6:26 PM Wed 3 Mar 2010 GMT
Ten historic 18 foot skiffs will grace Sydney Harbour this weekend, for the first time running their national championship in conjunction with Middle Harbour Yacht Club's Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta.
All replicas of the originals built in the 1930s and 1940s, the timber seam batten constructed skiffs of today are still sailed by a bunch of 'rat bags' according to Sydney Flying Squadron Commodore and skipper of the historic skiff Top Weight, John Tierney.
In the 1930s on Sydney Harbour tens of thousands of spectators would crowd ferries to watch the races, hoping for a spill and keen to watch a close finish. Bookies became popular on the ferries and rivalry on the course became severe, as boats would sometimes collide and skippers would sometimes throw crew overboard to try and reduce weight when the breeze lightened.
This weekend spectators are unlikely to see crew being thrown over the side but the hunt for a top result in the class' national titles is still expected to produce some close racing - perhaps not at the top speeds the lightweight modern 18 foot skiffs reach, but still a decent 10-15 knot saunter nonetheless.
The historic skiffs are very physical to sail says Tierney. From the tip of the spinnaker pole to the ring tail (sail that goes up the mainsail and is set to leeward to extend its length) can be 60 feet wide running square with 3,000 square foot of sail. An average crew size of six has to hike off hiking straps and use their own steam to grind, given there are no winches. And there's no 3DL sails in sight either, it's traditional fabric sail cloth that powers these open boats with unrestricted sail areas.
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Historic 18 foot skiff Australia IV (John Winning) -
John Jeremy
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'They are like vintage cars, we have recreated originals with only a little bit of cheating by using modern glues,' says Tierney. 'There has been a resurgence of interest in the class, but we'd always like more.'
Currently there are 11 historic 18 foot skiffs sailing in Australia with 10 of those calling Sydney Harbour home.
Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta marks the second of a three-race Australian championship for the class with their start time on Saturday dictated by the second of only two original rules, which are still adhered to:
1. The boat will be 18' long; and
2. The race will start at 2.30pm
Amongst the 300 keel boats racing this weekend will also be nine classic yachts, which will race in division within the confines of the harbour this Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7.
John Sturrock will skipper the old family boat, Eudoria, which was built at The Spit in 1947, against his brother Doug Sturrock, who will be at the helm of the NZ Kauri built sloop called Windflyt, a modern classic built three decades ago.
'It's always a sensational weekend. It's great fun getting out and having a bash around the block,' said Doug Sturrock today.
by Lisa Ratcliff
Click on thumbnails to enlarge and find more photos:
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Sailing
