International 18ft Skiff

23/09/2026

Not long now till we do it all again!!

22/09/2026

JJ’s Documentary coming soon…

18/09/2026

Meet George!

10/09/2026

1970s, a golden decade for Kiwi 18 footers

The 1970s was a wonderful decade of evolution in the 18 footers, with strong international fleets, an incredible level of talented competitors and designers, as well as some brilliant competition in World championship regattas, and much was related to a series of Kiwi influences.

The greatest Kiwi achievement of all was the incredible performance of the Travelodge New Zealand team which recorded an amazing 1974 regatta victory over a highly-talented Australian 4-boat team on Waitemata Harbour, Auckland.

It began in 1970-71 when two New Zealand designers, John Chappel and Bruce Farr, produced 3-handed skiffs for David Porter (Aussie) and Wayne Fleet (Miss UEB) respectively, which dominated racing on Sydney Harbour and Waitemata Harbour, Auckland.

Although the 4-handed Travelodge NSW won the 1971 worlds in Auckland and the 1973 regatta on Sydney Harbour, for Bob Holmes, each victory was achieved through consistency more than outright brilliance and came partly as a result of a rule which was changed at the end of the 1971 regatta.

Until that time, a competitor which capsized was not permitted to continue to race. A very costly problem for the flying 3-handed Aussie which won two of the five races in 1971 but capsized in two others.

Despite the result for Aussie, the writing was on the wall for the long-term future of 4-handers and the change became a reality the following season when the Bruce Farr-designed Smirnoff dominated the 1972 World Championship regatta on Brisbane’s Waterloo Bay.

Smirnoff scored easy wins in each of the first four races when Don Lidgard and his crew successfully used the tactic of tacking downwind to make the skiff almost unbeatable off a wind. Their only defeat came in the final race when they were recalled at the start. After managing to get back into the lead the team capsized again before finally finishing an incredible second – only 16s behind the winner.

Words by Frank Quealey

Continue reading on www.18footers.com

08/09/2026

TOM’S NEW 18ft SKIFF TEAM FOR 2026-27
Lazarus Capital Partners Racing’s 7th Season

When the Australian 18 Footers League’s 2026-27 Sydney Harbour season gets under way in October one of the new teams with great prospects for the major titles will be the Tom Cunich-led Lazarus Capital Partners, which finished 4th at the 2026 JJ Giltinan World Championship last March.

Tom will be having his fourth season at the helm of the Lazarus Capital Partners Racing Team, but this coming season he will have two new teammates in Logan Radford (sheet) and Jack Taylor (bow).

Tom explains the changes, “Last year, Lazarus had a great season. We had two really good sailors on board, Tim Westwood and Marc Chapon. Unfortunately, Tim has to get surgery on his knee, and Mark has decided to sail on an opposing boat, the Rag.”

“Thankfully, we’ve been able to fill the large void left by Mark and Tim with two additionally very good sailors in Jack and Logan.”

Logan Radford, for a young sailor, is already very accomplished. His first signs of success started in the 29er when he teamed up with Joel Beashel and finished in 5th place at the 2023 world 29er championship in the UK.

After graduating from the 29er, he sailed on the SuperMaxi Scallywag with 18ft skiff legend David Witt, then had his first full 18 footer season last year on the Fisher and Paykel skiff, which performed very well throughout the season. Tom and Logan recently sailed together at Lake Garda, and Tom was very impressed with his skills, which led him to now sailing on the Lazarus Capital Partners.

Logan has recently started an internship with Van Munster Boatbuilders, which will see him immerse himself even further into the 18ft skiff fleet and boats; now he is building them.

Jack Taylor was basically born on a sailing boat as he spent time sailing on a catamaran with his parents during the first year of his life. Having been introduced to sailing at a young age, Jack has gone on to achieve success and was a critical part of Nathan McNamara’s impressive Smeg team during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.

Continue reading on our website
www.18footers.com

Words Frank Quealey
Photos Sprott Media

03/09/2026

Flashback to when Black Knight won the final race of the 2026 JJ’s!!

The new season is just around the corner 👀

Commentary by Sail Media

03/08/2026

🚨 WE'RE HIRING: SAILING MANAGER 🚨
Ready to be the ultimate on-water boss? ⛵🏁

The 18 Footers League is looking for an operational superstar to help us deliver one of the best sailing shows in the world right here on Sydney Harbour!
You’ll be running our iconic Sunday race days, managing the skiff fleet, leading our Training Academy, and ensuring a world-class experience for our corporate VIPs.

The Commitment:⏱️ 2 days a week during peak season based on our Sailing Calendar

Know someone who would be perfect for this? Tag them below! 👇

Hit the link in our bio to view the full details on Seek, or send your resume directly to [email protected].

👉 Apply here:

Take the helm of skiff racing on Sydney Harbour. Lead race day logistics, fleet management, and VIP experiences in this dynamic seasonal role.

04/07/2026

Sixt Sending during the 2026 18ft Skiff European Championships!

Results can be found on the regatta website:

https://www.circolovelaarco.com/cva/regate/circolo-vela-arco/international-18-footer-league-european-championship-2026

Video: Circolo Vela Arco

19/03/2026

YANDOO FLYING TO VICTORY

18/03/2026

Your 2026 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship Top 10 Placings