A Strong Rebound in Innovation: The New Zealand 18 Footer Skiff Community Reactivates After a Pandemic Pause

Just after the conclusion of the 2020 JJ Giltinan World Championship on Sydney Harbour, where David McDiarmid’s Honda Marine 18 footer team scored a memorable three-in-a-row win, the sailing world came to a standstill due to the Covid pandemic. With enthusiasm and dedication worthy of a sailor, New Zealand’s 18ft skiff racing community, led by Graham Catley, Suellen Hurling and seasoned campaigner Alex Vallings, has managed to navigate through this tempest and is on its way to another top-class campaign by 2026.

The Australian crew, led by skipper Bert Swinbourne in Taree, came out on top but controversy entangled the title when a following regatta in Auckland saw Swinbourne disqualified and the title awarded to New Zealand’s Gordon Chamberlin and Manu. This dispute, finally settled in 1946, notwithstanding, a victorious tradition, and an innovative spirit were born within the New Zealand 18ft Skiff Racing community.

In 1950, Jack Logan made another notable mark in this ongoing legacy. Faced with a perceived disadvantage against Australian counterparts, he decided to innovate rather than retreat. Rummaging through his late father’s designs, Logan found an old skiff design that he modified, cut, and reshaped into a revolutionary vessel, calling it ‘Komutu’ or ‘surprise’ in Maori. Logan’s ‘surprise’ out-sailed and shocked the Australian teams at the Auckland championship with its blistering pace, defeating them by considerable margins. This win further affirmed Kiwi’s innovative spirit while instigating a tradition of on-water creativity that persists to this day.

Undeterred by interruptions to their sailing calendar, New Zealand’s 18 footer skiff community draws from a deep wellspring of determination, ingenuity and a celebration of tradition and community. As they gear up for the forthcoming 2026 campaign, there is little doubt that the world will be thrilled once again by the Kiwi spirit of innovative competition with relentless pursuit of victory.