The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) is to host three NSW Championships in as many classes over the next three months, kicking off with the 2026 Finn NSW Championship, held last weekend on Pittwater, with some travelling from interstate to compete ahead of February’s Australian Championship.
Triple Olympian in the class, Anthony ‘Nocka’ Nossiter, is a six-time winner of the Championship and reigning NSW title holder. He is the class benchmark.
“Sailing on Pittwater is quite different to Sydney Harbour where I usually sail,” Nossiter said.
“Pittwater is like sailing in Europe, a bit whacky and tricky, so I like to sail there because you normally get a good range of conditions. It can get very light,” said Nossiter who recently returned from sailing in Norway.
“It’s good cross-training too and you can only blame yourself when things go wrong,” explained Nossiter who is also an avid offshore sailor. “It’s also good to see your friends from the Finn community. I’m expecting it to be social after racing.”
A four-time winner of the Championship and as recently as the 2024-2025 Championship, Ian McKillop, a class stalwart, was also ready to give it a good nudge. While his main competition would come from Nossiter, McKillop says, “ My clubmates (RPAYC) Matt Visser, Chris Links and James Mayjor will be up there too.”
And while the Championship was being sailed on his local waters, McKillop says, “Yes, there is the home advantage thing, but it’s tricky sailing at Pittwater. It sometimes helps – and sometimes it doesn’t!”
What he was most looking forward to, McKillop says is, “Catching up with old friends and having a hit out on Pittwater.”
Visser comes from good sailing stock, his late father, Martin Visser, was a two-time Olympian and America’s Cup sailor. Visser is well-versed in one-design racing, with the Finn and in the Etchells class.
Links’ background as a shipwright and rigger gives him an all-round understanding of the sport. Among his highlights is a trio of Melges 24 national titles and Sydney Hobart campaigns, including sailing it with McKillop. Links also campaigned for the 1996 Olympics alongside James Mayjor in the Soling with Cameron Miles and just missed selection.
“The Finn is a nice class and you’re sailing with a lot of likeminded guys at a higher level - technical, physical all those sorts of good things. I also enjoy the simplicity of it. You can go and put your main up and sail with friends. It’s so refreshing,” Links said.
Mayjor has also pulled other top results too, including winning the 2004 Etchells Worlds and placing second in 1999, as well as pulling second in the 5.5 metre class Scandinavian Gold Cup in 2022. It shows the calibre of talent the Finn class draws.
The Finn has also drawn new and younger guys into the fold. “There’s also a lot of guys coming back to high-level sailing and loving it,” Links said.
Sam Ede from Victoria is among the younger breed, sailing in the Under 30’s at the Championship. Along with his fellow Daveys Bay Yacht Club member, Lewis Davies, the pair has come a long way since they started.
“Lewis and Sam both went to Europe to do the Finn Silver Cup in Cascais last year,” Links said. “The Australian Finn Association sends the top Youth guys each year and pays for them. They come and do our Nationals and the top placed from the Youth Cup gets to go.”
Links is impressed by both sailors. “Lewis has come a long way. He’s become super fit and has good technique. It’s good to see.”
“When I first got my Finn, I was around 130 kilos - then I went on a fitness adventure and lost 40 kilos. It’s been a few transformative years. The Finn’s been a big part of it,” says Davies, admitting: “I train six or seven days a week in gym group training. It’s a hobby.”
Links said, “We’re keen to help young guys into the Finn. Interested parties can contact the Class reps (found on the Australian or state Finn Associations websites) or reach out to local clubs that sails Finns. Finn sailors are happy to help others out. We have no secrets.”
Ede’s father, Tim, was also contesting the Championship. He explained, “Sam got into the class through a girl at school, who said, ‘Come to the Club and try it, you’ll love it’'. He did and Rob McMillan (an enduring Finn sailor) found an old Finn for him to get started.
“Rob is the driving force behind Sam - and me - he’s been an amazing help to Sam. Sam went to compete in Cascais with Rob last year. He keeps Sam going.”
Tim got started in the class around 15 years ago. “I was at a club chatting to Rob and he asked why I wasn’t sailing a Finn - and that was it. I have a ball sailing in it.”
On Friday afternoon up to two Practice Races were held in in advance of the main event. On Saturday and Sunday up to three races each day would start from midday, with racing conducted on windward/leeward courses on Pittwater to decide the new NSW champion.
Many of these sailors are gearing up for the 2027 Finn Australian Championship to be held in February at Twofold Bay Yacht Club in Eden on the NSW South Coast.
Though no longer an Olympic class, the Finn remains extremely popular in Australia and globally. It has spawned many champions that also excel in other sailing genres such as the America’s Cup, SailGP, major offshore racing events and other small boat classes.
The Finn NSW Championship is organised by RPAYC in conjunction with the NSW Finn Class Association. Nineteen boats representing NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
Lewis Davies takes early lead in Finn NSW Championship
The sailor Chris Links pointed to as ‘one to watch’ took an early lead of the Finn NSW Championship, which started on Pittwater on Saturday, October 24, in ideal 10-14 knot north-easterly winds.
Three races were put to bed and Lewis Davies, from Victoria, scored a pair of second places and a third to amass a three point lead over local sailor, Links. A further four points away is Sam Ede, Davies’ club mate at Daveys Bay Yacht Club. Ede is the only one sailing in the Under 30s category at this event.
Lewis, who only started sailing a Finn in 2022 said, “I had a consistent day. I wasn’t far behind Nocka (defending champion and race winner, Anthony Nossiter) in the first race. And in the second, I wasn’t far behind Ian (McKillop).”
The first two races were quite consistent, with the wind fairly stable and the left side of the course favoured. However, “Race 3 was quite light and very shifty. I was going mad trying to find the wind downwind,” Davies said.
Thirty-five year old Davies is one of the youngest sailors in the fleet. He hasn’t looked at the pointscore. “I don’t want to know the points difference, but it’s good to have the lead,” he said.
“I’m feeling good in the boat. I didn’t make any real mistakes today. The focus of this regatta for me is consistency and less risk taking. I had good downwind speed and I used it to my advantage.”
As to the competition, the Victorian stated: “Everybody is competition. Everyone is dangerous. Everyone is there. In the last race, I thought I could easily have had a crack, but then I could have finished anywhere from first to 10th - so I didn’t do it.”
Lewis Davies has the early Championship lead. Photo credit: RPAYC media
Some didn’t sail the correct courses today, so dropped down the leaderboard or did not finish, when a couple were ripe for a top three finish. Unlikely that mistake will be repeated. That being said, it will tighten the competition tomorrow.
Race 1 was a longer three lapper which suited triple Olympian and defending NSW champion, Nossiter to a tee. Davies and Ede picked up second and third places in that race. There were just 15 seconds separating the top two, with a further 35 seconds to Ede.
Davies also scored second in Race 2, which was won by McKillop (NSW), by just seven seconds. Marcus Whitley (NSW) was third, finishing only 10 seconds behind Davies in this hotly contested Championship. Links was fourth.
In Race 3, Matt Visser (NSW), had the goods, scoring a 22 second win over Links, with Davies third, little more than a minute adrift of Links.
Nossiter could not maintain the momentum of Race 1 and fell away to fifth on the two-lap course in Race 2 and dropped to ninth in Race 3: “I was learning how to sail again,” he said. ”I haven’t done much Finn sailing since the Finn Masters Worlds (in February), but it’s good to be out there again.”
Nossiter said there were “plenty of opportunities, as it was quite shifty in Race 3 on a nice day of sailing, but I would like a bit more breeze tomorrow please.” Others also would like a heavier day to mix things up a bit.
Anthony 'Nocka' Nossiter had a mixed day. Photo credit: RPAYC media
Hosted by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) on Pittwater, Day 1 of the Finn NSW Championship, kicked off in fine style with three windward/leeward races put to bed in ideal conditions on a beautiful spring day. In all, the day gave competitors a good workout ahead of tomorrow’s final three races to decide the Championship.
Top ten overall after three races:
1. Stay Slipper (AUS55) Lewis Davies (Vic) 7 points
2. Maggie (AUS72) Chris Links (NSW) 10
3. Lads on Tour (AUS111) Sam Ede (Vic) 14
4. Layla (AUS110) Marcus Whitley (NSW) 14
5. Norge (AUS221) Anthony Nossiter (NSW) 15
6. Ken (AUS26) Ian McKillop (NSW) 18
7. Go (AUS321) Richie Robertson (Vic) 21
8. Does My Bung Look Big In
This? (AUS231) James Mayjor (NSW) 22
9. Somehow Someday (AUS240) Dougal Watt (Vic) 28
10. MB7 (AUS121) Tim Ede (Vic) 31
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Ian McKillop (AUS26) in front of the pack. Photo credit: RPAYC media
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Nossiter recaptures NSW Finn crown
Anthony Nossiter has regained the Finn NSW Championship crown he has previously won six times, including last year, this time sailing on tricky Pittwater, but it was by just one point to club mate Ian McKillop.
Nossiter (NSW) started the day on the backfoot. He was fifth overall coming into Day 2, so had a lot of ground to make up. And he did, winning Races 4 and 5 and finishing fifth in the final Race 6. Being a one-drop series once six races were completed, the triple Olympian was able to let go of a ninth place from yesterday.
Representing Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC), host of the Championship, Nossiter, had close calls today, so tight were the finishes.
“I had an early night last night so I could back and smash the younger blokes,” said Nossiter, laughing.
On his performance, Nossiter shared, “Sailing the boat through the water should be automatic for me, but I was a bit rusty… I was fortunate to win.”
Conditions on Pittwater were light and shifty, mainly out of the north-west, so it was hard going for all.
“And there was no wind at top in Race 3, so we all got stuck together. It was good they restarted it. The Race Committee did a good job.”
Nossiter is disappointed he can’t make the Finn Australians, as he had already committed to driving the rescue/chase boat at SailGP in Perth. Before that, he will use his strength and sailing knowledge on the super maxi LOYAL, in the upcoming Rolex Sydney Hobart.
McKillop came into the day three points and one place behind Nossiter. However, 4-2 placings and winning the final race, then dropping 11th from the opening race yesterday, meant McKillop, leap-frogged up into second place.
“The first two races were tricky today. It’s always tough sailing at Pittwater in a nor’ wester,” McKillop said. “And the top five, you can throw a blanket over who will win,” said McKillop, a four-time winner of the NSW title.
The RPAYC sailor said he was “super happy” moving up the leaderboard today, Sunday October 25, “though I was disappointed with yesterday’s race. I went around a wrong mark – that cost me. It was my own fault and I can’t change it, but I kept chipping away today.”
Like Nossiter, McKillop’s next sailing gig is the Sydney to Hobart. He will race on the nippy 40 footer, Back 2 Black.
From left - Marcus Whitley, Anthony Nossiter, Matt Visser. Photo credit: RPAYC media
Yesterday’s leader, Lewis Davies, had to be content with third overall. The Victorian sailor’s 6-4-6 results of the day were in stark contrast to trio of top three results on Day 1. He might not see it this way, but he’s new to the class compared to others – and less experienced. Others in the class think he’s on the way to the top.
Looking at the younger men in the class, McKillop is impressed with 35-year-old Davies: “Lewy has only been in the boat four years and he’s been getting better and better. He’s taken it up another level again since February and he’s spending a lot of time in the boat, which is good to see.”
Sam Ede (Vic) finished seventh overall, with a best place of third in the opening race and wins the Under 30 title, as he makes impressive strides in the class. Ede also had pleasure of beating his father, Tim, who claimed 11th place overall.
Race 4 was a battle royale between Nossiter and Marcus Whitley (NSW), the latter missing the gun by 17 seconds. Richie Robertson (Vic) was a further 14 seconds behind.
Race 5 and Nossiter had a tight battle to the end with Ian McKillop, who lost out by a mere one second, with Matt Visser (NSW) one second behind McKillop. It doesn’t get closer.
Race 6 went McKillop’s way. He beat Matt Visser (NSW) over the line by 36 seconds. Whitley followed six seconds behind. Whitley is another up-and-coming Finn sailor and finished fourth overall.
Ian McKillop out in front at a mark. Photo credit: RPAYC media
Three further windward/leeward races, adding to the three sailed yesterday finalised the Championship Today’s racing was held in shifty and fluky north-westerly winds of 8-16 knots. You had to be on the ball and pick the shifts right to succeed today.
The third race was underway but had to be abandoned on the first leg at the top mark due to a complete change of wind. Race Officer, Elaine Fowler, was forced to set a new course to suit the north/north-easterly that came through Pittwater at a steady 16 knots.
The Finn NSW Championship was organised by RPAYC in conjunction with the NSW Finn Class Association. Nineteen boats represented NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Many are preparing for the upcoming Finn Australian Championship to be held off Eden in February.
For full results and all information, please visit: rpayc.com.au/int-finn-class-nsw-championship/
Final results after six races:
Top ten overall after three races:
1. Norge (AUS221) Anthony Nossiter (NSW) 13 points
2. Ken (AUS26) Ian McKillop (NSW) 14
3. Stay Slippery (AUS55) Lewis Davies (Vic) 17
4. Layla (AUS110) Marcus Whitley (NSW) 19
5. Maggie (AUS72) Chris Links (NSW) 19
6. Annika 100 (AUS5) Matt Visser 20
7. Lads on Tour (AUS111) Sam Ede (Vic) 29
8. Go (AUS321) Richie Robertson (Vic) 31
9. Does My Bung Look Big In
This? (AUS231) James Mayjor (NSW) 37
10. Somehow Someday (AUS240) Dougal Watt (Vic) 53
