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Sydney Harbour
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Final Point Score Australian ChampionshipÂ
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Defending champion Seve Jarvin retained his Australian 18ft Skiff Championship crown when he steered Gotta Love It 7 to a commanding victory in Race 5 of the regatta on Sydney Harbour today. Jarvin, along with crewmen Sam Newton and Tom Clout, grabbed the lead shortly after the start and were never headed in recording a 1m54s win over Matthew Searle's Active Air-2UE.Â
After a disasterous start, Euan Mc Nicol recovered strongly to take third place in Southern Cross Constructions. Â
But for Mc Nicol, who led narrowly going into this race, his chance of taking the championship vanished almost immediately after losing one minute to Jarvin at the start.Â
Gotta Love It 7 finished with a net total of 6 points, followed by Southern Cross Constructions on 8. Â
NSW champion John Harris concluded a consistent series in Rag & Famish Hotel to finish third overall on 16 points, defeating Hugh Stodart (Smeg) also on 16 points, on a count back.
Gotta Love It 7 was near the lead early and Jarvin showed his tactical skills to take a 25s lead over Active Air-2UE at the windward mark.
 Rag & Famish was in third place just ahead of Kinder Caring Home Nursing (Brett Van Munster) and Macquarie Real Estate (Micah Lane), closely followed by a large group of skiffs.
 Gotta Love It 7 retained the lead downwind but Active Air-2UE had reduced the margin narrowly to 29s.
 Rag & Famish retained third place while the battle behind them was chaotic as several skiffs approached the bottom mark together and from different angles.
 Andy Budgen sailed a great tactical race on the second windward leg when he took Project Racing to the RHS of the course in the 10k ESE breeze.
 The move sent Project Racing into third place, ahead of Rag & Famish and Smeg.
 With Gotta Love It 7 and Active Air-2UE consolidated in their placings, most interest centred on the battle for third place.
 Smeg, Project Racing and Rag & Famish all had their turn but in the end the fast finishing South Cross Constructions which took the placing 57s behind Active Air-2UE.
 The fleet will contest the NAB Twilight Race next Friday afternoon then Race 12 of the Club Championship on Sunday as the final hitouts for the Giltinan Championship., which begins on 13 February.
 A fleet of 32 teams representing Australia (NSW, Western Australia and Queensland), UK, USA, New Zealand and Canada has entered for the Giltinan.
 Video coverage can be seen on www.sailcam.tv.
 Frank Quealey
 Australian 18 Footers League
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