18ft Skiffs – JJ Giltinan – Race 7

Winning Group 73rd JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship, Race 7
Today’s Sponsor: Vaikobi
Thursday, 9 March, 2023
Sydney Harbour

Andoo's winning crew look back at the chasers
Andoo’s winning crew look back at the chasers

Defending champion Andoo team of John Winning Jr, Seve Jarvin and Sam Newton held off a final challenge over the last downwind leg of the course to win an exciting, incident packed Race 7 of the Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour today.

Chasing the leader midway through the race
Chasing the leader midway through the race

Andoo grabbed the lead, from Smeg, for the first time shortly after rounding the last weather mark and defeated a gallant Rag & Famish Hotel (Harry Price, Josh McKnight and Harry Hall) by just 7s.

Finport Finance battles with her spinnaker as Smeg capsizes just short of the finish line
Finport Finance battles with her spinnaker as Smeg capsizes just short of the finish line

Finport Finance (Keagan York, Angus Williams and Phil Marshall) finished a further 1m27s back in third place, ahead of Lazarus (Marcus Ashley Jones), Yandoo (John Winning), Balmain Slake (Henry Larkings), Smeg (Michael Coxon), Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Dave O’Connor), Noakes Youth (Tom Cunich) and Black Knight (Heinrich Bayern).

Excellent performance by the young Balmain Slake team
Excellent performance by the young Balmain Slake team

With protests pending, the net progress points, with two more races to be sailed in the championship, are: Andoo leading on 17, Smeg 22, Finport Finance 23, then three teams Big Pete (Sean Langman), Yandoo and Rag & Famish Hotel all equal on 27 points.

Noakes Youth was amongst the leading group throughout the race
Noakes Youth was amongst the leading group throughout the race

Today’s race was sailed in a 10 knot Easterly breeze and produced an exciting event for spectators as the leading four teams fought hard over the final lap of the course.

Smeg led narrowly from Andoo at the first weather mark in Rose Bay and opened up a good lead over Yandoo, Rag & Famish Hotel, Lazarus, Finport Finance and Andoo on the downwind leg back to the bottom mark off Kurraba Point.

The second beat back to Rose Bay belonged to the Smeg team as it extended the lead to one minute over Lazarus, Finport Finance, Rag & Famish Hotel, Andoo, Yandoo and Noakes Youth.

Lazarus produced another consistent performance
Lazarus produced another consistent performance

Smeg still held the lead at the bottom mark on the second lap but the chasers were starting to make a move and as the leaders approached Bradley Head there was little between Smeg, Andoo and Rag & Famish Hotel.

The three teams then produced a great battle as they approached the final weather mark with Smeg narrowly leading from Andoo, which was applying the pressure, and Rag & Famish Hotel just a few more metres behind the leaders.

Wing mark rounding
Wing mark rounding

Fisher & Paykel (Jordan Girdis, Jacob Broom and Josh Feldmann) won the handicap section of today’s race from The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel) and Lazarus Development (Hugo Stoner).

Germany’s Black Knight team of Heinrich Bayern, Thomas Martin and Andy Martin lead the handicap overall points from Yandoo and Birkenhead Point Marina (Kirk Mitchell).

With little between the top teams vying for the championship, the weekend’s racing will be a no-holds-barred contest between the leading six teams and the club’s spectator ferry is expected to be filled to capacity.

Heading for the bottom mark
Heading for the bottom mark

NOTE: Remaining race dates for the Winning Group 73rd JJ Giltinan World 18 footer Championship are:
Saturday March 11 Race 8
Sunday March 12 Race 9

The Australian 18 Footers League spectator ferry will follow each day’s racing, leaving Double Bay Public Wharf, alongside the clubhouse, at 2pm.

For anyone who can’t make it out onto the water, the League’s live broadcast team will be out on Sydney Harbour to capture all the action. Live streaming is available at www.18footers.com
by clicking on the ’18 Footers TV’ link.

For all the club’s racing and up-to-date news:
Club Website www.18footers.com
Twitter @18skiff
Instagram @18skiff
Facebook International 18ft Skiff

Frank Quealey
Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.

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