Giltinan Championship, Race 5

: 23-Feb-2012

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18ft Skiffs:

Giltinan Championship – Race 5

Sponsored by Winning Appliances and appliancesonline.com.au

Thursday, 23 February 2012

Sydney Harbour

Today’s race sponsored by Asko Appliances

Gotta Love It 7’s domination of the Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship continued on Sydney Harbour today when Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Scott Babbage brought the red hulled flyer home an easy winner of Race 5 in the regatta.

The champion team trailed appliancesonline.com.au (Micah Lane, Paul Montgomery and Tom Anderson) by 5s. at the first windward mark, but a quick gybe soon after spinnakers were set for the run to the wing mark off Shark Island saw Gotta Love It 7 take the lead and from that point were never headed.

7 gave no other team a chance from that moment and finally crossed the finish line 3m16s ahead of appliancesonline.com.au.

New Zealand’s C-Tech (Alex Vallings, Nick Catley, Joshua McCormack) was a further 20s back in third place, ahead of Rag & Famish Hotel (Jack Macartney), Smeg (Nick Press) and Mojo Wine (Archie Massey).

With each team’s worst performance to date discarded, the progress pointscore is Gotta Love It 7 on four points, Appliancesonline.com.au on 13, Mojo Wine 15, Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon) 18, Smeg 18 and Rag & Famish Hotel on 19.

While 7’s win is likely, the race for second place should be the real highlight of the final two races on the weekend.

In a 12-15-knot North East breeze today, Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, Asko Appliances (Marcus Ashley-Jones), Gotta Love It 7 and Rag & Famish Hotel won the start at the pin end of the line.

Under strong pressure from the 7 team, appliancesonline held on to lead at the windward ,ark but once Gotta Love It 7 took the lead the margin continually increased throughout the race.

By the second windward mark, the margin was out to 1m24s, then 2m12s after the following spinnaker run and finally 3m16s at the finish.

Thurlow Fisher Lawyers and Rag & Famish were third and fourth at the top mark the first time with each improving their position by one placing as appliancesonline dropped back to fourth after the first spinnaker run.

While Gotta Love It 7 was dominating the race, all interest centred on the battle behind.

Thurlow Fisher Lawyers and The Rag were re-joined by appliancesonline with C-Tech, Mojo Wine and Smeg also joining the battle.

With second placing seemingly sealed, Thurlow Fisher Lawyers hit a wave and the spinnaker dragged her into a capsize while saw the skiff drop back to finish eighth.

Appliancesonline took full advantage of the situation and finished second to also take second placing overall in the championship standings

Seven images from today’s race are attached, along with the official result sheet.

More images will be published on www.18footers.com.au and www.flying18s.com.

Video coverage of the race can also be seen on www.18footerstv.com.

DON’T FORGET:

FOLLOW ALL THE RACING WITH LIVE TRACKING ON ALL RACES IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP

http://www.tractrac.com/index.php?page=eventpage&id=197

(if you can’t be alongside your PC, you can get live race updates on your smartphone via mobile.tractrac.com)

Race 6 of the championship will be sailed on Saturday (25 February). The club’s regular spectator ferry will follow the race, leaving Double Bay Wharf alongside the clubhouse, at 3.30pm.

For the last race of the championship on Sunday 26 February the club has chartered two spectator ferries for the expected crowds looking to see the world’s best 18ft Skiffs in action.

Frank Quealey

Australian 18 Footers League

www.18footers.com.au

www.flying18s.com