninth and final heat was abandoned due to a lack of wind.

Asked how he felt after Ronstan's win was confirmed, Wilmot said with a laugh: "Relief. It’s taken me a while.

"And to win it with those two blokes is special. I've done a lot of sailing with Malcolm and to be out there with Brett was pretty sweet.

"He's been a mate for so long and I dragged him out of retirement and got him to lose some weight for this.

"He put in a huge effort and it all came together for us."

Wilmot insists he and Page weren't bluffing when they both played down Ronstan's chances before the regatta.

He said: "We knew Ruffy (Turner) was fast, we knew Trent (Barnabas) and the boys on IMEI were going to be quick and you never know what (Nathan) Outteridge (on Fluid Building) was going to be capable of.

"We just hoped to be in the ballpark and to give them a run for their money.

"Winning it is right up there (on my list of achievements), especially when you consider the calibre of the fleet.

"There's six (Olympic) gold medallists and to beat all those guys is pretty special.

"For a national championship, it's right up there with the best of them."

IMEI and Moonen Yachts were the hard luck stories, Moonen Yachts winning three races and Imei two, to put themselves in with a real chance until the sailing gods failed to deliver on the final day.

The race committee did its best to sail the final heat but had to conceded defeat when the fleet ground to a halt for around half an hour after two previous recalls.

"Unfortunately for us the breeze just died but we're happy with second," Gilmour said.

"Ronstan sailed a very consistent event and they deserve the win."

Turner added: "We obviously would have preferred to race but unfortunately didn't get that opportunity.

"But to me a podium finish is still a success, although it feels like you just didn’t quite get there."

To cap a memorable regatta, Ronstan also took out the masters division.

Plans are already underway for Wilmot, Page and Davis to reunite for a title defence next season.

"We had so much fun that we've got to work out a way to do it again next year," Wilmot said.

"We'll finish off the season at Manly and then see what we can do from there."

Manly boat Lancelin (Brendan Crisp) won the youth division, with Capital Crewing Co. (Jessica Iles) finishing runner-up in the female category.

Completed a near perfect regatta for the club, Max Downey and Thomas Mountstephens guided Cheeky to win in the 13s on the back of an unblemished record.

The pair won all six heats in a dominant performance, while Ebix (Amy Bentley/ Liam Karunaratne) finished third.

Downey and Mountstephens plan to move up to the 16s next season.

Ash Napper and Taj Bridge are not only proving themselves champions of the Manly Junior feet – they are the blueprint for the future of the class.

Eleven-year-old Ash and Taj, 10, took out their second consecutive MJ Australian title after an almost flawless eight-race performance aboard Stingray.

Hosted by Manly 16ft Skiff Club across three days, the pair won six races and placed third in two other heats to clinch top prize from clubmates Fire Power (Harrison Thomas/Chloe Jansen) and a fast-finishing Beached Az (Lachlan Jansen/Baden Thomas).

Stingray's win wasn't quite as dominant as their win 12 months early but impressive all the same in a variety of weather conditions.

"There was a bit more competition this year compared to last but still a great performance from the two boys," Manly 16ft Skiff club junior chairperson, Ryan Thomas, said.

"They are a really good combination and showed the advantage of having spent so much time together in the boat.

"It was also good to see they were pushed in a lot of the heats. It was a pretty competitive regatta."

Ash and Taj come from sailing royalty, the sons of 16ft skiff national champions Rob Napper and Ricky Bridge respectively.

Ryan Thomas sailed against both Rob and Ricky and says it's imperative his generation does all it can to ensure the MJ class doesn't continue to lose numbers.

This year's nationals fleet featured just 20 boats, around half the numbers the class was attracting just a few years ago.

"Unfortunately, the trend has been down for a number of reasons and we're doing all we can to re-build," Ryan said.

"A lot of that is on my generation of parents, who used to sail MJs and skiffs, to get the kids interested.

"We are starting to see that with Taj and Ash and my boys (Baden and Harrison), but it'd be great to see even more sign up.

"Manly is the dominant club at the moment but we want to promote the overall class and build the fleet up."

Asked for his MJ sales pitch, Ryan said: "It's a high-performance boat with three sails that has two people rather than an individual's boat.

"You can sail with a mate and have fun and get all the grounding of learning to sail with a crew and a main and a jib and a spinnaker.

"Kids in the past that have come out of MJs have gone on to become national champions in other classes and competed at the Olympics.

"It's a great class."

Stingray walked away from the nationals with two trophies – the overall scratch win and the junior under-12s crown.

Manly's Cover Girlz (Tayla Lees/Audrey Windust) took out the All-Girls division on countback from Twin Turbo (Abigale Rolfe/Alana Jansen), while Fast n Furious (Eliza Kemp/Miranda Kemp), from Hornsby Kuring-gai, were declared handicap winners.

Lucas Rolfe and Levi Windust only came together at the regatta after they lost crew to Covid, but jelled quickly to snare the Novice title on Seasalt.

Sponsor Vaikobi deserves a special mention for its great support, along with a long list of volunteers and support crew.

For those interested in getting involved in the Manly Junior class, check out the website (https://www.revolutionise.com.au/nswmjsa/home/) or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/manlyjuniorsailing).

You know you've got yourself a pretty hot fleet when two Olympic gold medal-winning sailors are not considered among the favourites for the Australian 16ft Skiff Championships.

Olympic team-mates Malcolm Page and Nathan Wilmot will combine with Brett Davis aboard Growthbuilt for next week's nationals at Belmont, but remain realistic about their chances.

While their sailing pedigrees cannot be disputed, Page argues other boats have enjoyed superior preparations.

"Do we have a realistic chance? I guess we do but I feel others have more of a chance because they've done more work and sailed more," he said.

"People probably would not be surprised if we did win, but a lot has to go right for us and I would not like to go in with high expectations.

"It's sport and there is nowhere to hide.

"You need to be good, be well prepared and have a little bit of luck."

Growthbuilt will be one of 16 Manly boats in a 47-strong fleet boosted by the inclusion of sailors with Olympic, America's Cup and Australian-NSW title-winning experience.

Page considers it one of the best line-ups he's seen in the 16s class.

He said: "This year is certainly special when you look at people's records and achievements.

"It's always hot but it's just that little bit stronger this year.

"It's a good class, it’s healthy, Belmont's a great venue and our schedules all aligned.

"I'm excited. I'm really looking forward to it."

Leading Manly skiff Moonen Yachts (Daniel Turner) enjoyed a perfect lead-in to the Belmont regatta, winning heats four and five of the Manly club championship last Saturday.

IMEI (David O'Connor) was right on Moonen's heels, placing second in both races, with Red Pumps (Bruce Savage), Sail Racing (Felix Grech) and Fluid Building Services (Clint Bowen) finishing in the top five back-to-back.

"We've had a good preparation and everything is on track for Belmont," Turner said.

"Winning at Manly is almost as hard as winning a heat at the nationals, so we're in a good space."

Six 13ft entrants - AWOL, Bartley Construction, Cheeky, Dutchess, Ebix, #9 - will head north to represent Manly at Belmont.

IMEI skipper Dave O'Connor didn’t know just how prophetic his words would turn out when he predicted the NSW 16ft Championships would go right down to the wire.

At the last bottom mark in the sixth and final heat of the titles late at Middle Harbour on Sunday afternoon, the top five boats rounded almost simultaneously with it all on the line.

IMEI needed to stay within two boats of Manly stablemate Moonen Yachts (Daniel Turner) to claim the championship, while Contender Sailcloth (Will Howard) also loomed large.

O'Connor and experienced crew Rob Napper and Trent Barnabas could not prevent Moonen from winning the heat, but tracked Turner all the way to the finish to sew up fourth and the trophy.

The luckless Turner, who broke a mast and was forced out after leading a rugged heat four on Saturday, only needed IMEI to finish one place lower to claim his maiden state title.

It was O'Connor's first victory as a stand-alone skipper after he shared the honours with Nathan Wilmot aboard Manly Surf n Slide in the successful 2018/19 campaign.

"We were just good enough to do what we needed to do," a relieved O'Connor said.

"Saturday's race was a real battle of attrition and Trent and Rob did so well in those conditions to keep us upright.

"They had their work cut out but they delivered as they always do and got us around amazingly well.

"Sunday was tense and tight. Between the waves, the traffic worries, the shifts, the tide - so many variables - it was always going to be a hotly contested event.

"To pick up two thirds and win it against such a quality fleet is really special.

"Rob and Trent were exceptional, we had great support and my wife Eve deserves special praise for letting me come down every weekend (from Byron Bay) to sail."

It was hard not to feel for Turner and the crew aboard Moonen after the heart-break of coming so close only for the sailing gods to turn on them.

"We certainly made life hard on ourselves. It was pretty random (the mast break).

"We're a tight ship as far as maintenance goes but you can’t cover everything.

"No-one gave us much chance after that, including me, but 'Baz' (coach and sailmaker Robert Atkins) worked well into the Saturday night and again the next morning (to repair the damage) and we were in it right until the end on Sunday.

"It's proven we can claw back points when needed."

Moonen will be one of IMEI's biggest threats as the NSW champions target next month's Australian 16ft Championships at Belmont aiming for a second 'triple treat' – club, state and national crowns – in three years.

Capping a memorable regatta for Manly boats at the States, Lancelin (Brendan Crisp) took out handicap honours from clubmate Fireball (James Downey) and IMEI.

The pace will remain on this weekend as heats two and three of the Manly club championship are sailed.

Shocking conditions on the water and just as shocking off it.

That was the story from a dramatic day of racing as winter returned for Manly's third short course pointscore race on Saturday.

A reduced fleet of nine headed out in the wet and wild conditions, but only three lasted the distance as a 20-25 southerly dispensed plenty of punishment.

But the excitement and drama didn’t end there.

Back in the East Esplanade rigging park, the fleet was quite literally being shocked following the race.

A flooded substation near the new amenities block "electrified" the lawn area, giving sailors a nasty jolt each time they touched their boats.

For IMEI skipper Dave O'Connor, who guided his skiff to victory over Moonen Yachts (Daniel Turner) and Botany Access (Chris Thomas), it brought back unpleasant memories.

He was electrocuted at the Flying 11 nationals in 2001 after a handrail in a caravan park became 'live' due to a current running through the earth.

"Joe (Turner) and Ruffy (Daniel Turner) still call me 'Sparky'," he laughed.

"But it was a bit like that on Saturday. When you touched the spinnaker pole you'd get a bit of a shock.

"Everyone's wet and water and carbon are good conductors. It could have been really dangerous but fortunately no-one was hurt."

Ausgrid workers spent the next few days in the area and are confident of fixing the problem before the next weekend of racing.

The post-race drama was matched on the water after the race committee bravely pushed ahead with the heat, adding a 'buyer beware' disclaimer as the weather threw up high winds, chop and consistent rain squalls.

IMEI overcame a sluggish start to take the lead at the top mark before taking a swim and handing the early advantage to Botany Access.

But O'Connor and crew kept their composure to claw back the lead and take the win.

"It was almost like you wanted to get your capsizes out of the way early so you had time to recover," the skipper said.

"We just tried to keep it simple and minimise the number of manoeuvres and sweat on mistakes.

"They were tough conditions but it was a good call to go out. It was a great tune-up for next weekend."

O'Connor is expecting similar conditions when the final three heats of the NSW 16ft Championships are held at Middle Harbour across Saturday-Sunday.

IMEI is one of a cluster of boats right in the hunt for the title after tight racing in the opening three heats at Belmont.

Manly's Moneen Yachts hold the narrowest of leads (on countback), with any number of boats inside the top 10 in with a shot.

"It’s very close and very competitive, which is great for the class," O'Connor said.

"It's so good you can have a boat win one race and be dead last the next.

"It would be very special to win against such a high-quality fleet."

Daniel 'Ruffy' Turner has been chasing an elusive state title for more than a decade – and he will have done it the hard way if this is to be the year he breaks the drought.

Turner has guided Moonen Yachts to the overall pointscore lead after the opening three heats of the NSW 16ft Championships at Belmont on the weekend, but knows the job is only half done.

In what he describes as the most competitive fleet he's competed in at state level, the former Australian champion is narrowly ahead of Contender Sailcloth (Will Howard) on countback with little breathing space to the chasing pack inside the top 10.

"It's the strongest I've seen in my 11, 12 years. In previous years there might have been five dominant boats, but on the weekend there were 10-11 boats right up there," Turner said.

"We're seeing a few Olympians and a few pro sailors come into the fleet. You know you’re in good company. It's really competitive.

"Every race was tight. The lead changes on Saturday alone were just unbelievable."

Turner finished sixth in the opening heat as local Belmont boats Insight Building Services (Rod Carter) and Contender Sailcloth completed a 1-2 finish, with Manly's Lancelin (Brendan Crisp) third.

IMEI (ninth) and Sutech Building Consultants (Michael Koerner) were the only Manly boats in the top 10 on a day dominated by Belmont sailors.

After a rethink and a few restorative beers on Saturday night, Turner and crew Gus Williams and Iain Jensen (standing in for Matt Stenta) went about returning to the pointy end of the fleet.

A win in Sunday's second heat was followed by a runner-up placing behind Manly stablemate IMEI (Dave O'Connor) in heat three, making the drive back down the M1 a lot more pleasant.

It leaves it all to play for when the last three heats are contested at Middle Harbour on December 4-5.

Turner said: "I just hope when we get to Middle Harbour we'll be racing on our waterway and we might have a bit of an upper-hand there.

"But really it’s anyone's game.

Local entrants IMEI (fourth), Lancelin (ninth) and Sail Racing (10th) are all in the top 10 and within touching distance.

Josh Ponton is a living, breathing example of the advantages serving an apprenticeship in the 13ft class provides before graduating to the 16s and beyond.

The Sutech Building Consultants crew member admits he could have been lost to the sport if not for the pathway created at Manly.

"I sailed Manly Juniors and Flying 11s and took a year off because I'd had enough at that stage," Ponton said.

"But then I heard a bit of a buzz around the 13s and was put in touch with James Lawira-Fernandez who was looking for crew.

"It was the first trapeze boat I’d sailed so we battled the first few weeks, but by the end of the season we were semi-competitive and it went from there.

"It made stepping into the 16s a breeze because everyone at the club already knew us and welcomed us to the fleet and were happy to help.

"The 13s are a very under-rated but exciting boat. They are super fun and a fast boat to sail.

"And if you can sail a 13 well you've got all the skills and more to jump in a 16.

"It teaches you everything. As a crew on a 13, you're one bloke doing two blokes' work but once you’re on a 16 things are a bit more stable and you share the responsibilities."

The 13s are in fight for young talent with sailing's myriad classes tempting would-be sailors.

Manly, as the spiritual home of the class, is determined to keep numbers healthy and is actively recruiting.

Ponton is happy to do the spruiking, listing the advantages of sailing 13s at Manly as:

• Two-handed high-performance boat

• Single trapeze

• Carbon mast

• Mast head spinnaker

• Spinnaker retrieval system

• Great boat for youth looking to make the transition from of dinghy sailing to trapeze boats

• Alternative to the 29er pathway with more regular racing

• Regular Saturday club racing + interclub racing, States & Nationals shared with the 16ft skiffs

• Start, finish and placing money awarded (brag to your friends that you are a semi-professional sailor)

• Fun, social, family friendly atmosphere with a wealth of knowledge and long history of champions

• Initial outlay and maintenance costs are subsidised by prizemoney throughout the season

Contact the club at sail@manlyskiff.com.au for further information about the 13s.

Meanwhile, Manly will send a strong contingent to the opening heats of the NSW 16ft Championships at Belmont this weekend.

Headed by former Australian and NSW champions IMEI (Dave O'Connor), nine Manly boats will face the starter's gun for what will be a hotly contested regatta.

Belmont will host the first two heats before the title is decided over heats three and four at Middle Harbour on December 4-5.

Last Saturday's opening heat of the Manly club championship was postponed due to high winds.

Do you want to know how much Dave O'Connor missed sailing 16ft skiffs at Manly?

Enough to hop on a plane from Ballina each Saturday morning, skipper IMEI in the afternoon before crashing at a mate's house and returning home to his native Byron Bay on Sunday.

O'Connor is prepared to make the financial and personal sacrifice for a weekly 24-hour hit and run job rather than sit out another season.

The 33-year-old realised just how much he missed the sport – and crew Rob Napper and Trent Barnabas – as he rode out Covid from the safety of Byron with French wife Eve.

A house renovation and new baby (with another on the way) later, O'Connor is back at the helm of IMEI, immediately returning to winning ways.

He guided the boat to back-to-back wins in the opening heats of the Manly shortcourse pointscore series on Saturday, showing no signs of rust.

"I had a bit of a hiatus and let Trent and Rob do their thing with a couple of other skippers," O'Connor explained.

"But I was missing the sailing and the club and told the guys to get me back on.

"They were pretty keen to keep going and get the crew back together, so here we are."

IMEI (then known as Manly Surf n Slide) pulled off the triple during the 2018/19 season, joining elite company in winning the club, state and national titles in the one year.

Despite not sailing together for two years, it's taken little time for O'Connor, Napper and Barnabas to click back into gear.

Saturday's near flawless performance across two races is proof.

O'Connor said with a laugh: "Despite getting on, Trent and Rob are still so smooth in the boat and execute perfectly.

"I was pretty happy we kept the thing upright.

"From the beach it didn’t look too windy but looking out at Manly in a nor' easter can be deceptive.

"We went big rig but got out there and realised we could have got away with the little rig, so to get two bullets (first places) was great.

"Everything feels good with the boys despite the two years away…there's just a few things we need to tweak and sort out."

One of those things is, potentially, a new sponsor.

IMEI is yet to sign on the dotted line so a name change may be in order before the crew tackle the big state and national regattas in coming weeks.

O'Connor finished almost two minutes in front of Botany Access (Chris Thomas) with Moneen Yachts (Daniel Turner) third in Saturday's opening race.

The follow-up race was slightly tighter, IMEI grabbing the cash from Cunninghams (Nick Connor) and Botany Access.

Next Saturday, attention turns to the first heat of the Manly club championship.

A lack of wind frustrated many in the fleet at the Australian 13-16ft Australian Championships at Gosford, but there was not one word of complaint from those aboard Big Foot Bags & Covers.

As soon as 13ft skipper James Downey and crew Sam Skeen clapped eyes on the forecast, their eyes lit up.

The Manly duo love light conditions and were in their element across the four days of racing, winning four heats and picking up a second and third to claim the national title.

BFBC was that dominant it had the championship in its possession before the final race.

"We like light wind, so a regatta with little wind was great," Skeen said.

"We knew the conditions were in our favour and made the most of it.

"We had some bad starts but always managed to be top four around the first mark and used some great downwind sailing to take the lead again.

"We had a goal on the way back down the hill to stay away from the 16s and we pretty much always went the other side of the tack to keep in clear air.

"It seemed to work as we always came out ahead of the other boats.

"It was a great feeling to win it. We were thrilled that all our time on the water paid off."

BFBC was kept honest all the way by clubmate Fluid Building (Alex Hart), who won two races and recorded three other podium finishes.

Manly boats filled six of the top nine placings – AWOL (fourth), Cheeky (sixth), Ebix (seventh), QED Environmental Services (eighth) and Bartley Construction (ninth).

Skeen and Downey now have their sights on entering the 16s class and – one day – hopefully emulating their success in the 13s.

BFBC also took out handicap honours.

"I think it's time to move into a 16," Downey confirmed.

"Next season will prove very difficult, but the generosity of the sailing community in sharing their time and experience with us has made me confident that we have the skills and knowledge to get out there safely and have some fun in the bigger fleets.

"The 13 is an awesome boat and I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to learn from it and apply those skills in the future."

There was little joy for Manly's 16s fleet at the nationals, with Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) our best placed, coming in fourth on scratch.

Growthbuilt (Harry Price), Cunninghams (Nick Connor) and IMEI (Ben Bianco) all recorded top 10 finishes.

Vaikobi (Felix Daverio) gave the club something to celebrate with victory in the handicap division.

When a 13-year-old Jessica Iles hopped on board a 16ft skiff at Manly 16ft Skiff Club's annual Swap Day 10 years ago, it proved a life-changing experience.

She knew right there and then that's what she wanted to do in sailing.

"It's the memory that stands out from that Swap Day, getting a ride on Sutech with 'Ruffy' (skipper Daniel Turner)," Iles said.

"They let me steer and once I got the hang of it, they seemed impressed with how fast we were going.

"It taught me that it was definitely something I wanted to do. I was also able to pick up a few skills which I could use in the F11/MJ classes and go from there.

"It's pretty cool to think that a few years ago I looked up to them and now I'm competing against them.

"I have really good memories of Swap Day when I was in the juniors. It always was and still is one of my favourite days of the season."

Iles now steers her own 16 – Capital Brewing Co - and is vice commodore of the club.

Last Saturday, the roles were reversed from all those years ago when Iles and other senior sailors put the club's best juniors through their paces in the 2020/21 Swap Day.

A fleet of 15 headed, featuring the 16s sailors of tomorrow and the current fleet leaders, headed out in perfect conditions.

Iles said: "It shows the young sailors the skiffs they need as well as being loads of fun and an option for the future.

"It also gives the juniors a chance to meet new people they might one day sail with."

The club's junior sailing chairman Dave Burkett was inundated with enquiries about the 13s and 16s classes once the day was over.

"We get a lot of comments from kids saying how awesome it is and that's what they want to do in the future," he said.

"When they go from a Manly Junior to a Flying 11 they suddenly realise how fast Flying 11s are.

"And then you hop on a 13 or a 16 and you think 'wow, my Flying 11 is a bathtub in comparison'.

"Swap Day is all about giving the kids a taste of where they could end up with their sailing.

"If they keep going through their classes at the club, this is where they could get to."

Burkett said the buy-in from the 16s and 13s fleet was the key to the success of Swap Day.

"We had a really good turnout from the seniors," he said.

"I think they get as much out of it as the young guys.

"They all seem to love it and really look forward to it.

"It's a really good community event for the club."

Steve Bowen doesn’t have to look at his phone to know who's ringing at the same time each week.

The name "Ed" flashes up on his blower, signalling the weekly chat with Manly 16ft skiff skipper Craig "Fast Eddie" Nicholls over availability for the following Saturday's race.

Bowen has won titles at local, state and national level but is in semi-retirement these days.

But that doesn’t stop Typhoon skipper Nicholls trying his luck – and why not when it's brought such success?

With Bowen on the bow, Typhoon finished first and second on handicap in Saturday's double header shortcourse pointscore races, backing up from a second the last time Bowen set foot on the boat.

"I'm happy to help out from time to time," he said.

"Ed's been around a long time and is such a good bloke that I do feel some obligation to help out when I can.

"It's actually good fun to get down there and get on the water and get into the banter with the boys before and after the race.

"If it wasn't for the way I feel on Sunday morning, I reckon I’d be down there fulltime."

But there were times on Saturday when Bowen wished he was back home on the couch.

A very busy harbour and choppy conditions made the going tough for the Manly fleet.

Nicholls, Bowen and Wes Allen had their fair share of hairy moments but kept the boat upright in both races to snare podium finishes.

Nicholls said after the race: "He can expect the phone calls to keep coming.

"It's been hard getting regular crew – I've gone through 12 this year – so it's always a relief when Steve says yes."

Sail Racing (Felix Grech) and Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) went at each other all day in the scratch division.

Turner took out the first race with Grech second before the positions were reversed in race two.

It was the perfect tune-up for Sutech ahead of what should be the crowning of a second consecutive club championship in next Saturday's final heat.

If he closed his eyes for a minute on Saturday, Malcolm Page was transferred back in time to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Making a rare guest appearance as fill-in for Olympic partner and fellow gold medallist Nathan Wilmot aboard Manly 16ft skiff Growthbuilt, the conditions were not unlike what the Chinese capital dished up all those years ago.

And just like at Beijing '08, Page's skill and experience shone brightly through the Sydney harbour gloom and misty rain as Growthbuilt claimed a big win in the eighth heat of the club championship.

"It was very much like Beijing. The only difference was we were in a much nicer place than we were in China and I'm a little bit fatter by 15 kilos," Page said with a laugh.

"I don't know if I'm allowed to swear but it was light and shitty out there.

"It was an awful day from a weather standpoint but a good day from a race standpoint.

"That's boat racing. If you don’t have poor conditions you don’t know what good conditions are."

Indeed, many in the fleet thought the race should have been postponed, so poor were conditions.

Wind speed was officially logged at 3-10 knots and the going was slow, very slow.

But having been there, done that so many times, 48-year-old Page was in his element.

He said: "Experience always helps. The more difficult conditions get, the more you'd like to think skills shine through.

"One of our Achilles heels (heading into Beijing) was light winds so we put a lot of work and attention into that.

"We spent a lot of mornings out at the Heads sailing in those sick, sloppy conditions just to get better in that stuff.

"It was very much like that on Saturday."

Growthbuilt finished almost two minutes clear of second-placed Sutech Building Consultants (Michael Koerner).

Cunninghams (Nick Connor) was third and Botany Access (Chris Thomas) fourth.

Club championship leader Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) limped home eighth but still holds a comfortable lead on the pointscore tally with a heat to race.

Bell and Associates (Will Divola) won the handicap division from Koerner with Growthbuilt third.

Page, who is Australia Sailing's Olympic coach for the 49ers, will hand the boat back over to Wilmot but hasn’t ruled out making a fulltime return in the future.

"Once the Tokyo Games are out of the way I wouldn't mind seeing if I could sail at Manly more regularly, " he said.

"I've been a member there for 30 years and I love the area, love the people, love the club.

"If it all works out then why not. It's great fun."

The band is back together aboard Brydens Lawyers and hitting all the right notes at the right time of the season.

Skipper Nathan Wilmot, Pete Mackie and Ricky Bridge turned the clock right back to take out the 111th running of the prestigious Botany Bay Championships last Saturday.

The St George-based trio first sailed together more than a decade ago, winning the Middle Harbour club championship before going their separate ways.

Wilmot went in search of Olympic gold while Mackie and Bridge teamed with Lee Knapton and dominated the state and national 16ft scene for several years.

"Knappo actually stole them off me all those years ago so it's nice to be back together after all this time," Wilmot said with a laugh.

"It's all clicked into place fairly quickly. It was great to win on Saturday.

"It was a decent fleet and a tough race.

"The Botany Bay has been around a long time so it's nice to be part of that history now."

Brydens took the lead halfway up the first beat and were made to fight all the way until the breeze kicked in and they were able to stretch their legs as a number of lighter teams dropped off the pace.

Manly's Vaikobi (Felix Daverio) kept Wilmot honest all the way, picking up second from St George entrant Toogara (Josh Tasker) and Manly clubmates IMEI (Ben Bianco) and Red Pumps (Bruce Savage).

Daverio and his crew James Slee and Michael Childs were rapt to finish runner-up in such esteemed company.

"We are super stoked with that result. Racing against those guys at the front and being faster at times has given us a huge confidence boost," the skipper said.

"We are a new crew this season and have been training hard and it's awesome to see that hard work paying off."

"We are extremely excited for the national titles (in April at Gosford). Our boat seems extremely quick in the lighter breezes and flat water."

Manly's club championship will be the focus this Saturday, with the fleet desperately trying to reel in Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner).

Turner has been the epitome of consistency, racking up a string of top three placings to have one hand firmly on the trophy.

Sail Racing was on track for two wins in a day in Manly 16ft Skiff Club's shortcourse pointscore double header on Saturday before a late slip-up - but still came away with much to smile about.

After piloting the boat to a win in the day's opening heat, skipper Felix Grech and crew Paul Darmanin and Tom Potter had to settle for second behind Botany Access (Chris Thomas) in the afternoon's second race after taking a "swim" at the top mark.

Although disappointed not to claim back-to-back victories, Sail Racing headed back to the clubhouse safe in the knowledge it had a comfortable lead on the overall pointscore tally.

Grech's team has more than a 12-point break over nearest rivals Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner), Cunninghams (Nick Connor) and Botany Access.

There are just six pointscore races left on the 2020/21 calendar.

"We would have loved to have won both but it was still a good day out," Grech said.

"Clint (on Fluid Building Services) made us work hard for the win in the first race and we were happy to get back to second in the next race after taking a swim and falling behind.

"Every race at Manly is competitive so to do well in both is pretty pleasing."

Sail Racing took out the NSW 16ft Championships early in the season and has its sights on adding the national title to the collection in April.

But it has all but kissed goodbye to the club-state-national trifecta, declaring Sutech a winner-in-waiting in the Manly club championships.

"Looking at the points, Ruffy (Turner) has the club champs in the bag. We might be able to sneak into second if we're lucky," Grech said.

"But we are fully committed to a nationals win. It's going to be hard but that (a win) would top off a very good season."

Handicap pointscore leader Shebang (Anthony King) finished sixth and 10th in the wintry conditions on Saturday but still holds a 10.5 point lead at the head of the overall pointscore table.

The next step for several Manly boats is the annual Botany Bay Championships next Saturday.

Those behind the Keg Cup invites may well be regretting the decision to allow Daryl Milham back in after the six-time winner overcame a calamitous start to guide Southerly to a win in the opening race of the 2021 series.

The Keg Cup is a race within a race between boats usually found at the back-end of the Manly 16ft Skiff Club fleet.

It's a competition that as fiercely fought as any of the major titles – and invitation is a hard-earned privilege.

Milham was deemed "too good" to contest the Keg Cup in recent years but the committee relented and allowed him back in this year, along with A1 Hardchrome (Andrew Roxburgh), Bartley Construction (Daniel Bromelow), Chubbs Bar and Grill (Jesse Dransfield), Bell and Associates (Will Divola) and Vaikobi (Felix Daverio).

Southerly got off to a quick start in Saturday's longcourse race but hit a major snag when sheethand Chris Williams "went missing" after the boat hit a rogue wave on the first spinnaker run.

"He was on the trapeze wire trying to pop the batons and he managed to unhook himself and fall overboard," Milham explained.

"All of a sudden he wasn't there. He was surfing behind the boat so we had to drag him back in without the boat capsizing.

"We went from fourth to 15th and spent the rest of the day trying to catch up."

While Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) was on its way to yet another scratch victory, Southerly set about reeling in its Keg Cup rivals one by one.

Milham eventually crossed the line in sixth spot, well ahead of nearest opponent Vaikobi.

"It's good to be back in the Keg Cup and good to start off with a win," Milham said.

"I kept winning and they kept banning me there for a few years but they are stuck with us now."

Sutech's Turner joked crew member Gus Williams may have to beg for his old job back after replacement sheethand Paul McKenzie helped his boat to an impressive scratch win from IMEI (Ben Bianco and Sail Racing (Felix Grech).

"Gus might be out of a job – it turns out the old bull (McKenzie) has still got it," Turner declared.

"He jumped on and said 'what do you want me to do?' I said 'just do what you've always done and we will win the race'.

The Manly fleet is in for a busy weekend, with a shortcourse pointscore race this Saturday in conjunction with the Australian 16ft Skiff Sprint Championships at Belmont.

Ask the reason why Shebang has suddenly hit a rich vein of form and Manly 16ft Skiff Club skipper Anthony King doesn’t bother sugar-coating it.

"The fat bloke at the back lost 10 kilos," he said matter-of-factly.

"Being in better shape as a skipper's had a bit to do with it."

Convinced his frame was holding the boat back from reaching its full potential, King changed his diet and walked every inch of Manly with his dog Bruce to shed the excess weight.

Shebang's recent into the podium places has coincided with the skipper's physical makeover.

King, brother Jamie and Julian Lydement sit fourth on the club championship tally board and have a strong grip on the overall pointscore series.

Shebang took out the first of two shortcourse pointscore races on Saturday, backing it up with a ninth in the day's second heat.

"Being old and fat is not a great combination and I thought I should do something about it," King said when pressed on Shebang's revival.

"I changed my diet and my dog's worn out from all the walking.

"It's a bit easier not having to carry so much lard around – every little advantage helps."

King was an integral member of the old Fluid Building Services crew, winning multiple club, state and national titles over a golden period in the early 2000s through to the 2010s.

The days of chasing the major titles are over but the 47-year-old remains just a little bit competitive.

He said: "Our only goal each week is to beat the guys on Bart. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

"We have a standing beer bet with them and they haven’t got many off us this year

"Our biggest problem is when a boat suddenly find some form it usually takes a while for the handicapper to catch up with them.

"I think they will catch up with us in the back-end of the season, but things are going well for us at the moment."

Shebang's win in the first race on Saturday was by a narrow margin – three seconds – over Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner).

Old mate Clint Bowen was third on Sutech from Cunninghams (Nick Connor).

The consistent Sail Racing (Felix Grech) saluted in the day's second race, with Growthbuilt (Nathan Wilmot), Fluid and SMR filling the minor placings.

It took Sutech Musto Racing skipper Daniel Turner more than 10 years of near-misses, bad luck and hard graft to finally win Manly's 16ft club championship last season.

Now he's in the box seat to capture his second crown inside 12 months.

The man known to all as 'Ruffy' steered SMR to back-to-back heats wins on Saturday to take an iron-grip on the overall pointscore.

With two races to be sailed, Turner and crew Angus Williams and Kirk Mitchell only need to avoid disaster to take out the 2020/21 crown.

That would give them the chance to again complete the club-national double ahead of an assault on the re-scheduled Australian 16ft Championships in April.

"You can't take anything for granted in sailing but we've definitely put ourselves in a strong position," Turner said.

"It was a good day out for us. We had a lot of fun and did well in both races.

"A light easterly is probably the last thing you want on the harbour but we worked well together after doing some boat work during the week.

"There was a really good feeling out there."

SMR was made to fight most of the way for victory in race one, edging out IMEI (Dave O'Connor) by just over a minute, with Botany Access third and Shebang (Anthony King) fourth.

Race two was more emphatic.

SMR took control early and kept putting distance between it and the rest of the fleet, eventually winning by almost three minutes from Sail Racing (Felix Grech) and Shebang.

Turner said: "You can't do any better than two wins in two races on the same day.

"It's all set up for us now. We've just got to get it right in the last two heats.

"We put the club championship right up there.

"To have the chance to win it two years in a row after waiting 10 years for that first one is incredible."

The consistent Shebang (Anthony King) is closing in on the handicap title after two top four placings on Saturday.

A1 Hard Chrome (Andrew Roxburg) is the closest challenger, 10 points adrift in second spot.

A rescheduled pre-Christmas pointscore race will be held this Saturday.

Regular Botany Access skipper Chris Thomas has a big decision to make after stepping aside and helping his replacement take out Manly 16ft Skiff Club's pointscore race on Saturday.

Thomas swapped places with experienced bowman Gerard Smith and was rewarded with the boat's first win of the season in a tricky eight to 12 knot breeze.

Thomas, his brother Ryan and Smith were first around the top mark and held off the fleet for the rest of the journey to claim a 40-second win over Growthbuilt (Nathan Wilmot).

Shebang (Anthony King) was third with IMEI (Bianco) fourth.

Thomas now has to decide whether to stick with a winning formula or take back the skipper's role.

"Chris owns the boat so it's up to him what he wants to do. I certainly won’t be pressuring him out of the steering job," Smith said.

"It's been a bit frustrating this season and Chris wanted to try something different and so gave me a steer.

"It worked out okay and it was good to get away with a win, so we'll see what happens this week.

"He might choose to stay in the bow or jump back in to steer – either way is fine with me."

The Manly ferry slowed Botany Access's progress in one of the downwind runs, cutting into their two minute lead.

But they had put enough distance between themselves and the rest of the fleet to guarantee victory.

Smith said: "We've been up there without winning so hopefully we can build on this and keep getting some decent results."

There was another drought broken in the handicap division, with Typhoon (Craig Nicholls) ending a long run of outs.

Nicholls admitted: "I honestly can’t remember the last win.

"We've had everything go wrong this year, from hitting submerged objects to broken rudders to a possible on-board heart attack to one of the crew.

"Saturday is the first time in ages we haven’t capsized or broken anything major.

"It was good to have thing go our way for a change."

Nicholls has also gone through a number of crew changes – eight to be exact – before combining with James Doyle and Alana Clancy and enjoying first-up success.

It's hoped the trio can build on Saturday and taste further success at the back-end of the season.

Shebang placed second on handicap from Botany Access and Capital Brewing Co (Jessica Iles).

Veteran Red Pumps skipper Bruce Savage was enjoying a beer with crewmate Greg Windust at the Manly 16ft Skiff Club recently when they turned their attention to the honours board.

There was something missing and it was eating away at Savage.

"They have all the club champs and state and national winners over the years, but there's no board for second place," he said with a wry grin.

"I felt we were one of the best around back in the Savage Bee days but there's nothing to show for it.

"It would be nice to get something on the board."

Manly skiff Savage Bee was a perennial title threat back in the day, but just fell short of 16s glory on a number of occasions.

Two runner-up finishes at the Australian 16ft Championships still sting Savage and is now driving him to set the record straight aboard Red Pumps.

A win in last Saturday's fifth club championship heat at Manly has only added to the motivation for Savage and crew Windust and Jay Harris.

"It was a big relief to win one because we were starting to get dejected," Savage admitted.

"I felt like we were sailing a lot better than our results have been showing.

"This is going to motivate us to keep putting in the effort.

"After days like Saturday, you think anything's possible."

Savage wasn't even supposed to be competing this season.

The former Olympic sailor (for his native South Africa) and wife Lyn are usually in the South Pacific at this time of the year, loving life on their 44ft cruising yacht.

Covid has put the brakes on travel plans for now and Lyn has opened up a yoga studio (Soham Yoga) at Mona Vale, allowing Savage to ease back into a 16 at the ripe old age of 57.

Now he is dreaming big.

Asked if Red Pumps can be a genuine threat at next month's national titles, he replied: "Yes, I honestly do.

"We're long shots. It's so competitive now and there are so many boats who have got their act together

"But if the wind blows the whole week, I'd put a little bit of money on us."

The wind certainly blew on Saturday and Red Pumps then blew away the competition.

The winning margin was almost four minutes, with Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) second and Shebang (Anthony King) third.

Red Pumps was also a comfortable handicap winner from Capital Brewing Co (Jessica Iles) and Typhoon (Craig Nicholls).

Sutech holds a comfortable lead on the overall club championship pointscore with four heats remaining.

The Christmas Day conversation around the Wilmot family table could be spicier than usual after cousins Nathan and Ryan were caught up in a protest to decide the winner of Manly 16ft Skiff's fourth club championship heat.

IMEI (Nathan Wilmot), Growthbuilt (Ryan Wilmot) and Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) tangled at the start of the day's second race, resulting in Turner and his crew limping back to the beach with significant damage.

IMEI went on to win the race from Sail Racing (Felix Grech), Southerly (Matt Triglone) and Growthbuilt, but the drama was only just beginning.

Turner protested against IMEI, which in turn protested against Growthbuilt.

The blame game was sorted on Tuesday night, with the protest committee ruling in favour of Sutech and Growthbuilt after a marathon three-hour meeting held behind closed doors.

IMEI is poring over the committee's findings and considering an appeal, but at this stage is disqualified from the race.

It means all boats move up a place, with Sail Racing now declared the winner from Southerly and Growthbuilt.

Prior to the hearing, Nathan Wilmot explained the collision through the IMEI lens.

"There was a wind shift on the start line and we tried to start on port and go behind a few boats and get a clear lane out of there," he said.

"Ryan tacked underneath us and we didn't get enough room to go behind 'Ruffy' (Turner) and we hit him and unfortunately that put him out.

"Everyone's got to do what they've got to do (in protesting the final results)…it was just one of those moments."

The Protest Committee ruled: "After considering all the evidence presented by representatives from the three boats involved, it was determined that IMEI should be disqualified from the race for a breach of Rule 10 of the Racing Rules of Sailing (ie. a port tack boat shall keep clear of a starboard tack boat).

"IMEI's protest (against Growthbuilt) was dismissed as the evidence presented by the protestor and other witnesses was inconclusive."

It was a sour end to what had been a great day for IMEI.

Wilmot and crew Trent Barnabas and Rob Napper won the day's first race – heat three of the club championship - in a hot and blustery nor' wester.

The conditions took their toll on many in the fleet but IMEI thrived.

"It was annoying and shifty at times but I like those conditions," Wilmot said.

"The racing becomes a lot more tactical. We were going quick all day."

Cunninghams (Nick Connor) came in second from Red Pumps (Bruce Savage) and Sutech Musto Racing.

Meanwhile, the NSW 16ft Championships will be decided this weekend when the final three heats are held on Lake Illawarra.

Sail Racing holds the overall pointscore lead after a second, third and first across the first three heats.

In recent years, you would start at the top and let your finger run a fair way down the results page before finding Cunninghams in the club championship standings.

Skipper Nick Connor jagged a heat win two years ago but admits it's been a fairly hard slog ever since against a quality fleet.

But persistence is beginning to pay off.

After a more that creditable eighth in heat one of Manly's 2020/21 club championship, Connor and his crew – brother Shaun on mainsheet Zac Barnabas on the bow - backed that up with a win in heat two last Saturday.

After a slow start off the line, Cunninghams clawed its way back into contention and cleared out for a one-minute win over Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner), Shebang (Anthony King) and Bartley Construction (Daniel Bromelow) in near perfect conditions.

"We didn’t have a great start but we sailed fast and got to the top mark with the first couple of boats," Nick said.

"We had to tact and duck the fleet and work our way through and just kept extending (the lead) from there.

"It was good to be up there again."

Shaun is back on the boat after a year off fulfilling other race commitments while Zac is from sailing royalty, having been in a 16 since he was in nappies.

Nick said: "It's coming together. We're trying to sail our own race and at the same time stay with the top guys.

"We've learnt a lot watching and talking to those guys.

"It's great to have them around."

Asked Cunninghams' goals for the season, Nick replied: "Top three in the club championships would be good and top eight in the States and Nationals.

"We're just trying to keep consistent and learning to do the small stuff well."

A1 Hard Chrome (Andrew Roxburgh) continued its excellent start to the season by topping the handicap placings.

Bartley Construction was second with Capital Brewing Co (Jessica Iles) and Shebang third and fourth respectively.

Club racing will take a back seat to the first two heats of the NSW 16ft Championships at Port Hunter this weekend.

Eight Manly skiffs will face the starter's gun in a 42-boat fleet.

Winning a state title would be cause for celebration among most 16ft skiff crews.

But the men aboard IMEI are a different breed.

Crew members Rob Napper and Trent Barnabas have been stinging all winter after finishing with just the one piece of silverware last season – the NSW 16ft Championship.

IMEI was up to its neck in both the club championship and Australian 16ft Skiff Championships but eventually bowed to stablemate Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) in both.

Ben Bianco has replaced Nathan Wilmot as skipper and IMEI has designs on not only retaining the state crown but pulling off the coveted hat-trick of titles – club, state and national.

It's a feat Barnabas and Napper achieved aboard Manly Surf n Slide in the 2018/19 season.

"That was great (winning the state) but it wasn't much fun seeing the others go elsewhere last season and we'd like to get them back," Barnabas said of the national and club trophies.

"Our aim this year is to win the major regattas."

IMEI is at home in any conditions but showed it handles the heavy going better than most in winning back-to-back short course races at Manly on Saturday.

In fresh and choppy conditions – wind gusts hit the 30 knot mark – Bianco, Barnabas and Napper showed great composure and experience to lead the fleet home.

Or what was left of the fleet.

Eleven boats did not complete the first race, with the majority of those not venturing out for race two.

"It was pretty much survival mode and we've been there, done that for a long time now," Barnabas said.

"In those conditions there is no room for error. Once you capsize your race is over.

"If you can stay afloat you’re a good chance of finishing in the top three.

"We just stayed afloat – that was the name of the game. We were one of the only ones not to have a major swim."

IMEI also won the first race on handicap but had to settle for second behind Cunninghams (Nick Connor) in the late race.

IMEI leads the overall pointscore standings from Cunninghams and Botany Access (Chris Thomas).

Sail Racing (Felix Grech) is fourth.

The second heat of the club championship will be run on Saturday.

A new boat, new sponsor and new goals – Manly 16ft skiff Capital Brewing Co is plotting a fresh course this season as it seeks to make its way towards the pointy end of the fleet.

Skipper Jessica Iles, sheethand Andrew Iles and for'and Tom Walmsley have been together three years - the only thing not to change over winter – but they now want to make a real noise.

Capital Brewing Co has replaced C-Side Surveyors as sponsor and the new boat, just months old, is showing some real speed on the back of a lot of work during the recent Sheerline Winter Sprint Series at Middle Harbour.

A win on handicap in last Saturday's second long course race of the season at Manly has only strengthened belief that things are headed in the right direction.

"We just want to keep improving and have no more capsizes. Andrew doesn’t like swimming," Jessica said.

"We had a shocking nationals last year…nothing went right. But we're looking to put that right next time.

"The winter series was a really good way to get used to the new boat.

"We are aiming for a top 15 placing at the nationals and to be competitive in all races.

The fleet was greeted with a mixed bag of conditions as the gun sounded for the start of Saturday's race.

A strong southerly combined with thunder, rain and distant lightning – and even flashes of sunshine – made for a tricky journey.

Capital Brewing Co was slow out of the blocks but quickly recovered.

"When we left the shore and barely had one person on trap we were a bit nervous with the number two rig up," Jessica said.

"However, the wind picked up which worked out well for us and gybing in the bumpy stuff gave us a bit of a thrill.

"We picked a few wrong directions early on which set us back a bit but the boat felt quick and we were able to make up some of the difference."

Iles steered CBC into 10th on scratch and first on handicap, seeing off Red Pumps (Bruce Savage) by more than two minutes on corrected time.

Sail Racing (Felix Grech) came in third from fourth-placed Bartley Construction (Daniel Bromelow).

Reigning club champion Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) was first on scratch, finishing a mere three seconds in front of Sail Racing.

Red Pumps was third and Growthbuilt (Ryan Wilmot) fourth.

Sail Racing holds the early overall lead in the pointscore standings, with Chubb (Flynn Twomey) and Altis Consulting (Phil Cooke) joint leaders on handicap placings.

The crew aboard Bart are used to racing for the prize of free beer.

But they may have to readjust their goals after ending a long drought in emphatic fashion during Manly 16ft Skiff Club's pointscore double header on Saturday.

Bart skipper Chad Beeby and crew members Dave Burkett and James Smithers have gone several seasons without saluting the judge, but all that changed in a matter of minutes after a dramatic finish to the day's first short-course race.

Beeby trailed keen rival Altis Consulting (Phil Cooke) 200m out from the finish line before making his play.

"We were second or third most of the race and tried to keep up the pressure," Beeby explained.

"We gybed a lot earlier than Phil coming out of the top mark and we were able to get him on starboard about 200 out.

"The conditions suited the weight on our boat. We also had a brand new No.2 square top headsail, which made a bit of a difference.

"It's been two or three years since we won a heat so it's nice to be up there again."

Bart showed the win was no fluke, backing up in the day's second short-course heat to finish runner-up behind Cunninghams (Nick Connor).

Beeby won a club championship at Manly aboard Aristocrat in the 1999/2000 season and was a regular contender at national and state level for many years.

Asked why it had taken so long to get back on the podium, he said: "We're just old blokes who like to go out and enjoy a day's sailing. Most weeks we're out there sailing for (bets on) beers.

"The young blokes coming through these days are pretty quick, but we're all still pretty competitive and still enjoy mixing it with them."

It was a day for drought breakers, with the crew on A1 Hard Chrome claiming wins on handicap in both races.

Brothers Andrew and Matt Roxburgh graduated from the 13s fleet to join forces with the experienced Andrew St John three seasons ago.

The trio have taken time to gel but it’s now all starting to come together.

A1 Hard Chrome won the season's first race on handicap and backed it up on Saturday to show it was no fluke.

"Saint" said with a laugh: "The young blokes are getting better and maybe I'm just getting older and wiser.

"Last year didn't go too well for us but this year's it's all started to click.

"The young guys have really stepped up and lost some of the nerves. The boat is going really well."

Ben Bianco picked up where he left off to win his first race as a fulltime skipper in six years as Manly's 16ft Skiff's season continued with the opening club championship heat of 2020/21 on Saturday.

Replacing Nathan Wilmot aboard reigning state champion IMEI, Bianco combined seamlessly with Trent Barnabas and Rob Napper to clear out to an 82-second win from Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) and Growthbuilt (Ryan Wilmot) in a 15-25 knot nor' easter.

Bianco stepped out of the 16s fleet in 2014 after finishing up with Fire Stopping and, apart from sporadic guest appearances, has been largely absent from the sport.

He was happy to keep it that way until IMEI crewman and friend Trent Barnabas peppered him with requests to replace the departing Wilmot.

"They got me in a moment of weakness. I kept saying no but for some reason this time I said yes," Bianco explained.

"I've got a young family (three girls) and work commitments and every summer weekend was pretty much taken up.

"I'm also into surfing, mountain biking, windsurfing, diving…there wasn't really the time to commit to sailing.

"But I do a bit of work with Trent and he was asking me so I decided to jump back in.

"So far, so good. It’s good to be back. I'm really enjoying it."

The 40-year-old is no stranger to winning, steering Bianco Plumbing to the 2001/2 club championship-state championship double as well playing a part as stand-in for skipper Joe Turner in Manly Surf n Slide's 2017/18 Australian 16ft title triumph..

But Bianco didn’t have things all his way early as Saturday's club championship unfolded.

IMEI got off to a sluggish start and had to work its way through the fleet as Bianco eased himself back into work.

By the time they reached the bottom mark, skipper, crew and boat were in synch and IMEI found itself in a lead it would not relinquish.

Sutech and Growthbuilt kept the pressure on but the old dog had them covered.

Bianco later said: "You remember the basics but it still takes a bit of time to get it together as a team.

"We're looking to have a bit of fun out there and not think too much about the other stuff (titles), but it's a good start."

Shebang (Anthony King) took out handicap honours, with Growthbuilt second and Botany Access (Chris Thomas) third.

Maintain the rage – and bring the youngsters along for the ride.

That's the message from Manly 16ft Skiff Club commodore Rolf Cohen after another highly successful season.

The club won the Australian 16ft Championship (Sutech Musto Racing – Daniel Turner) and NSW Championship (IMEI - Nathan Wilmot) and captured the 13s double with AWOL (Harry Parker) taking home the national crown and Bruce (Will Divola) pocketing the NSW title.

Cohen is immensely proud of the clean-sweep and wants it to act as motivation for the emerging generation of young sailors at the club.

"It was a season to be proud of," he said.

"It was great to see 'Ruffy's' (Turner's) name go on the Australian trophy. He's a bit of a crowd favourite and worked really hard to get it.

"It didn't happen overnight. He and his crew put in a lot of effort and were thoroughly deserving winners.

"Nathan's record speaks for itself and he adds so much to the fleet, while the 13s keep doing us proud."

Asked how the club can improve on a near perfect season, Cohen replied: "The challenge now is to maintain the rage and we want the young sailors coming through to lead the way.

"The example these senior guys are setting is fantastic. To see these incredibly talented sailors bring home the silverware is really inspirational.

"They set the standard for the people coming through and show them what is possible.

"It's something for them to aspire to."

The 2019/20 skiff season will go down as a drought-breaker for the popular Turner.

He was staring at a 10th straight season of disappointment at national and club level, while the state title was one that had always eluded him.

When the spray settled on the summer's campaign, 'Ruffy' held the national and club championship crowns and was one place away from claiming state honours.

For Turner and crew members Gus Williams and Matt Stenta, it was just reward for all the hours of training and dedication.

"We adopted a zero tolerance policy between us at the start of the season. That meant making no excuses and leaving no stone unturned," Turner explained after the final heat.

"It's been over 10 years in the making for me so it’s pretty bloody special.

"After so many podium finishes in previous years, I was waiting for the curve ball to hit us again.

"Personally I was relieved when it was over. I couldn't believe we'd finally done it."

Turner was so close to winning the Triple Crown – club, state and national – he could smell it.

Sutech led the overall pointscore heading into the final heat but Wilmot pulled off a minor miracle, finishing runner-up and watching Turner come in sixth.

That left IMEI and Sutech locked together on the pointscore, with Wilmot awarded the title on countback courtesy of a superior winning record.

“It’s sailing… anything can happen. It doesn’t get any tighter than a countback win,” Wilmot said.

The SMR team head into the winter break more determined than ever to capture the hat-trick in the 2020/21 season.

Sarah Lee is prepared to play a cautious game as she looks to become just the second female in almost a century to win Manly 16ft Skiff Club's annual pointscore series.

The Lancelin Pacific skipper shelved all risk to steer her boat to a third and first in back-to-back heats on a crowded Sydney Harbour, lifting her to first overall in both the scratch and handicap standings.

If she can maintain her lead over the closing races of the season, Lee will follow Jessica Iles (C-Side Surveyors) on the short-list of female skippers to have claimed the trophy since its inception in 1925/26.

"We are pleased with a third and first from the weekend. We were a bit behind after the first race start, but stayed upright and worked our way through the fleet but couldn’t catch up to Sutech Building Consultants (Michael Koerner) and IMEI (Nathan Wilmot)," Lee said.

"The second race was really close. We swapped the lead with IMEI and Sutech throughout, but they both had a swim and that gave us the lead.

"We chatted before the race and decided that a top three finish in both races was the goal. We just concentrated on getting around without capsizing and minimised manoeuvres.

"It was a success."

The course was more crowded than Military Rd at peak hour thanks to the aquatic traffic from the Sydney Harbour Regatta.

There were quite a few "conversations" exchanged between members of the Manly fleet and pleasure craft appearing where they shouldn’t, but Lee stayed clear of the carnage.

"It was hectic. The wind was around 20 knots and the water super choppy. Quite a few boats pitch-poled around us," Lee said.

"I’ve never had to do so many gybes downwind to stay clean and out of the way."

Lancelin had to be content with third place in race one, IMEI powering to a one-minute win over Sutech.

Wind speed increased for race two and Lee, stand-in bowman Pete Valpiani and sheethand James Slee thrived.

They beat IMEI home by 58 seconds with Vaikobi (Max Vos) third.

The double podium finishes leave Lee 4.5 points ahead of Wilmot and Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) on the overall standings.

She is also out in front in the handicap standings.

Lee said: "I only realised after the race that we were leading.

"We’ve managed to be reasonably consistent in our club racing and I guess that’s what it takes.

"We are pretty excited but there’s still two weekends to go and the fleet is so strong.

"We'd be thrilled to win it but I don’t want to count my chickens yet."

For two boats which have been at each other all season, it was fitting Manly 16ft Skiff Club's penultimate club championship race was decided be a mere five seconds.

Sutech Mutso Racing (Daniel Turner) held off rival IMEI (Nathan Wilmot) to win a thrilling race and put one hand on the trophy.

The final heat will be held on March 14, with Turner holding a slender two-point advantage over Wilmot on the overall pointscore.

Turner is the current national 16ft champion while Wilmot took out the NSW title.

The Manly club championship will decide which skipper collects two major pieces of silverware for the season.

With so much at stake, it's little wonder Turner's heart was racing on Saturday.

"You're just as much emotionally and physically invested in the clubbie as you are the nationals," he said.

"It was just as stressful and just as important.

"It went to plan on Saturday but the heart-rate was up throughout the race."

Sutech was quickest off the start line and led most of the race until Wilmot snatched the advantage and threatened to go on with it.

Turner and crewmates Matt Stenta and Gus Williams were forced to produce something special to claw back the lead and then hold off the fast-finishing IMEI.

"We were within shouting distance of each other all day long. It was like trying to cover a racehorse - he was pretty quick," Turner explained.

"We had to produce about 200 tacks in the last work to keep him where we wanted

"You've got to do what you've got to do and we just had to cover them."

But Turner acknowledges this is not the end of the battle. Not by a long shot.

He said: "After the nationals I think he (Wilmot) is keen to make a point and he will be going all out in that last heat.

"But we want it too. It would have been good to get the state title as well but if we walk away with the clubbie and nationals, then it's been a pretty good year.

Lancelin Pacific (Sarah Lee) maintained its consistent club championship to place fourth in Saturday's race, one spot behind Sutech Building Consultants (Michael Koerner).

Growthbuilt (Ryan Wilmot) holds a slight advantage over Lancelin in the handicap standings, with Holmes Marine (Sam Holmes) third and SMR fourth. 


Two down, one to go.

With the state and national titles run and won for 2019/20, only one piece of major silverware remains for the Manly 16ft Skiff Club fleet – the prestigious club championship.

With two heats remaining, Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) holds a one point lead over IMEI (Nathan Wilmot) on the overall pointscore with Lancelin Pacific (Sarah Lee) a further four points in arrears.

Turner won the Australian 16ft title last month while Wilmot is an Olympic gold medal sailor and current holder of the state 16ft crown.

Lee acknowledges she will need a lot to go her way if she is to become the first female to win the Manly club championship, but she's up for the fight.

"We have a very small chance of winning overall, as the two boats currently in front of us are seriously competitive and we would need a lot of luck on our side to get the points we need," she said.

"But we will keep going until the end. The Manly club champs is a very desirable trophy to win and any skipper would be thrilled to win it."

Lee started the season with high hopes of picking up a trophy, but it hasn't quite gone to plan.

"Our season started off very well and we were in a great position coming into the States and Nationals," she said.

"Unfortunately, things haven’t gone our way and we haven’t sailed our best for a while.

"Hopefully we can pull ourselves together and finish the season strongly."

While Turner is the main obstacle to him winning his first Manly club championship, Wilmot is well aware of the threat Lee poses.

He said: "She's going really well. When it’s light they’ve been winning or are right up there and she's also doing well when it's breezy.

"You can't rule her out. She'll been right up there, especially if we get light conditions."

Saturday's penultimate heat will be critical to the overall standings.

Both Turner and Wilmot will be missing key crew members for next month's final heat, so winning on Saturday will be doubly valuable.

"It would be good to knock him (Turner) off. If we get a win if gives us a nice gap and I'm sure he's thinking the same," Wilmot said.

"That makes this heat extremely vital."

• Last Saturday's club pointscore race was called off due to a lack of wind.

Twenty-four hours before the 110th running of the prestigious Botany Bay Championship, Gerard Smith put a line through his name.

Without a boat or crew, he planned to sit this one out.

But one phone call led to another and then another and off of a sudden he had cobbled together a crew.

Now all he needed was a boat.

Smith put another call in to see if the owners of Botany Access – the skiff he crews at Manly – was available.

It was and by Saturday morning he was towing the boat south to the St George Sailing Club and informing the race committee he would be registering as a 'beach entrant'.

Entries don't get any later than that.

It was a like a jockey finding a horse to ride 10 minutes before the gates open in the Melbourne Cup.

Despite the hurried preparation – or, perhaps, because of it – Smith and crew members Jay Harris and Geoff "Stretch" Moore defied the odds to take out the race in the testing conditions.

"It really was a last minute call. We weren't going to do it," Smith confirmed.

"It all came together pretty quickly and we grabbed the boat on Saturday morning and went down.

"I'm glad we did. It was a lot of fun sailing with those guys on board and to win it topped it all off."

Botany Access didn't look a threat early after a sluggish start.

But with the man they call the "human propeller" – the ageless Moore – lending his considerable experience to the cause, Smith was able to work his way through the pack to seek out leader Brydens Lawyers (Lee Knapton).

Brydens are hard to beat at the best of times. When they've got the lead in a major race – and on their home course - it's almost "all bets off" time.

But Botany Access never stopped believing.

"They (Brydens) were out in front the whole race and had a good lead, but we never gave up," Smith explained.

"We'd fallen back after the first mark and kept working to pick them off

"I know how hard they are to beat so it was a good feeling when we passed them.

"We got in the lead on the second last leg and were able to hold on.

"This race has been around a long time so it's good to get your name on the trophy."

Four other Manly boats – Koreman Marine Composites (Felix Grech), Growthbuilt (Tom Grimes), C-Side Surveyors (Jessica Iles) and Sutech Musto Racing (Neil Hardy) – finished inside the top 10.

Iles was the best placed Manly boat on handicap, coming in third.

It was Smith's second Botany Bay Championship – he won aboard Brydens in 2015/16 – and Harris's first major victory in 10 years.

Manly have dominated the regatta in recent years, winning seven of the last eight titles decided.

If Dave Bellamy won Lotto tomorrow, there's only one major change he'd make to his life on the Sunshine Coast.

"If time and money wasn't a problem, I'd buy a 16ft skiff tomorrow and stick it in a shed and I’d fly down every weekend to sail at Manly," he said.

"The Manly Skiff Club and sailing every Saturday is the only thing I miss about Sydney.

"That's the level of love I have for the club and sailing those boats."

That love was evident during last Saturday's annual Old Buffers Day – a race where past greats temporarily come out of retirement to join the current crop for a spin around the harbour.

Bellamy was teamed with Alex Chittenden and Felix Daverio aboard Vaikobi after spending a small fortune flying in from Queensland just to make the day.

Despite having never met his young crew prior to the race, skipper Bellamy combined superbly with Chittenden and Daverio to pull off victory on handicap.

"I was given a great boat with two great bloke and sailors. It was an absolute pleasure to be out there with them," Bellamy said.

"We finished just four and a half minutes behind Olympic sailors and Australian title holders – that's never happened in my entire career.

"There's still some life left in the old dog!"

Chittenden added: "We pulled off a few abstract manoeuvres out there. Dave is an absolute weapon. It was great to get the chance to sail with him."

Vaikobi held off Southerly (Peter Moor), C-Side Surveyors (Steven Iles) and Botany Access (Daryl Milham) to take handicap honours.

Red Pumps (Bruce Savage) won the scratch race from IMEI (John Dransfield), Botany Access and Southerly.

Bellamy's 16ft skiff career began almost three decades ago at Manly, the then 20-year-old linking with Bernie Kerr and the late Donny Heiser on Southern Cross Pools.

The trip eschewed the major regattas, preferring to concentrate their efforts on the famous Keg Cup – a highly competitive race within a race held between boats in the middle and back-end of the Manly fleet.

Southern Cross Pools won a handful of Keg Cups during Bellamy's time.

He explained: "We came to Manly from Drummoyne and never left.

"We made very good friends down there very quickly and that's why we stayed.

"We'd turn up every Saturday at 12 (o'clock) and that was our switch off for the week. You didn't talk or think about anything else for the next eight hours.

"The Keg Cup was our thing and to be named a Keg Cup Immortal was one of my greatest moments.

"I loved every minute of it down there."

Bellamy will keep coming back to Old Buffers Day for as long as the invite keeps lobbing in his inbox.

And the day itself in set in stone.

Manly 16ft Skiff Club commodore Grant Windsham said: "It's always been one of the highlights of the season because everyone involves really buys into it.

"The former sailors and skippers relish the opportunity to get out there again and the current crop loves the chance to sail with these guys and hear the stories from the years gone past."

A 2000km round trip inside 24 hours paid rich dividends for IMEI skipper Nathan Wilmot as he dragged his boat back into contention for the prestigious Manly 16ft Skiff club championship title.

Having fallen well short of national championship glory after a disappointing campaign at Salamander Bay, Wilmot was determined to make amends and flew back from Geelong to Sydney last Friday night before piloting IMEI to back-to-back club championship wins the following day.

It was then back on a flight out of Sydney on Saturday night, returning to Geelong to resume coaching duties with his cousin Annie and crewmate Tash Bryant ahead of their title at the 49ers World Championships.

"We didn't get the nationals but we can try to get everything else, so I was happy to make the effort to get back for the two races," Wilmot said.

"The travel doesn't worry me and getting the two wins made it all worthwhile.

"It's put us right back in contention."

The Olympic gold medallist held off cousin Ryan Wilmot, skippering Growthbuilt, to win the first heat of the day and then backed up to snatch a second victory from Red Pumps (Damon Zemanek) and Lancelin Pacific (Sarah Lee) in the day's second heat.

The twin wins have catapulted IMEI into second place on the overall club championship pointscore and helped ease some of the pain of the ill-fated nationals campaign.

IMEI – the current NSW 16ft Skiff champions - managed three podium finishes at the Australian titles, but also uncharacteristically placed 10th or worse on three other occasions.

Reflecting on the inconsistent results, Wilmot said: "It was disappointing in the end. We just had one of those regattas.

"The first race got away from us and that put us on the back foot a bit.

"We didn’t quite get back in the game as well as we should have.

"Everything that could go wrong did go wrong."

Things could not have been any different back at Manly for the club championships.

Battling a range of conditions on a testing day, Wilmot and crew members Trent Barnabas and Shaun Munro hardly put a foot wrong.

"It wasn't easy going but it turned out to be a great day on the water," Wilmot said.

"We got away both times (in the two races) and extending our lead and just made sure the mast kept pointing to the sky."

A secret three-man 'zero tolerance' pact was the catalyst to end 10 years of heartbreak and deliver Manly skipper Daniel Turner his first Australian 16ft Skiff Championship.

After several years of podium finishes without grabbing the major prize, the Sutech Musto Racing skipper asked crewmates Matt Stenta and Gus Williams to buy into his deal in a bid to end the long drought.

They did and were rewarded with a first-place finish after a gruelling and thrilling nine-heat shoot out on the tricky Salamander Bay course.

"We adopted a zero tolerance policy between us at the start of the season. That meant making no excuses and leaving no stone unturned," Turner explained.

"If there was something that we should or could do to improve things, we'd do it.

"That was anything from coaching to sails to changing little bits and pieces on the boat.

"I had to make sure the crew had the same objective and commitment and they did.

"It's been over 10 years in the making for me so it’s pretty bloody special."

But the trio aboard Sutech Musto Racing (SMR) was forced to dig deep before accepting the biggest trophy in 16ft sailing.

Coming into the final race, SMR held a slender lead over Brydens Lawyers and eight-time national winner Lee Knapton on the overall pointscore.

If Brydens won and Turner finished fifth or worst, this would have been another tale of heartache.

Brydens did win the heat but had to be content with runner-up honours overall after SMR clinched fourth.

Manly boats Growthbuilt (Ryan Wilmot), Koreman Marine Composites (Felix Grech) and IMEI (Nathan Wilmot) finished third, fourth and sixth respectively on the pointscore.

"We weren't going to let that happen," Turner declared.

"It was the hardest race of the whole week because these other boats were biting at the heels to try and get their own podium (third-placed) finish while us and Brydens fought it out for first place.

"There were three boats circling us and we just had to make sure we beat at least one of them.

"We knew the maths and knew what we had to do but it was still pretty stressful.

"After so many podium finishes in previous years, I was waiting for the curve ball to hit us again.

"Personally I was relieved when it was over. I couldn't believe we'd finally done it."

Two years ago, Turner endured a bittersweet moment when brother Joe beat him to the top prize in the final race of the regatta.

Asked if he ever thought he was jinxed in his pursuit of the national crown, Daniel replied: "No. Absolutely not.

"A lot of this comes down to mind games and you can't afford to think like that.

"We stayed positive all the way through and it worked for us."

After a rum-led celebration, the man nicknamed "Ruffy" is already plotting his 2021 title defence.

Manly boat Bang took out handicap honours from Manly stablemate Holmes Marine (Sam Holmes), but only after a tense countback well after the final gun.

Bang, with Blake and James Doyle teaming with skipper Flynn Twomey, headed north with no expectations of winning anything after only sailing together 12 times.

But a run of four top four places (on handicap) mid-regatta propelled them into a winning position.

"There were no real expectations. We just wanted to enjoy ourselves and improve and not break too many things," James said.

"It was all a bit of a surprise. We didn't really check the standings until we started doing well in a couple of races.

"We didn’t know what we had to do to win it in that last race so we just went out there and did our best and it came off.

"It's not like winning on scratch but it's nice to be up there as a winner. We're pretty proud of it."

Manly boats Ross Bell Electrical (Chad Beeby), Sutech Building Consultants (Michael Koerner) and Bartley Constructions (Daniel Bromelow) filled the last three spots inside the top 10.

He's won an Olympic gold medal and five world titles, but that doesn't mean Manly's Nathan Wilmot isn’t on edge ahead of next month's Australian 16ft Skiff Championships

The IMEI skipper and crew Trent Barnabas and Rob Napper are the warm favourites after taking out the NSW title, but Wilmot is taking nothing for granted.

He knows the nationals, to be held at Port Stephens from January 4-11, can throw up myriad conditions and any number of winners.

"The States were really tight and went down to the last heat and I can't see this being any different," Wilmot said.

"There are so many quality sailors in this fleet that being complacent isn’t an option.

"There is no way you can predict what will happen from race to race, let alone across the entire regatta."

On paper, the title race shouldn’t be as fierce following the departure from the sport of former champions Dave O'Connor, Clint Bowen, Ben Bianco, James Dorron and Joe Turner in recent seasons.

But the old fox – eight-time national champ Lee Knapton – is back to pilot Brydens Compensation Lawyers, while 2016/17 winner Henry Makin also returns aboard Tooheys Extra Dry.

"Some of those guys who dominated in recent times leave a big hole, but Lee is still there and obviously he'll be a huge threat again," Wilmot said.

"There is also a chance for someone new to come along and win it. The depth in this class is incredible."

Wilmot, who won Olympic gold in the 470 class at Beijing, has no doubt the championship will go right down to the final heat.

IMEI enjoyed the perfect pre-nationals tune-up in the 13th race of the Manly pointscore series, winning the heat by over a minute after being made to work all the way.

After getting off to a slow start, Wilmot kept the boat in touch with the leading pack and eventually roped in early leaders Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) and Lancelin Ropes (Sarah Lee).

From there, he coasted to victory.

IMEI finished first from Sutech Musto, with Sutech Building Consultants (Michael Koerner) third and Koreman Marine Composites (Felix Grech) fourth.

Holmes Marine (Sam Holmes) was first on handicap from Cunninghams (Nick Connor), IMEI and Ross Bell Electrical (Ross Bell).

"It was good to get out there and tick a few boxes," Wilmot said.

"Once we got passed 'Ruffy' (Turner) it all sorted of evened out and we managed to get away.

It took just two heats at the recent NSW 16ft Skiff Championships for Sutech Building Consultants (SBC) skipper Michael Koerner to be convinced his boat was finally the real deal.

Back-to-back top five finishes was the catalyst for an outstanding regatta, which yielded a further two top five placings, overall handicap honours and 14th on scratch.

SBC took that confidence back to Manly and, in the first race upon their return, nailed a maiden victory in the season’s 12th pointscore race.

It was Koerner’s first win at Manly, ending a drought stretching back more than two years.

“We’ve previously won on handicap but this was our first proper across-the-line with the horn blowing win,” Koerner said.

“We knew it would happen this year…it was just a matter of when.

“We were really excited. It’s been a long time coming but we’ve worked super hard and it’s paying off.

“We showed during the States we could compete with the top boats and it really gave our confidence a big boost.

“It’s a massive relief to win. We were smiling and yelling all the way back to the beach.”

Koerner and crew members Josh Ponton and James Lawira-Fernandez were made to fight every inch of the way for their breakthrough win.

After heading to the left-hand side of the course from the start, SBC headed to the front but was soon joined by Lancelin Pacific (Sarah Lee), Growthbuilt (Ryan Wilmot) and a host of contenders.

Lancelin stayed on their hammer throughout the journey, sitting just two boat lengths behind at the top mark.

Koerner eventually managed to shake off his closest pursuer in the last downward leg, crossing the line 22 seconds in front.

Lancelin was second from Growthbuilt and Bang (Flynn Twomey).

Lee took out handicap honours, with C-Side Surveyors (Jessica Iles), Growthbuilt and Vaikobi (Max Vos) filling the minor places.

“They were right up on us for most of the race so we were looking back a lot,” Koerner said of the Lancelin challenge.

“It was a bit scary but we got there in the end.”

Buoyed by the victory and a strong NSW regatta, Koerner is now daring to dream big ahead of next month’s national championships on Salamander Bay.

The skipper, who had last year off, said: “The past few weeks have showed us we have what it takes.

“We always knew we’d could be up there but it was going to take a bit of time.

“We’ve only had a handful of races together but we’re trying to train as much as possible and are super focussed.

“A top 10 finish at the nationals is our goal.”

With a little help from his younger cousin, Manly skipper Nathan Wilmot captured his first stand- alone NSW 16ft Skiff Championship with the most dramatic of finishes at Belmont.

Heading into Sunday’s sixth and final heat, the IMEI skipper was several points behind overall leader Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) and requiring a minor miracle to deny his Manly stablemate.

IMEI needed to finish four places in front of Sutech to clinch the crown, ensuring a thrilling cat and mouse finale to the tightest title race in recent memory.

Wilmot and crewmates Trent Barnabas and Rob Napper sailed an outstanding heat to finish second behind race winner Brydens Lawyers (Lee Knapton) – and then endured an agonising wait behind the finish line waiting to see where Sutech placed.

Growthbuilt, skippered by Wilmot’s cousin Ryan, proved the thorn in Turner’s side, beating him across the line into fifth spot.

Sutech’s sixth placing left it locked with IMEI on 14 points.

It took a countback to separate the boats – IMEI declared the overall winner over Sutech on the strength of its superior two heat wins to one record from earlier in the regatta.

After co-skippering Manly Surf n Slide to NSW success with Dave O’Connor last year, Wilmot now has a state title all to himself.

“We couldn’t control what ‘Ruffy’ (Turner) did so we just had to race the best we could and hope for the best,” Wilmot said of the final heat.

“They didn’t get off to a good start and were a long way back and we just took off on that first lap.

“It fell into place early but he (Turner) was always going to come back.

“Thankfully a few of the other boats held him off and kept him enough places behind us.

“Dan sailed a really good regatta but we worked as hard as we could and it all worked out in the end.”

Asked what it meant to win a title in which he completed the entire regatta, Wilmot said: “Last year was great but it’s pretty nice to have my name up there and not to share it.”

Wilmot paid tribute to Barnabas and Napper, the experienced pair keeping their cool and composure in a tense final day

There was also special praise for Ryan Wilmot.

“He reckons he’s the favourite cousin now,” Nathan laughed.

“I’m not sure he knew the exact scenario but he just sailed a brilliant race and it all worked out for us.

“It’s sailing… anything can happen. It doesn’t get any tighter than a countback win.”

The luckless Sutech had to settle for runner-up on the little-used countback system, while former state champions Brydens placed third ahead of Southern Beaches Rugby (Rod Carter).

Growthbuilt (seventh) and the Felix Grech-skippered Koreman Marine Composites (Felix Grech) were the only other Manly boats to secure top 10 finishes.

Manly boat Sutech Building Consultations (Michael Koerner) grabbed handicap honours on the back of four top five placings.

Clubmate Vaikobi (Max Vos) was third, with Sutech Musto Racing fifth and Red Pumps (Damon Zemanek) sixth.

In the 13ft class, Will Divola and Alastair Hunter combined aboard Bruce to win the title in a regatta dominated by Manly boats.

Sarah Lee didn’t want to look but couldn’t resist a glance.

Next to her in the rigging park on Saturday were two members of Olympic sailing royalty – Malcolm Page and Nathan Wilmot – preparing race favourite IMEI for Manly’s 16ft Skiff Club’s pointscore race.

Lee is used to battling it out with Wilmot at Manly on a weekly basis, but Page’s guest appearance on Wilmot’s crew turned the heat up a notch or three.

As if the competition wasn’t stiff enough, now there were two Olympians on the same boat.

Lee, skippering Lancelin Ropes, admitted it was a daunting prospect but you would never have known once she hit the water.

She guided Lancelin to an all-the-way victory after getting the early jump on the big names.

“It was intimidating rigging up next to Nathan Wilmot and his star fill-in (Page),” Lee admitted.

“We knew they would be hard to beat but once we were out in front we spent a lot of time covering them and making sure they stayed behind us.

“We planned our strategy for the forecast and tide before the race and it played out nicely.”

Lancelin led around the first top mark and continued to put distance between itself and the rest of the fleet in the light conditions.

It left IMEI, Cunninghams (Nick Connor) and Koreman Marine Composites (Felix Grech) fighting it out for the minor placings.

Lancelin crossed the line 79 seconds in front of IMEI, which held on for second ahead of KMP and Botany Access (Chris Thomas).

Cunninghams fell away to sixth, one spot behind Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner).

Contemporary Pools (Michael Bochner) claimed handicap honours from A1 Hard Chrome (Andrew Roxburgh) and Bart (Chad Beeby).

Lancelin’s comfortable win against such a quality fleet has given Lee renewed hope she can make up for lost ground when the state championships resume at Belmont this weekend.

In what can only be described as a disastrous opening weekend of the States, Lee racked up an 19th, 22nd and 18th to sit 18th overall after three heats.

She said: “We are feeling pretty confident with our club racing in Manly but our state championships campaign at Drummoyne didn’t go to plan.

“It’s a challenging place to sail and the fleet is so competitive. We made costly mistakes and couldn’t work our way back through the fleet.

“We are hoping we have a better time at Belmont.”

Manly 16ft skipper Nathan Wilmot has his name on the NSW 16ft Championship honour board – but it comes with a slash attached.

His name is on one side of the slash and co-skipper Dave O’Connor is on the other side after the pair shared duties in guiding Manly Surf n Slide to the 2018/19 title.

A year on and Wilmot is in full charge of a boat, piloting IMEI and doing a wonderful job as evidenced by a largely successful start to this season’s state championship campaign.

On the always tricky and unpredictable Drummoyne course, Wilmot teamed with experienced crew members Rob Napper and Trent Barnabas to take out heats one and three.

There was an 11th placing sandwiched between those two results, but it did not dampen their weekend one bit.

“To come away with two wins at Drummoyne is very pleasing,” Wilmot said.

“We’ve now got to keep it going at Belmont in a couple of weeks and keep picking up those top three finishes.

“It was nice to get my name up there last year but it would be great to be there for every race and win it.”

Wilmot has given himself every chance of reaching that goal.

IMEI got off to a great start in Saturday’s opening heat, clearing out from the fleet with only Manly stablemate Koreman Marine Composites (Felix Grech) in the rear-view mirror.

When KMC took a swim, all bets were off and Wilmot was able to cruise to the finish line.

Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) snared second from River Wild (Warwick Rooklyn) and Koreman, ensuring Manly boats filled the top four spots.

The day’s second heat could not have been a different story.

Grech was the only Manly skipper to finish inside the top seven, placing third behind Belmont’s East Coast Marine & Sail (Matthew Rhys-Jones) and race winner Brydens (Lee Knapton).

Wilmot started badly and never fully recovered, relegated to 11th.

He said: “We got on the wrong side of the first shift and got caught up in the pack.

“There were 20 boats fighting for 10 feet of water. It all happened within the first couple of minutes and it was a long way back from there.”

Returning the next day refreshed after back-to-back heats, the 42-strong fleet turned on the best race of the weekend.

Sutech, Brydens and IMEI staged a ding doing battle from start to finish – the lead changing several times.

When the spray settled, IMEI had held on for a narrow 37-second win from fast-finishing Sutech and Brydens.

IMEI, Brydens and Sutech are all bunched tightly on the overall pointscore tally, with several boats within touching distance.

It leaves it all to play for when the championships conclude on November 30-December 1 at Belmont.

“Everyone has had a bad race so it’s kept it all tight. Drummoyne does that to a championship,” Wilmot said.

“All the top boats will be fighting it out in open water at Belmont. It will be nice and tight and an exciting weekend of racing.”

A female skipper has never won the Manly 16ft club championship in its 98-year history.

And a woman has never piloted a boat to overall victory at state or national 16ft level.

But it’s only a matter of time – and Manly’s Sarah Lee could be the one to make history.

After guiding Lancelin Pacific to a first and second in the two heats of the club championship on Saturday, Lee has put herself in with a great chance of winning the Manly club’s biggest prize.

But she doesn’t see herself as a flagbearer or pioneer for female skippers despite threatening to create history.

“Women in a variety of sports are doing really well at the moment and it’s nice to see the girls doing well here as well,” Lee said.

“But I don’t really think about that (being a female skipper) too often. Everyone is treated the same here.

“It’s just about getting out there and going sailing and enjoying it and hopefully winning a few races.”

Lee wins more than her fair share of races.

Combining with long-time crewmates Chris Goluzd and James Slee, she took out the final heat of last year’s national championship.

It catapulted Lancelin into fifth spot overall, coming off the back of a top 10 finish in the state titles.

A top five finish at both the states and nationals is the goal for this season, while a breakthrough club championship victory is not out of the question after Saturday’s twin results.

“We did pretty well last season so to win it would be special,” Lee said.

“It’s definitely do-able given the right conditions. That’s the goal.”

The Lancelin crew showed it could handle the going in the slightly heavier stuff as well as lighter conditions, placing second in heat two of the club championship heat in a 15-knot breeze before turning around in the afternoon and winning heat three after the wind dropped considerably.

“It was a good day out against a really good fleet,” Lee said.

“Conditions changed massively but we handled it pretty well.

Sutech Musto Racing (Daniel Turner) won the first race of the day and was eighth in the second, maintaining top spot on the overall pointscore tally.

Attention now turns to the opening two heats of the NSW Championships, to be held this weekend at Drummoyne.

Spare a thought for the Manly 16ft Skiff Club race committee this week.

Officials have to somehow sort through eight separate protests lodged in the aftermath to last Saturday’s wild long course pointscore race.

A mass collision at the start of the race involving up to six boats made for chaotic scenes as sailors spent several minutes untangling themselves from the carnage.

By the time they sorted out the mess, those who had avoided the pile-up were way out in front.

IMEI skipper Nathan Wilmot not only survived the bash and crash, he overcame a sluggish start to combine with crew members Trent Barnabas and Rob Napper for his first win of the new season. 

“We saw all the crashing and heard a lot of crunching and banging…I know there were a lot of tangled boats,” Wilmot said.

“Our plan was to stay out of it and if someone got away we would try to pull them back.”

That someone was Sutech Musto Racing.     

Skipper Daniel Turner manoeuvred his boat into a tidy lead only to capsize at the first bottom mark.

It gave IMEI precious time to claw back a few seconds and eventually pull away from Musto on the second beat.

They continued to get away from them down the next run, eventually crossing the line almost two minutes in front of their nearest pursuer.

Sutech had to settle for second, with Botany Access (Chris Thomas) third and Growthbuilt (Ryan Wilmot) fourth. 

Botany Access was declared handicap winner from IMEI, Growthbuilt and Red Pumps (Damon Zemanek.  

Final places are pending on the outcome of the myriad protests, but IMEI’s win is not under threat. 

Wilmot’s commitments coaching in the 470 class have kept him away from the 16s scene since 2011, save for the odd guest appearance cameo.

So this win was a genuine drought breaker.

“I’m still getting some rust out after all those years,” Wilmot admitted.

“The first couple of weeks we went for a swim so it was nice to stay upright and come away with a win.

“It’s nice to do some hard club racing with such two quality sailors in Rob and Trent.

“They got me around the course.”

Last season couldn’t end quickly enough for the crew aboard Manly 16ft skiff Vaikobi.

Inconsistency, poor results and constant crew changes meant it was a summer to forget.

But after a much-needed four months out of the water – and with an important addition at the front of the boat –  Vaikobi is ready to leave last season well behind.

Regular Skipper Max Vos and sheethand Alex Chittenden have been joined by bowman Felix Deverio and things are clicking already.

An impressive second placing behind Sutech Musto Racing (Harry Price) – and first on handicap - in last Saturday’s fourth pointscore race has the Vaikobi team beaming.  

“Last season was a shocker. Max didn’t feel like he did himself justice and I certainly didn’t,” Chittenden admitted.

“It was painful. We didn’t enjoy it at all.

“We didn’t have the same bowman more than two or three weeks in a row so the consistency just wasn’t there.

“But with Felix joining us, we now have some regularity and a chance to build something.”

In just their second week together, Vaikobi overcame a shocking start to the pointscore race to claw their way back into contention in a gusty 15-30 knot westerly.

They moved into fifth before racing past three challengers to clinch second spot. 

“We were pretty nervous going out there but just told ourselves to keep things calm and keep the boat upright,” Chittenden said.

“Three boats were ahead of us going into the last lap and they all capsized on biggest squalls of the day.

“We stayed on the front foot and didn’t make any mistakes from there and went from fifth to second.”

Asked what the renewed aim was for the season, Chittenden replied: “Consistency. We know anything is possible if we keep building on what we’ve started.

“To be in that top 10 to 15 is our target.”  

While Vaikobi put up a great fight, the race was always in the keeping of Price and his crew aboard Sutech.   

Price, standing in for regular skipper Daniel Turner, is renowned as a gun for hire and proved it again with a commanding performance, steering Sutech to an all-the-way win.

He was more than three minutes clear of Vaikobi, with IMEI (Nathan Wilmot) and Growthbuilt (Nathan Wilmot) filling third and fourth respectively.  

Vaikobi won on handicap from Sutech, Growthbuilt and C-Side Surveyors (Jessica Iles). 

Price paid homage to crew members Matt Stenta and Gus Williams for making his job easy.

He said: “Matt and Gus just give a running commentary on where to go and what to do, so my job is easy.

“The conditions were pretty gnarly and there was a lot of action out there, but we were having so much fun around the course – it was an awesome race.

“I’d love the chance to sail with those guys again but my priority now is to get the shoulder right and get back into it in the new year.

“I’m happy not to be committed for a whole season and act as a fill-in where needed.” 

Price has previously filled-in for Cunninghams and Growthbuilt, but joked: “I think ‘Ruffy’ (Turner) has me on an exclusive deal only to sail with Sutech from now on.”

Growthbuilt skipper Ryan Wilmot called it the craziest day of skiff sailing he’d ever encountered.

And looking at the carnage at the end of Manly 16ft Skiff Club’s first longcourse race of the season on Saturday, it’s hard to argue.

Eighteen boats faced the starter’s gun and only three made it across the finish line. 

A total of 15 limped back to the beach after being battered, bruised and buried by the damaging 20-knot breeze.  

Wilmot only just got across the line with his boat intact.

Wisely choosing the little rig to accommodate the fresh conditions, Wilmot and stand-in crew Mike Childs and James Hodgson nursed Growthbuilt all the way.

Problems with the halyard, rudder and a broken gudgeon threatened to end their race, but they held on and prayed.

The winning margin of over eight minutes looks comfortable on paper but it was anything but, especially with Hodgson and Childs making their way back after a long lay-off.

Shebang (Eddie Wray) and Lancelin Pacific (Sarah Lee) finished second and third respectively.     

“It was bit of a strange day. It was funky,” Wilmot said.

“It was the craziest day …probably the weirdest day’s skiff racing I’ve had.

“We had plenty on our plate but so did everyone else. It was something just to finish.

“We were neck and neck with Botany Access for most of the race but they snapped their rudder at the top mark.

“We turned around and couldn’t see another boat so just cruised it in from there.”

But even the final stages weren’t smooth sailing.

“My rudder popped out on the last downwind (leg). The pin popped out bottom gudgeon so I had to capsize and jam it back in to finish the race,” Wilmot said.

“I’m surprised we finished. We had a couple of bolts sticking out.

 “It was hairy.”

Wilmot will take Growthbuilt in for running repairs ahead of an important series of races after the long weekend. 

After a competitive but ultimately frustrating 2018/19 season, Wilmot is hungry for silverware this summer.

“Our goal is to be better than last year,” he said.

“We were fourth in the clubs, states and nationals. It’d be nice to move forward and break into the top three.”

Manly 16ft skiff skipper Daniel Turner says the time for cheap talk is over and his brand new boat must start winning some silverware.

Turner’s last trophy was the Manly Club Championship seven years ago, with several near misses and mishaps pockmarking recent campaigns.

But with a brand new boat – renamed Sutech Musto Racing – and a change of crew, there are no more excuses.

“It’s time for this boat to win something again. It’s been a while,” Turner said.

 “There have been plenty of podium finishes since we last won anything, but we want more. 

“We need to perform and put results on the board otherwise it might be my head on the chopping block.”

Sutech hit the ground running with an impressive win in last Saturday’s opening race of Manly 16ft Skiff Club’s 2019/20 season.

With just one training session aboard the newly-minted boat and Gus Williams debuting on the mainsheet, Turner guided Sutech to a narrow win in a stiff 15-20 knot nor’ easter.

It was a gruelling workout in testing conditions, with 15 boats facing the starter’s gun for what is traditionally a cobweb blowing exercise after the winter lay-off.

But the pace was on from the get-go, with Sutech pushed all the way by IMEI (Dave O’Connor), Lancelin Pacific (Sarah Lee) and Koreman Marine (Felix Grech) before hanging on for a 12-second win.

O’Connor finished second with Lee almost two minutes behind in third.

Lancelin Pacific took out handicap honours from Sutech and C-Side Surveyors (Jessica Iles).

“To peel the wrappers off a new boat and to hit the water and have it feel so good and so fast is great,” Turner said.

“Hopefully it’s a new beginning and a sign of the season to come.”         

But Turner knows it will be a fight all the way, with the Manly fleet again boasting a strong line-up of boats and experienced skippers.

IMEI, coming off triple trophy success last season, will again be the one to beat.

Turner said: “Dave and his boys will be tough but there are threats everywhere at Manly          

“There’s no such thing as an easy race.”

Racing continues on Saturday with heat one of the long course pointscore series.

Manly 16ft Skiff Club commodore Grant Windsham is taking an altruistic approach to next season after overseeing one of the greatest campaigns in the club’s 96-year history 

 Manly won the national 16ft and 13ft titles as well as the Flying 11 Australian Championships and Manly Juniors nationals.

 It’s the first time in more than a decade Manly has been home to four national champions in the one year.

 Windsham naturally enjoys walking past a full trophy cabinet, but acknowledges the sport will only be as strong as its weakest link. 

 “While it would be great to go out and win everything again next year, it would also be good to see other clubs taste some success,” he said.

 “That would be healthy for the sport. If the success is spread around it will be hugely beneficial in the long run. 

 “We really want to focus on growth in our junior division and maintain stability within the senior classes.”

 Manly has been the flag-bearer for the various classes in recent times, employing the most progressive and innovative sailing program in the country.   

 It’s produced countless champions and champions of the future. 

 Windsham said: “The club has never been in such a good position. We will continue to have some challenges in increasing or maintaining participation - this is a sailing-wide issue - but Manly looks strong well into the future.”  

 Sixteen-foot skipper David O’Connor piloted Manly Surf n Slide to the triple crown – club, state and national titles – in his first year in charge.

 He believes Manly is the envy of all other clubs.

 “The set-up, the support, the competition… it’s like nothing you will see elsewhere,” O’Connor said.

 “It makes you want to push yourself and that weekly competition at club level puts you in good stead at the big regattas.”

 Trent Barnabas, who crews aboard SnS with O’Connor, added: “You don’t know from week to week who’s going to win because the fleet is so competitive.

 “And a lot of the younger guys are pushing the older guys so the future looks very strong.”

 The 2018/19 season drew to a close on Saturday with the final pointscore race of the season.

 It was won by Chapman High Performance Sailing (Paul Darmanin) 

 The club will hold its annual presentation night at the skiffies on May 4.

Trent Barnabas still has solid memories of sailing back to the beach as a kid on father Trevor’s famous Chesty Bond 18-footer in the 1980s.

All of seven, Trent would hop aboard post-race and take the ride back to the rigging area.   

“I’ve got vivid memories of doing that with the old man,” he said.

“It gave me a feel for it and a hunger to want to do it myself. By 14 I was sailing 18s with Dad.”

The memories of those experiences are one of the big reason Trent is one of the first to put his hand up for Manly 16ft Skiff Club’s annual swap day.

It gives junior sailors the chance to head out and rub shoulders with the club’s senior 16ft fleet.   

“There is a fun aspect to it but it’s also about giving kids a feel for the 13s and 16s in the hope they stay in the sport and help the classes build and become even stronger,” Trent explained.

“We had perfect conditions and everyone finished with a big smile on their faces at the end of it.

“It’s important that we continue to bring the next generation through.”

Asked how important swap day is to the skiff club, Manly 16ft Commodore Grant Windsham replied: “It’swithout doubt the highlight of our sailing program. 

“The day was put in place at least six years ago to bring the whole club together, and give the junior division an opportunity to sail a 16ft skiff. 

“Not only did we have participation from every 16ft skiff that regularly sails with us, but almost all the junior division turned up, with many of the skiffies also giving their wives and partners a sail. 

“Overall the day was a great representation of what sailing at Manly is about and hopefully it leads to stronger numbers in the future.”

 One participant who won’t be signing up anytime soon is Trent’s wife Christine.

She went for a spin with her husband aboard a 13-footer but it’s strictly a once-a-year affair.

Trent joked: “She enjoyed it but I think she’s much more comfortable back on a shore with a champagne in her hand.”

·      Champion Manly skipper Clint Bowen was presented the 16ft Skiff Class Association Medal, on behalf of the Australian 16ft Skiff Class Association, after Saturday’s swap day.

 The medal acknowledges Bowen’s achievements and commitment to the sport over the past 13-plus years.

In the end, Manly Surf n Slide didn’t need to finish the final leg of its triple crown to seal a trifecta of titles across the 2018/19 season.

 After winning the state and national titles, SnS clinched the Manly 16ft Skiff club championship the moment last Saturday’s seventh and final heat was cancelled due to strong winds on Sydney Harbour.

With no time to reschedule the race, the club championship was decided on the results of the first six heats, with the Dave O’Connor-skippered SnS a clear winner.

 O’Connor and crewmates Rob Napper and Trent Barnabas sealed the deal with an ultra-consistent campaign that yielded three wins, two seconds and a third.

 Things could not have gone any smoother for the first-year skipper. 

“The boys were really motivated to make it happen and I’m really proud of what we've been able to achieve this year,” O’Connor said.

 “You never quite know how it’s going to work until you get out there, but having sailed a lot in the 18s with Trent, we know how we both think and operate so we were able to quickly get in sync. 

 “Then you add someone as experienced as Rob, who is constantly feeding us important data around the race course.

 “It just makes everything run smoothly even when there is a bit of chaos or things aren't going to plan.

 “Throw in Baz Atkins, who with Trent really has the boat dialled in, and it's a pleasure to sail.”

 O’Connor confirmed his team will remain together to defend all three titles next season – and they will be sailing on a new boat.

 “It's such fun, competitive racing and easy to fit in with family life. The boats are easy to rig, we sail in great locations and I just have to ride my bike down the road from my house to go for a sail on Saturday, so why wouldn't we go again?” O’Connor said. 

 “We will have a lot to live up to but I'm pumped to get a new boat and to try to do it all again.”

 SnS was hoping to wrap up the club championship under race conditions, but were robbed of the opportunity when race organisers wisely called the heat off.

 Winds were touching 37 knots when the call was made and boats ordered back to land.

 It was not all smiles for SnS, which capsized on the way back to the beach, leaving Barnabas with a nasty ankle injury.

     Sutech (Daniel Turner) finished second in the club championship pointscore followed by Koreman Marine (Felix Grech) and Growthbuilt (Ryan Wilmot).

 ·      Manly 16ft Skiff Club will host the popular junior ‘swap day’ and end-of-season party on Saturday.

 Some of the club’s best up-and-coming sailors will be given the chance to sail aboard a 16-footer alongside Manly’s leading skippers and crew.

 It is one of the highlights of the local skiff racing calendar.

Having conquered all in the 16ft skiff world, Fluid Building skipper Clint Bowen thought he’d be enjoying retirement and reminiscing about the glory days by now.

Approaching 50, and with a busy family and work life, Bowen was powering down, not up, after his successful partnership with crewmates Anthony King and Brent Dennis drew to a natural end.

Between them, the trio won multiple club, state and national championships.

But just as Bowen was ready to draw a line under his career, along came two new crewmates – Matt Wark and Gus Williams.

Their enthusiasm, sense of fun, youthfulness and sailing ability has carried Bowen along for the ride.

  “I was thinking about giving it away,” Bowen admitted after steering Fluid to victory in last Saturday’s Manly 16ft Skiff Club pointscore race.

“I’m fast approaching 50 and was thinking maybe it’s time to go play golf or bowls, but I actually feel pretty fit and strong.

“If you keep your mind young, your body will follow and that’s what’s happened.

“I am really enjoying my sailing and that’s because these guys have a lot of fun and don’t take it too seriously, but are also great sailors in their positions.”

The Fluid team only really got together mid-December due to a host of commitments and Bowen’s shoulder injury, but they have quickly made their presence felt.

The finished fifth at the national titles and are placed to finish in the top five in the club championship, which concludes on Saturday.

Manly Surf n Slide has the title under lock and key, but expect a strong challenge from Fluid in 2019/20.            

“I’m feeling really good about next season. We all are,” Bowen said.

“We’re going to be really pleased to hit the water next season on the front foot.

“The new season can’t come around quickly enough.”

Fluid finished the pointscore race two minutes ahead of Manly SnS (Robert Flanagan), with Lancelin Ropes (Sarah Lee) fourth and Shebang (Daryl Milham) fifth.

Shebang won on handicap from Fluid, Holmes Marine (Sam Holmes) and Lancelin Ropes. 

·      When he is not sailing, working or spending time with the family, Clint Bowen is a passionate fundraiser for cancer research.

He has cycled thousands of kilometres during five Tour de Cure bike rides across Australia, personally raising an astonishing $370,000.

They always had the ability - it was belief the crew on Koreman Marine had to work on.

And Manly 16ft Skiff Club skipper Felix Grech and his young crewmates Tom Potter and Paul Darmanin now have that in spades after adding another victory to their 2018/19 collection.

Koreman streeted the field to win last Saturday’s sixth heat of the Manly club championship, leaving current and former state and national champions in its wake.

The resounding victory was another reminder that some serious silverware is just around the corner.    

“The second placing at the nationals against such a good fleet gave us a lot of confidence,” Grech said.

 “It showed that we were on the right path and doing a lot of things right.

 “This season is just about over but we can’t wait for next year. We feel we’re in a good position.”

 Koreman was in a very good position from the opening minutes of the club championship race.

 Grech studied the conditions intently pre-race and made the most of a late change to dominate the heat, winning by over three minutes.

 “Observing the conditions made a big difference in the pre- start,” he said.

 “We were planning on starting just under the fleet at the boat end and at one minute to go the breeze went hard left and we knew to head to the pin.

 “We got away on port and crossed the fleet and didn’t look back from there.”

 If it had looked back, Koreman would have spotted Manly Surf n Slide (Dave O’Connor), Lancelin Ropes (Sarah Lee) and Growthbuilt (Ryan Wilmot) in the rear-view mirror.

  Koreman took out the double, clinching handicap honours from Growthbuilt, C-Side Surveyors (Jessica Iles) and Lancelin Ropes.

 O’Connor’s second placing on scratch was enough to guarantee Manly SnS the club championship with a heat to spare.

 The fight is now on for the minor placings.

 Grech said: “We missed out in a couple of races but can finish third with a good finish in the final race.

 “That will be the aim. It would be a great way to end the season.”

 The final heat will be sailed on March 30.

They say talk is cheap but that’s not the case aboard Manly 16ft skiff Lancelin Ropes.

Skipper Sarah Lee wants her crew communicating as much as possible during the races to ensure they are all totally invested and concentrating every step of the way.

 When the talk is constant – and positive – Lee and crewmates Chris Goluzd and James Slee are very hard to beat.  

 It was again evident when the trip combined to take out the 15thpointscore race of the season on Saturday.

 “We just kept talking the whole time about where on the course we were and where we wanted to be next,” Lee explained.

 “It’s the races when we communicate non-stop – as long as it’s helpful communication - that we know we will do well.”

 The Lancelin Ropes team sat down together before Saturday’s race to plot tactics and map out the best way around the course.

 The meticulous preparation paid off handsomely, with a comfortable victory over national and state champions Manly Surf n Slide (David O’Connor), Fluid Building (Clint Bowen) and Cunninghams (Nick Connor) continuing a stellar season.     

 “We watched some yachts sailing around, looked at the tide and wind forecast, and planned where we wanted to go,” Lee said of the pre-race planning.

 “During the race we made adjustments to the plan when the wind shifted on the second upwind and again on the final upwind. 

 “I remember saying before the race that I just want to focus on being the fastest boat around the course and we were.”

 Lancelin was also fastest around the course in taking out the final heat of the recent Australian 16ft Championships, cementing a top five finish on the overall standings.

 It was further proof Lee is firmly knocking on the door of the 16ft establishment.

 She said: “The 18/19 season has been our best yet. We have off days but when we all stick to our jobs and keep talking we’ve been competitive. 

 “James has stepped up his trimming game and Chris is helping me tactically more than ever. 

 “Winning the final heat of the nationals by about four minutes was an amazing feeling.

 “It was great to put together a race where we were spot on and picked each shift. 

 “Our goals for the rest of this season is to keep doing what we are doing and next season we to consistently be in the top three and win a few more races.”

Clint Bowen’s pain threshold is clearly greater than most normal beings.

Last Saturday the champion 16ft skiff sailor risked opening up a large wound on his right knee by competing in the fifth heat of the Manly club championship aboard Fluid Building.

That task was perhaps bested just an hour after the race as he and wife Nanette hosted a birthday party for their 13-year-old daughter and 12 of her friends.

Bowen survived both intact, combining with crewmates to win the club championship heat before heading off to the party.

The veteran skipper was a reluctant starter in the race after having his knee re-stitched just five days earlier.

A post-surgery wound had split in a previous race – and was in danger of doing so again.    

“There were five layers of bandages and we were still strapping it up an hour before the race,” Bowen said.

“The doc and my wife thought I was mad but we didn’t have too many other options. 

“The boys (crewmates Gus Williams and Matt Wark) looked after me well.

“I was very nervous taking the wetsuit off at the end of the race, but it was all good.”

Unsurprisingly given the condition of their skipper, Fluid was a little sluggish at the start and forced to play catch up.     

Bowen caught the fleet down the first run and by the second beat had pinned back his ears to steal the lead.

At one stage Fluid led by close to three minutes before settling for a narrow 21-second win from Koreman Marine (Felix Grech), Manly Surf n Slide (Dave O’Connor) and Lancelin Ropes (Sarah Lee).   

Fluid’s win has breathed new life into the club championship race, with Bowen now an outside hope of reeling in runaway series leader O’Connor over the final two heats.   

“We’ve been really unlucky this year. We had pretty big intentions at the start and then I got injured in a bike crash and missed half the season,” Bowen said.

“We haven’t had much time together in the boat but when we do get together it really gels.

“We’re just starting to trust each other and be comfortable with each other and it’s now paying dividends.

“We are getting better and better. If we stay fit and healthy we will be in good shape next year.”

Now Bowen aims to finish off an up and down season with the club championship - the last trophy up for grabs in the 2018/19 campaign.  

He said: “I don’t think it’s over. We will give it a good shot in the last two races but we can’t afford another bad result.

“We’re dead if we do.”

A three-week honeymoon spent skiing in Canada is not your traditional way to prepare for a major sailing regatta, but it proved the perfect lead-in for Manly 16ft skiff skipper Daniel Turner.

The Sutech skipper only returned to Sydney from the slopes of British Colombia on Thursday night and had just a day to get his boat and crew together before they headed south for the 109thrunning of the Botany Bay Championship on Saturday.

But you wouldn’t have known there had been a rushed preparation the way Turner and crew mates Paul McKenzie and Steve Bowen attacked and won the prestigious race, held in a testing southerly peaking at 30 knots.

After a slow start, Sutech worked its way around the fleet to make it a race in three with Manly stablemates Fluid Building (Clint Bowen) and Surf n Slide (Dave O’Connor). 

A spectacular cartwheeling capsize by SnS on the final work allowed Sutech to pounce and claim its biggest win of 2018/19 after a two hour slugfest.

Manly took out three of the top four placings, with Fluid second from Belmont’s Southern Beach Rugby (Rod Carter) and SnS fourth.

Manly also went one-two on handicap, Fluid taking top billing from Sutech.

“Three weeks of skiing is probably not the ideal preparation for a race like this but I thought it was the best way not to fall asleep with jetlag,” Turner explained.

“I was pretty taxed by the end of it but the boys got me through.

“It’s the oldest skiff race in the world, so it’s a pretty cool one to win.”

The Botany Bay Championship is no sprint race.

It’s a full lap around the bay, starting up river and making its way to Sans Souci, down to the airport and around Kurnell before returning up the river.

“It’s a long race and the boat that stay upright and keep moving is going to win,” Turner explained.

“It suits us, especially in those sort of conditions. Sailing those boats in thirty knots is not easy, but we’d like to book those conditions in every week.”

Sutech will now turn its attention to the remaining heats of the Manly club championship.

Race six will be held this Saturday.

It’s been a long time since Henry Harding has been considered the rookie in a sailing fleet.

After a long stretch in the oldest boat in the powerful Manly 16ft Skiff Club fleet, the 64-year-old was quite comfortable with his veteran status.

But last Saturday, Harding was the new kid on the block as sailors from yesteryear returned to the water for Manly’s traditional Old Buffers Day reunion race.

Harding didn’t have to be asked twice to steer his old boat – formerly known as Beancounters but now renamed Lakeside Fish Market – and turned back the clock with victory in the handicap division.

“I’m a relative newbie in the Old Buffers,” he said.

“I’m now eligible to sail in it because I am no longer an active racer and you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face when I heard we won.

“That wasn’t what I was chasing when I headed out.  Winning that was a bonus. I was just thinking about reducing my handicap for next time.”

Lakeside Fish Market skipper Andrew St John handed his boat over to Harding and provided him with two excellent crewmates in Matthew and Andrew Roxbrough. 

They negotiated the course, sailed in a pleasant nor’ easter, without fault to finish ahead of Ross Bell Electrical (Gary Paton/Sven Hyett), Sydney Shade Sails (Barry Hodge) and The Yellow Boat (Ross Childs).

Bart (Chris Smithers), Growthbuilt (Bob Wilmot), Lancelin Ropes (Simon Reffold) and Typhoon (Richard DeVries) were the first four across the line on scratch.

One of the most anticipated days on the local sailing calendar, Old Buffers Day offers former skippers and crew members the chance to jump back aboard a 16ft skiff to relive the glory days 

Harding is still involved with the club on the rescue boat on race days, but admits he still loves to sail competitively when the opportunity arises.  

 “It was great to get back out there on my old boat and sail with two great sailors,” he said.           

“We didn’t capsize, which is unusual for me in a race, and hardly put a foot wrong.

“I felt like I was a young kid again.”

Asked if there was any wear and tear on his body after the race, Harding replied with a grin: “Just a sore neck from holding my chin up high and thrusting out my chest.”

Rob Napper admits he probably shouldn’t be sailing anymore.

Not that he doesn’t still love the sport – the complete opposite, in fact – but more that his time is being severely stretched due to the rapid rise of his children’s sailing careers.

The Napper household now boasts two national champions – Rob and youngest child Ash.

Dad took out the recent Australian 16ft Australian title aboard Manly Surf n Slide, teaming with Dave O’Connor and Trent Barnabas to pull off a comprehensive victory in Brisbane.

It takes Napper’s overall count to four national crowns, four state titles and four club championships.

Not to be outdone, eight-year-old Ash partnered Sam Stodart to take out the Manly Junior national title over the holidays.

Ash’s older siblings – Lia (14) and Coby (11) – are on the Flying 11s circuit, while Coby also skippers a Manly Junior. 

Mum Hollie is the glue, ensuring the kids all get to their various sailing commitments while acting as the official photographer at most regattas.

“We’re a pretty busy family and there is a lot to juggle,” Napper said.

“(Daughter) Ella (13) is the only one not bitten by the sailing bug - she’s a dancer – but the rest of us are always on the go with sailing.

“I probably shouldn’t be sailing myself given everything that is on but Trent made me an offer too good to refuse.

“He’s happy for me to sail the nationals, states and club championship races and get away at other times.”

Rob is also heavily involved in the admin side of sailing, serving on committees and helping in any way he can on race day.                     

He is looking forward to the day he starts competing with his own kids. 

“The kids have been around sailing since they were born. They don’t know any other life,” he said.

“They already watch videos of my races and let me know if we’ve had a bad race. They’re quick to jump on me if I make a mistake and tell me what I should have done.

“Once I’m finished in the 16s I will probably jump in a 13 with Lia and then continue sailing with any of the other kids that want to sail with me.”

·      Heat five of the Manly 16ft club championship was postponed last Saturday after a strong front hit the course shortly before start time.

The champions of yesteryear will take centre stage this Saturday when Manly hosts Old Buffers Day. It’s the chance for former skiff sailors to compete with modern day skippers and crew – and tell a few white lies at the bar after the race. 

Winning the final race in Manly 16ft Skiff Club’s pointscore series last season proved a bittersweet experience for veteran skipper Ross Bell.

While delighted to break his duck and grab a win aboard Ross Bell Electrical, the 58-year-old knew the victory would afford him few favours with the handicappers.

And so it proved at the start of the new season, with race officials refusing to budge on RBE’s 12-minute handicap despite some good-natured lobbying from Bell.

Future requests for a handicap increase will also fall on deaf ears after RBE took out the handicap division in last Saturday’s 13thpointscore race of the season.

Off their routine 12-minute handicap, Bell and crew Mark Graham and Alastair Perry got off to a fast start and were able to hold off Altis Consulting (Phil Cooke), Bang (Julian Lydement) and Bart (Chad Beeby) to break a drought stretching back almost a year.

 “I’ve been screwed ever since winning that last handicap race last year,” Bell laughed.

“We stayed on 12 minutes but the difference this time is we had no-one around to annoy us.

“We got a good gust (after rounding the first mark) and away we went.

 “We didn’t fall asleep and just stayed in the moment. You’d love more days like that.”

Bell, who turned 58 the day after his win, has racked up 13 years in the Manly 16ft fleet after three decades sailing out of Drummoyne.

He has seen plenty of champions come and go but has never known Manly to be strong as it is.   

He said: “The young kids are just getting so much better. It’s the best I’ve seen it.

“You used to have half a dozen that were well back in the fleet but not anymore.

“Surf n Slide (Dave O’Connor) is the one to beat but there are a lot of boats now just under them at the next level.”

Altis took out the pointscore race on scratch, narrowly seeing off Sutech (Matt Stenta), Bart and Shebang (Anthony King).

Heat five of Manly’s club championship will be held on Saturday.

SnS has the title in its keeping after winning the first three heats and placing second in heat four. 

Manly 16ft Skiff Club is home to four national champions for the first time in more than a decade after the all-girl crew board Nomad made history at the Flying 11 Australian Championships.

Zoe Dransfield and Pearl Twomey combined to win four of 11 heats in heavy conditions at Port Stephens - the first all-girl crew to win the title in the event’s 48-year history.

And Dransfield claimed her only little piece of history, becoming the first female skipper since Nicky Souter in 2001 to clinch the crown.     

Nomad’s win was the last leg on an impressive Manly quadrella over the Christmas-New Year period.

Victories in the 16ft, 13ft and Manly Juniors classes capped a red-letter summer for the club.

It all started with Sam Stodart and Ash Napper combining for a stunning win in the Manly Juniors in late December.

The pair won an incredible six races from seven aboard Bullet to have the title well and truly sewn up before the final heats.

The Manly club, which hosted the event, filled 10 of the top 11 placings.

Public Enemy (Liam Karunaratne & Ben Milham) finished second with Another Dark and Storm (Bella Divola & Sophie Hart) third.

Manly’s Diable Rogue (Dilan Bate & Alexandra Donnelley) took out handicap honours. 

More success followed in the 13s (Bartley Constructions) and 16s (Manly Surf n Slide) on Moreton Bay over Christmas-New Year before Nomad’s historical win.

“Across both junior classes, Manly 16ft Skiff Club achieved fabulous results,” Manly Skiff Club’s junior chairperson Dave Burkett said. 

“The results are a credit to our coaches, Andrew Divola and Niall Powers, and the work the kids have put in getting regatta ready.

“Not only did we take home the national trophies, but all junior sailors represented the club to the highest level, both on and off the water.” 

Nomad didn’t start the Flying 11 regatta as an outright favourite, but it soon became apparent the Manly boat was the one to beat.

Wins in races one and three – punctuated by a third in heat two – gave Dransfield and Twomey the belief they could go on with the job.

Manly stablemates Fanging (Alex & Sophie Hart), Cool Runnings (Jamie & Sam Stodart) and Dynamite (Anthony Harrison & Liam Karunaratne) filled the next three places.

Burkett said: “Zoe and Pearl are our first all-girl championship winners, which is a fantastic achievement and a credit to our class and Manly 16ft Skiff Club.”

The good news for Manly’s 16ft skiff fleet is Harry Price will remain a gun for hire for any boat needing a fill-in skipper during the final months of the season.

The bad news is he is getting such a taste for the class he could be ready to mount his own campaign and become friend turned foe next summer.

Price stood in for regular skipper Clint Bowen aboard Fluid Building Services in Saturday’s fourth heat of the club championship, combining with good mate Angus Williams and Matt Wark to record a commanding two-minute win.

It follows his victory on Sutech earlier this year and a previous stint at the helm of Cunninghams.

It’s little wonder his mobile number is at the top of the ‘favourites’ list of most skippers when it comes to find a reliable short-term replacement.        

“It’s really got the juices flowing and I’d love to do it more regularly,” Price said of his 16ft cameos.

 “Whether that’s my own boat or skippering one, we will see. But I’ve really enjoyed it anytime I’ve got the call up.

“It’s great fun and really competitive and I’m happy to go wherever I’m needed.” 

Manly Surf n Slide ‘owned’ the first three heats of the club championships, peeling off a hat-trick of wins to put itself in an almost unassailable position on the overall pointscore.

After a DNF (Did Not Finish) in heat one, Fluid hit back with consecutive second placings before Price’s break-through triumph.

Lancelin Ropes (Sarah Lee) led for half the race and SnS was a constant threat before Fluid pulled away on the last run.

“The winning margin didn’t really reflect how close the race was,” Price said.

“It was tight, close and tricky all the way and we just managed to pip them on the last run.”

SnS finished second to make another strong down payment on the club championship title, with Lancelin Ropes just two seconds behind in third and Sutech fourth in the 12-21 knot southerly.

Southerly (Matt Triglone) was the winner on handicap from Lancelin, Fluid and C-Side Surveyors (Jessica Iles)  

The crew aboard Manly 16ft skiff Cunninghams didn’t pick up any silverware away from the recent national championships, but they took home something almost as valuable - experience and intel for the future.

Young skipper Nick Connor (22) and crewmates Shaun Connor (20) and Jack Twomey (19) watched and learned and absorbed as much as they could from the leading skiffs so they will be better prepared for another tilt in 12 months’ time.

Cunninghams still managed a creditable top 10 finish but will be a much greater threat with another year of 16ft sailing under their belts.

“We had a good time up there (in Brisbane) but didn’t really get the results we were looking for,” Connor said of the nationals campaign.

“I guess it’s all part of the learning process for us. The fleet was on fire every day and it showed us where we need to be at.

“The top guys get the small things right and nail it on the head race after race.

“It was very competitive but inspirational to us young guys coming through.

“It’s a really good education.”

Cunninghams claimed a third and a fourth during the seven-race regatta to place ninth overall and continued that sound form into the 11thrace of Manly’s pointscore series last Saturday.

Taking full advantage of a generous handicap, Connor steered the boat to a 59-second win over Botany Access (Chris Thomas) and Lancelin Ropes (Sarah Lee).

Sutech Building Consultants (Daniel Turner) grabbed scratch honours, only just beating home Cunninghams with Manly Surf n Slide (Jim Colley) third.

“There were a few of the top guys missing but any win at Manly is a good win,” Connor said.

“We ran our own race and just tried to relax and have some fun.”

Looking to the future, Connor added: “We all did Flying 11s and Manly Juniors a few years ago so it’s good to be back together at Manly.

“We’re only into our second season of the 16s but hopefully improving all the time.

“It’s gone to plan so far and we’ve done alright, but we know where we sit and what we have to do to get where we want.”

The fourth heat of the Manly club championship will be sailed on Saturday.

Manly Surf n Slide skipper Dave O’Connor will now target the ‘triple crown’ of 16ft sailing after ticking off another goal with victory at the Australian championships.

O’Connor and crewmates Rob Napper and Trent Barnabas racked up three firsts, a second, two fourths and a seventh to hold off clubmate Koreman Marine (Felix Grech) over the seven-race series, held in light conditions on Moreton Bay.   

It was a highly successful regatta for northern beaches boats, with seven of the top 10 positions filled by Manly 16ft Skiff Club entrants.

Koreman, Growthbuilt (Ryan Wilmot), Lancelin Ropes (Sarah Lee), Fluid Building (Clint Bowen), Cunninghams (Nick Connor) and River Wild (Warwick Rooklyn) were all inside the top 10, but it was O‘Connor left holding the silverware.

The first-year 16ft skipper will now look to add the Manly club championship to his list of achievements after clinching the state and Australian titles.

“It was such a competitive fleet and nothing was handed to us,” O’Connor said of the nationals.

“The pressure was on it that last race as Koreman still had a chance to beat us.

“We approached it like a match race and made sure we stayed in that top group of four or five.”

Grech needed to win the last race and hope SnS finished well down the list to grab the trophy on the final day.

Koreman threw everything into it but SnS was always one step ahead, finishing fourth with Grech a place behind.

“It was a fantastic feeling once we knew it was over and we’d won,” O’Connor said.

“Trent and Rob did an amazing job all week. They were absolutely faultless and made my job easy.”

Asked about the possibility of taking out all three titles this year, O’Connor said: “We will now put everything into winning the club championship.

“To win all three titles in the one season would be an incredible achievement.

“It’s hard to do but we’ve put ourselves in a great position to pull it off.”

·      Lancelin Ropes capped a tremendous Australian Championships campaign by taking out handicap honours.

Skipper Sarah Lee guided the boat to five to 10 finishes to comfortably head the handicap pointscore.

Bang (Jim Colley) was the next best-placed Manly boat on handicap, finishing fourth.

In the 13ft division, Manly finished one-two, with Bartley Constructions (Daniel Bromelow) seeing off Bruce (Will Divola).

Veteran sailor Craig Nicholls has contested more than 30 Australian 16ft Championships but reckons he’s rarely seen a hotter favourite than stablemate Manly Surf n Slide.

In fact, he goes as far as to predict SnS could win each of the seven heats.

The Dave O’Connor-skippered skiff has dominated at club and state level all season and heads to Brisbane after Christmas as the boat to beat.

“The way they are sailing – it’s theirs to lose,” Nicholls declared.

“I’ve been around for a while and seen a lot of good boats and crew, but they are going that well they could win every race.

“They just keep winning. They are like a machine.

“I saw them out there practising on Saturday and their crew-work with Trent (Barnabas) and Rob (Napper) was so slick. They didn’t miss a beat.”

The only disclaimer Nicholls will place on his bold prediction is if conditions on Moreton Bay don’t go to script.    

“Nine times out of 10 the prevailing breeze is 18-23 knots from the sou’ east,” he explained.

“But occasionally you get a swerve ball thrown your way and it can come from anywhere and become very flukey.

“If that happens then it’s a case of picking a number from the hat and all bets are off.

“But the bottom line is they’ve all got to get on top of Surf n Slide.”

A cautious O’Connor responded: “Everything has been going really smoothly and we’re confident of doing well, but you can never be 100 per cent sure in sailing.

“There will be a lot of good boats up there and we will have to sail to our best in every race.”   

Sutech (Daniel Turner) , Fluid Building (Clint Bowen), Koreman (Felix Grech), Growthbuilt (Ryan Wilmot), Cunninghams (Nick Connor), Bang (Jim Colley), C-Side Surveyors (Jessica Iles), Vaikobi (Max Vos), Lancelin Ropes (Sarah Lee), River Wild (Warwick Rooklyn), Sydney Shade Sails (Felix Daverio), Big Foot Bags (James Downey), Bruce (Will Divola), Bartley Construction (Daniel Bromelow), Ebix ( Nathan Lilley) and TBC (Alex Leslie) make up the rest of the Manly contingent.     

The nationals will run from December 29-January 5.

·      Eight Manly sailors were among the crew of 10 to win the prestigious Phuket Kings Cup regatta in Thailand earlier this month.

Peter Bremner,  Andrew Buckland, James Bury, Jay Harris, Justin Brownbill, Paul Gosling and Andrew Phillips joined forces with owner/skipper Craig Nicholls to pilot Aqaurii to wins in four of the eight races held on the Andaman Sea.

Aquarii finish equal with Hong Kong entrant Mandrake III on the IRC 1 pointscore tally. 

After a series of protests, the title was decided on countback and Aquarii declared overall winner by virtue of its greater number of wins.  

Sutech 16ft skipper Daniel Turner has a simple solution to stop clubmate Dave O’Connor’s blistering start to the season aboard Manly Surf n Slide.

“Yeah, I know how to stop them. Get my brother back as skipper and the wins will soon dry up,” he joked.

“I preferred when he was steering because I could beat him.” 

All jokes aside, Turner’s brother Joe was no mug.

He finished off with a win at the Australian 16ft Skiff Championships before handing the baton to O’Connor  

And the first-year skipper has hardly missed a beat.

He combined with Trent Barnabas and Rob Napper to secure the state title in early December and made it a hat-trick of wins at club championship level with a comfortable victory in heat three last Saturday.

With the Australian 16ft titles on in Brisbane next month, there is every chance SnS may capture the triple crown of club, state and national trophies.

“You see boats have good seasons and you see boats have bad seasons and they’re having a really good one at the moment,” Daniel Turner said 

“They are as in-form as you’re ever going to get and we’re still searching for our best.

“We have a few mishaps in the States but we learned a lot from that and hopefully it jolts us into gear for the nationals.”

Sutech’s best is not far off judging by their performance in last Saturday’s club championship heat.

They – along with another Manly heavyweight in Fluid Building (Clint Bowen) - pushed SnS in a race that started in glorious sunshine and finished in a torrential downpour.

The three boats jostled for the lead throughout the race, Sutech’s cause not helped by the extra ‘passenger’ it carried. 

“We were chewing into them for the first leg but we got something caught on the lower half of our rudder,” Turner explained.

“We didn’t realise until we got back to the beach and pulled the rudder off and found a big chunk of greenery attached.

“Our race just spiralled.”

SnS took full advantage to slip past for its third club championship win in a row, with Fluid second in front of Sutech and Koreman Marine (Felix Grech).

Namotu Resort (Matt Taylor) took out handicap honours from Fluid, SnS and Sydney Shade Sails (Felix Daverio).

SnS holds a commanding lead at the top of the club championship pointscore, with Sutech second and Growthbuilt (Ryan Wilmot) and Altis Consulting (Phil Cooke) tied for third.   

Manly 16ft skipper Dave O’Connor can’t stop winning – but it’s a victory streak that’s causing a few sleepless nights.

The Manly Surf n Slide skipper has won five of the eight races he’s entered this season, with the boat’s overall record standing at seven wins from 10.

The state title is also in keeping after a hat-trick of wins across three heats, but still O’Connor is not 100 per cent satisfied.

“You’re always happy when you’re winning but I know what sailing is like – it can turn on a dime,” he explained.

“You can be up there one minute and down here the next. 

“Everything is going so well at the moment but you want it going well when it really counts, in the big one.”

O’Connor is referring to the jewel in the crown – the Australian 16ft Championships – which get underway in Queensland next month.     

Surf n Slide will start as one of the favourites after its amazing start to the season.

O’Connor said: “I don’t think we’ve peaked too soon – we’re in a really good position – but you want to make sure you keep improving.

“You don’t want to take anything for granted, not against this fleet.

“One slip up can prove very costly.”

Just a week after wrapping up the state title in Gosford, SnS was back home at Manly last Saturday for heat two of the club championship.     

Opting for the little rig in the fresh nor’ easter, O’Connor and crew Rob Napper and Trent Barnabas didn’t get off to the best of starts.

The old master, Fluid Building’s Clint Bowen, enjoyed the early jump to lead the fleet before capsizing at the bottom mark.

You don’t have to invite SnS twice and it seized its opportunity, taking the lead and holding the advantage all the way to the finish.

O’Connor finished just over three minutes ahead of Bowen, with Sutech (Daniel Turner) third and Shebang (Daryl Milham) fourth.

Bart (Chad Beeby) was first on handicap from Shebang, Bang (Julian Lydement) and Botany Access (Chris Thomas).

Heat three of the club championship will be raced this Saturday.