Smeg takes heat three at 18fts nationals in a nail biting finish

The Smeg 18ft Skiff team of Nick Press, Dan Phillips and Dave Ewings held on in a gripping finish to defeat defending champion and series leader Thurlow Fisher Lawyers in Race 2 of the Australian Championship on Sydney Harbour today.
 
Smeg defeated Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon, Aaron Links and Trent Barnabas) by just 4sec after four laps of the windward-return course in a fluky, shifting light breeze.
 
Lumix (Graeme Ferguson, replacing Jonathan Whitty, Greg Dixon and James Hozack) was a further 1min7sec behind Thurlow Fisher, followed by Mojo Wine (Archie Massey), Gotta Love It 7 (Seve Jarvin) and Pure Blonde (Tom Clout).
 
Smeg’s win puts the team on six points for the event, just two points (one with discard) behind Thurlow Fisher on four points.
 
Gotta Love It 7 is next on 15 points, followed by Lumix on 18, Mojo Wine on 19 and appliancesonline.com.au (Micah Lane) on 21 points.
 
This season has been plagued by poor wind conditions and today was another testing one for all crews as they struggled to pick the best course.
 
The race began in a 5-knot breeze and the work to the windward mark was slow.
 
Lumix was the leader at the mark from Pure Blonde, Asko Appliances (Marcus Ashley-Jones), Smeg and Mojo Wine, then retained her lead over Pure Blonde back to the bottom mark.
 
At this stage Thurlow Fisher Lawyers was well back in the pack.
 
Smeg took the lead over Pure Blonde at the following windward mark with a gap back to Lumix, Asko and Thurlow Fisher, which had began to move into contention.
 
By the third lap of the course Smeg’s lead had extended to 30s over Thurlow Fisher, Gotta Love It 7, Lumix, Mojo Wine, Pure Blonde, Asko and Beko (Nick Daly).
 
Thurlow Fisher’s crew challenged the Smeg team hard down the final spinnaker run to the finish but the Smeg crew, led by Interdominion 12ft Skiff champion Nick Press, covered every move the Coxon-led team made.
 
In the handicap section of the race, it was a first win for new sponsor Beko and skipper Nick Daly.
 
Race 4 of the championship will be sailed next Sunday, 29 January and the last race of the championship on Sunday 5 February.  The club’s spectator ferry will follow both races, leaving Double Bay Wharf, alongside the clubhouse and rigging area, at 2.15pm.
 
The JJ Giltinan Championship, the world’s premier 18ft Skiff regatta, will be sailed on Sydney Harbour from 17-26 February.  Approximately 30 teams from USA, New Zealand and UK as well as Australian teams representing NSW, Queensland and Western Australia will contest the 63rd JJ.
 
- Frank Quealey