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One of the top contenders for the Australian 18 Footer League’s 18ft Skiff 2012-2013 Season on Sydney Harbour is the Nick Press-skippered SMEG.
The combined Smeg team, sponsor and crew members, boast a long and successful association with the class and are certainly strong competitors for top honours in the 2013 Giltinan and Australian Championships.
Smeg Australia, “technology with style”, began sponsorship of 18ft Skiff Racing in 1996-97 when the company sponsored five-times Giltinan champion Trevor Barnabas.
Allan King, National Commercial Manager of Smeg Australia Pty Ltd, says: “When we agreed to the original sponsorship, we thought that we would do it for one, maybe two seasons (our MD at the time was a car nut, knew nothing about sailing, so he took some convincing”.
“Here we are now some 17 years later”.
“It is a wonderful vehicle for us to entertain our clients, overseas guests and even our own staff. They enjoy the colourful spectacle from the rigging of the skiffs in the park beforehand to the exciting racing against a backdrop of beautiful Sydney Harbour. No wonder we keep coming back”.
League President John Winning said “We are extremely fortunate to have an association with such a quality company, which is internationally recognized for its great tradition in creating fine products”.
Three of Barnabas’ Giltinan wins came via the Smeg company sponsorship:
1997 Omega Smeg-2UE
1997 Smeg (northern hemisphere)
1998 Omega Smeg-2UE
When Barnabas retired from ‘full time’ 18ft Skiff Racing, Dan Phillips took over the Smeg sponsorship and secured Nick Press to skipper Smeg in the 2009-2010 season.
Nick is a member of the famous Press family which has been associated with skiff sailing in Australia for 100, or more, years.
He manages to sail both 18ft Skiffs and the demanding 12ft Skiffs each season and is the present Interdominion 12ft Skiff champion. In fact, Nick has won the last three Interdominions – 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Dan Phillips is also a member of a very talented skiff racing family.
His first race in an 18ft Skiff came in 1994 when he was a last minute replacement for his brother Gary as skipper of Parke Rota Shear, and immediately showed his talent when he won the race.
He later went on to represent Australia at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney when he teamed with Chris Nicholson in the 49er class.
Third crewmember of the 2012-2013 Smeg team is Dave Ewings, who joined Nick and Dan in 2010
Dave began crewing in the 18s as a teenager in the late 1980s.
He quickly showed his talent and ability to handle pressure situations and was soon in demand by all the top teams, a situation which has continues ever since.
The Smeg team are regularly near or in the lead in major championship races and this is unlinkely to change during the coming season – particularly when they line up against the world’s best 18ft Skiff teams for the Giltinan 2013 next February.
The skill of Nick, Dan and Dave ensures that Team Smeg is at its best when the Sydney Harbour Nor’Easter is blowing at 15-knots or more.
Frank Quealey
Australian 18 Footers League |
Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2012 (Archive on Friday, December 07, 2012)
Posted by norbert peter Contributed by
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