BELMONT teenagers Henry and Grant Makin and Israel Smith have been tipped to challenge their more experienced rivals on Sunday when the Australian 16-foot Skiff Championship begins on Lake Macquarie.
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Belmont 16 Footers is hosting the national championship for the first time since January 2010, when Mitre 10 Kurri Kurri, skippered by Kieran Humphries, finished runner- up after a week of racing.
Eight races will be held over nine days, with a lay day on Thursday.
NSW and Australian champion Lee Knapton and his skiff Brydens Compensation Lawyers will start as favourites to complete a hat-trick.
Knapton's crew includes former Belmont sailor Ricky Bridge as the forward hand.
But Australian 16-foot Skiff Association secretary James Bury has been impressed by the development of the Makin brothers and Smith. They will sail The Aristocrat, skippered by 17-year-old Henry Makin.
"They've really impressed a lot of seasoned veterans in the class," Bury said.
"They all sort of went 'wow', which is a brilliant thing. It's been a few years since we've had any young guys step up, but these guys certainly have.
"The Belmont club have been very strong on promoting these guys into the class.
"Others are doing it, but not to the success level these guys have managed to do it.
"It's a credit to them as they're in an 11- or 12-year-old boat, so it's not like they have new equipment."
The Aristocrat will not be the only Belmont skiff featuring teenagers in the Australian championship.
Jarrod Turner, 16, will skipper his skiff TJS.
"He sailed in Belmont all his junior career in flying 11s and has gone on to 16-foot skiffs and is doing really well," Belmont 16 Footers Sailing Club director Roger Steel said.
Other Lake Macquarie hopes will be Belmont club champion Joel Rose and his skiff Straight Azz Wall and Floor Tiling, and former Australian champion Danny Anderson on ATB Morton.
