Hartley TS16 Australian Championship at Portarlington Sailing Club
by Melissa Jelfs 23 Mar 2018 00:04 PDT
Craig Jelfs from Cromer has won and skippered his 7th Australian Championship in the Hartley TS16 Division, making him the only skipper to ever attain this feat.
The 53rd Hartley TS16 Australian Championship was held at Portarlington Sailing Club, Victoria, in December 2017/January 2018, where a fleet of 16 boats competed for the championship. Sailing with crew and boat owner Neil Bilsborough, together they fought challenging weather conditions with wind ranging from 5 to 35 knots in choppy seas. Sailing their boat 'Ultimately Sinister', Craig and Neil won the series with a race to spare.
Craig's history in sailing began at Drummoyne Sailing Club at the age of 12, where he first sailed a Sabot, then Flying Elevens, 12ft skiffs, 16ft skiffs, OK Dinghy's and finally in to Hartley TS16's. During Craig's time in the Hartley TS16's he has skippered and won 7 Australian Championships, 5 State Championships, 2 Club Championships and 1 Overnight Yacht Race in Victoria. Neil Bilsborough, his son Brendon and daughter Leanne have all crewed and won a variety of Championships with skipper Craig Jelfs from 1993-2018.
Skipper Craig Jelfs – 7 x Australian Championships: (Year - Boat Name - Skipper/Crew – Venue)
1993/4 - Betty - Craig Jelfs/B.Bilsborough - Glenelg, SA
1994/5 - Betty - Craig Jelfs/B.Bilsborough - Williamstown, VIC
1995/6 - Betty - Craig Jelfs/B.Bilsborough - Southport, QLD
1996/7 - Betty - Craig Jelfs/B.Bilsborough - Drummoyne, NSW
2001/2 - Xtremely Sinister - Craig Jelfs/N.Bilsborough - Drummoyne, NSW
2003/4 - Xtremely Sinister - Craig Jelfs/L.Bilsborough - Boreen Point, QLD
2017/18 - Ultimately Sinister - Craig Jelfs/N.Bilsborough - Portarlington, VIC
Neil Bilsborough from Winston Hills, has been competing in and/or assisting in the running of more than 23 Australian and State Championships since 1978. Neil has been regularly sailing at Drummoyne Sailing Club since 1977 and has been involved in the Hartley TS16 Division as a committee member 20+ years, NSW Measurer 15+ years and State Rep 5+ years.
Neil a talented builder has been building Hartley TS16 boats since 1978, beginning with 1st Hartley TS16 named Lollipop. From there, he went on to build 3 successful boats to win Australian Championships, including his latest build, 'Ultimately Sinister'. Neil mentors individuals in the process of building Hartley TS16 boats and has created a special video showcasing his latest build 'Ultimately Sinister' on YouTube with the help of his granddaughter Ebony, this video has been viewed over 7K times.
Winning boats built by Neil Bilsborough – 3 x Australian Championships: (Year - Boat Name - Skipper/Crew)
2017/18 - Ultimately Sinister - Craig Jelfs/Neil Bilsborough
2014/15 - Sinister - Andrew Foster/Paul Foster
2013/14 - Sinister - Andrew Foster/Paul Foster
2003/04 - Xtremely Sinister - Craig Jelfs/Leanne Bilsborough
2001/02 - Xtremely Sinister - Craig Jelfs/Neil Bilsborough
1999/00 - Xtremely Sinister - Neil Bilsborough/John Needs
Winning boats built by Neil Bilsborough – 4 x State Championships: (Year - Boat Name - Skipper/Crew)
2006/07 - Xtremely Sinister - Terry McLeod/Brian Sach
2005/06 - Xtremely Sinister - Terry McLeod/Brian Sach
2001/02 - Xtremely Sinister - Craig Jelfs/Neil Bilsborough
1999/00 - Xtremely Sinister - Neil Bilsborough/John Needs
Winning boats built by Neil Bilsborough – 6 x Club Championships: (Year - Boat Name - Skipper/Crew)
1999-2005 - Xtremely Sinister - Craig Jelfs/Brendon Bilsborough
Now that the sailing season is coming to an end, Craig and Neil are yet to decide if they will defend their title in Adelaide at Christmas 2018.
If anyone is interested in sailing a Hartley TS16 contact Drummoyne Sailing Club or check out the website Hartley TS16 Association of Australia: www.australianhartleyts16.org.au