Skiffs in San Fran

Top line up expected in big breeze Frisco

Three World Champions in the 18ft skiff class, and two 505 World Champions, one of whom is just back from winning the International 14 World Championship in Japan have gathered to race off the City Front of San Francisco to compete for the 2003 18 Skiff International Championship.

This second annual event has become a favourite among the competitors in the 18ft skiff class due to the ideal (a.k.a. extreme) wind conditions of San Francisco Bay.

Don’t miss out on the crash n’ burn reaches of this Nascar-like event. These skiffs average 30 knots off the wind - making them the fastest and most challenging monohulls in the world. 18s have 35ft tall masts and have a whopping 750 square foot of spinnaker sail area!

This event is the final stop of the world tour that started in Sydney in January.

Ranked Number 1 in the World right now, American favourite Howard Hamlin, with crews Mike Martin and Andy Zinn, have won the last two world championships (2002 & 2003) and are back to defend their title at this championship against current reigning European Champions Robert Greenhalgh and Dan Johnson's RMW Marine. It won’t be an easy task though, with countless other competitors such as Trevor Barnabus and son Trevor Barnabus, a four-time 18 Foot Skiff World Champion in the hunt.

Ryan Cox, who is new to the class but by no means new to the sport (US Collegiate Sailor of the Year in 1995) has joined with Carl Smit and Will Graves in an attempt to unseat their seasoned 18-Foot Skiff fellow competitors. Will they survive the transition from dinghies to skiffs?