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