With the first Club Championships race coming up at the SFS this weekend, Skiff Ed ran his eye over a few of the favourites to gauge some of the form early doors.

Perennial favourite Sydney Sailmakers looks strong again this year and Nick Press and Andrew “Noddy” Hay looked unbeatable …. until they were beaten last weekend in the Upper Harbour Championships at Lane Cove. As expected, the boat looks well prepared and the sails are setting the benchmark for sexiness, so it looks a good bet.

Brett Hobson on Geotherm has been talking up his more relaxed program this year but he should continue to push Sydney Sailmakers all the way. Son of a gun Jeremy Jones has jumped on the bow and you would expect that that alone is enough to keep Geotherm ahead of LCC.

Big things are expected of Terms & Conditions, which threw in some outstanding results last year and looks quick. Skipper Brad Phillips has been handicapped blessed by the birth of a new born, so he should have plenty of time to work on the boat and keep it quick.

We don’t have a Veterans Trophy for SFS Club Championships but if we did, Jono Temple and Richard Jones on LCC Asia Pacific would probably win it. Actually, if we had a veterans trophy it would probably mean Murray Press would turn up to every Club Champs race to try and win it from them. LCC Asia Pacific are always quick and will certainly be in the mix.

Adam Forbes is a roughy but I say that more because of how he speaks than anything else. Maersk is the newest boat in the fleet and we certainly expect it to be quick. Exciting to see another young bloke in Charlie Gundy jump on the bow. Good luck Charlie!

There should also be plenty of competition in the rest of the fleet. Pete Nicholson’s boat is now bright red and he has Billy Lusty up front so big performances are just around the corner. Jakub Ronowicz and Craig Nicholson on Stay Connected Electrical are looking to really shake things up by turning up regularly and early signs have been promising. Marty and Ian on Citadel Magnus have had a bit more time on the new ship (old one currently for sale.. $4k ono hint hint ) and Ben Faulkner has got himself a fatter boat and a Maclean Paton. They ticked their first box on the weekend, the new skiff.org.au now floats.

The Club Championships is a 5 race series, on the traditional long Sydney Harbour courses. Check out the dates here.