The 12ft Skiff Interdominion Championship took place at the recently built Royal Akarana Yacht Club in Auckland NZ. Australia was well represented with 11 boats making the journey, 6 of which represented Lane Cove (Sail Inc - Nick Press(s) Andrew (Noddy) Hay(c); CHPS - Andrea Davey(s) Brett Phillips(c); Your Move Conveyancing - Dave Winning(s) Robbie Polec(c); Red Energy - Murray Press(s) Mark Muirhead(c); Hey Charger - Nick Bernard(s) James Glassock(c); Minerva - James Birdsall(s) Pete Bevis(c))

Due to a delay in one of the shipping containers from Aus, the start of the Championship was postponed till 6 Jan meaning the crews had a few days to get to know the sights (and pubs) of Auckland and put in a few hours on the water with the boats that had arrived for practice sails.

Once the regatta got underway, the fleet were met with very gusty conditions on the first day. 4^th rigs were put in with 30 knot gusts recorded and plenty of thrills and spills to be had. Sail Inc came out of the blocks showing their strong weather strength following by Josh and Brendan in Sydney Sailmakers (SFS). A great start for the Aussies!

The Kiwis were quick to find their feet though and by the second day (another strong wind day) it became evident that they were not going to let the championship slip away. Monkey Wrench, C-Teach and Dream Catcher all from NZ turned the regatta into a 4 horse race.

No 2 days were the same on water with days 3 and 4 seeing the big rigs put in before the final day of another tough small rig day.

In all 10 races were sailed over 5 days. A massive effort for all teams and the racing committee and the team of volunteers that made it all happen. A lot of war stories, beers and burgers were had at the club most nights!

The skilled fleet meant it came down to the last day, with the final results seeing Monkey Wrench (Eli Liefting and Blake McGlashan) take out the overall championship with Sail Inc finishing on the podium in 3^rd place. A great result.  Although not representing Lane Cove, a special mention to Peter Hill and Glenn Farquhar on Arrogant Frog who finished the regatta in a very strong 10^th place.

Eli’s father and Blake’s uncle had raced together for years, and Blake’s grandfather, Don McGlashan, had won the Interdominion Championship 57 years earlier. Don was there onshore to congratulate the pair, along with many of the “old boys” of the fleet, a touching reminder of how deeply the 12ft Skiff community is rooted in history and tradition. With an interdominion legacy spanning 62 years, the class has fostered a unique bond between countries and generations, and this victory was a perfect reflection of that enduring spirit.

The overall handicap honours were won by Your Move Conveyancing. Again a great effort considering the crew had sailed only 3 times together before the start of the regatta!

With plenty of action on and off the water, there was a lot to talk about when it came time for the traditional Spinners award (most absurd thing someone does offwater). It came down to the wire with a notable mention to Pete Bevis who, in the heat of boatwork mode, accidentally pulled sail track off 2 masts, 1 of which was not his! In the end James Glassock (Piglet) took out the award. James flew straight in from the Cherub nationals with gear bags in hand, had a night out on the town and left his bags in an Uber. He also made the mistake of getting filmed dancing on the club tables and was the most ‘social’ sailor in the park. Well done James!

With a new generation coming through the class and showing the old guard what they’ve got, it has set up the teams for what will no doubt be a phenomenal 2026 regatta to be held on Sydney Harbour.

Full results for the regatta can be found here.