16ft Skiff

16ft skiffs are a uniquely Australian high performance three person dinghy and the class has a long history being sailed for over 100 years at Belmont. There is nowhere else in the world that you can mix in Olympic and International Class Sailors with weekly casual sailors for soem of the closest, most competitive racing on Belmont Bay. The boat-on-boat racing is amazing.

Today’s skiffs have a three person crew, two on trapeze, and large mast head assymetrical spinnakers. There are consistently over 30 boats registered at Belmont 16s. The club has excellent facilities and actively supports the sailing as a priority, offering financial assistance towards regattas, weekly prizemoney and social gatherings. 

16ft Skiffs are renowned in Australia for its fierce competition. What many don’t know is that it is accessible to all sailors. With a large community of current and previous skiff sailors, it can be sailed by anyone of all ages. With a large second hand market and a number of skiff clubs around Australia, it is easy to get a crew together and start your skiff journey.

16ft Skiffs sail every Sunday from 2.30pm from Mid September through to end of March. 

16ft SKIFF AFFORDABILITY

The 16ft Skiff Class is, surprisingly, one of the most affordable ways to sail. With the prize money and other support from the Club plus the boat sponsorship opportunities, the outlay from the boat owner can be minimal, if at all.

PRIZE MONEY

The 16ft Skiffs receive prize money for both Club and interclub racing. Just starting and finishing all point score races in the season will see the boat earn around $9,000. The average earner from the 2022-23 season collected $7,000 and the top boats collected around $11,000. 

SPONSORSHIP

Belmont 16 Foot Sailing Club offers, on application, sponsorship for the season. The Club will consider approval of a sponsorship to all Members subject to them committing to complete 75% of Club races (including Non-Point Score races) in a nominated Skiff. Sponsorship amounts may vary depending on past participation and number of sesaons sailed. Spronsorship amounts for previous seasons have seen boats receive between $2000-$3000. 

Private sponsors can also be found by skiff owners. 

GRANTS

The Club also offers the 16ft Skiff Boat Purchase Grant. This policy is aimed at sailors who have come through the junior classes at the Club to help them fund a 16ft Skiff. The policy is attached below and can also be found under Club Policies. The maximum amount is $2,500, so three junior sailors may go thirds in a 16ft Skiff and if eligible put $7,500 towards their boat.

SKIFF PRIZE MONEY PREPAYMENT POLICY

The Club has a Skiff Prize Money Prepayment Policy that is available to help those buying a Skiff. If you are looking to purchase or build a Skiff you may be eligible for an advance on prize money up to a value of $30,000 provided certain criteria are met. The Skiff Pre-Paid Prizemoney Policy is attached below and can also be found in the Club Policies section.

TRAVEL ASSISTANCE

The Club also provides generous travel assistance to Skiff crews when attending regattas outside of the region. The Skiffs usually get $200 per boat for a single day event and $400 for a two day event. Nationals assistance is also available as detailed in the Australian Championship Travel Assistance policy, which is available under the Club Policies section. The value of the assistance is based on the venue and the number of Skiffs representing in any one year, but has in the past been around $2,500 per crew member.

If you are looking to get involved or would like more information please contact the Sailing Office 4945 7736 or pop down on a Sunday druing the season from midday to check out all the action. 

16ft Skiff Association Website - https://skiffs.org.au/