Club Championship Race 1

Sunday, 26 October 2008Â

Sydney Harbour Â

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The Australian 18 Footers League conducted the first championship race of the 2008-2009 Season when Race 1 of the Club Championship was contested on Sydney Harbour today.

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Conditions were perfect for both competitors and spectators with a 12-15 knot NNE wind prevailing against a run out tide.

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With current Giltinan champion Seve Jarvin missing through illness, 5-times Giltinan champion Trevor Barnabas was the stand-in skipper for the day on Gotta Love It 7.

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Barnabas showed why he holds such an imposing record when he steered the skiff (along with 7s regular crewmen Sam Newton and Tom Clout) to an outstanding 1min 25secs win.

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Rag & Famish Hotel (John Harris), one of the few teams electing to carry the big #1 rig, finished second, with Kinder Caring Home Nursing (Brett Van Munster) another 2mins 6secs back in third place.

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The race to the first windward mark was extremely close as the fleet was spread wide across the harbour.

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Simon Nearn's Delonghi was always near the lead and reached the Beashel Buoy mark 10secs ahead of Gotta Love It 7, followed by Kinder Caring, Rag & Famish, Yandoo (John Winning), Active Air-2UE (Matthew Searle), Pure Blonde (James Francis) and Southern Cross Constructions (Euan Mc Nicol).

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Rag's bigger rig was decisive downwind as the skiff grabbed the lead from Gotta Love It 7 at the wing mark.

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At the end of the first lap, Rag & Famish held a 15secs lead over Gotta Love It 7.

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The pair had broken away from the rest of the fleet with third placed Kinder Caring almost one minute from the leader.

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There was a great race going on for fourth place with Southern Cross just ahead of Pure Blonde, Yandoo, Delonghi and Fisher & Paykel.

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On the second windward leg it was all Gotta Love It 7.

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The team quickly wiped off Rag's slender lead then raced away to hold a commanding 50secs lead at the Beashel Buoy.

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From that point the result was never in doubt as Gotta Love It 7 increased this margin over the final four legs of the course.

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Yandoo and Southern Cross Constructions showed improved form today and will be stronger challengers in the weeks to come.

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Some of the young rookie teams showed enough form to suggest that they will also be closer in the near future.Today's result sheet is attached.

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Frank Quealey

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Australian 18 Footers League

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