The Appliancesonline.com.au team sailed a brilliant race in the 20-knot North-Easertly wind to take out the W.C. (Trappy) Duncan Memorial 18ft Skiff Trophy race on Sydney Harbour today.
David Witt (skipper), Tom Clout (sheet) and Tom Anderson trailed by 40s at the end of the first lap of the course but revelled in the testing conditions to go on to a comfortable victory.
Compassmarkets.com (Keagan York, Craig Ferris, Darren McKavanagh) finished 1m22s behind the winner to take second position, with the NSW champion Thurlow Fisher Lawyers a further 1m7s back in third place.
It was a great effort by the Thurlow Fisher Lawyers crew of Michael Coxon, Dave O’Connor and Trent Barnabas, as the trio had to recover from an early capsize while sailing to the long mark on each of the three laps of the course.
De Longhi (Simon Nearn) sailed consistently to finish fourth, ahead of Smeg (Micah Lane) and Yandoo (John Winning).
These conditions usually take a toll on the number of finishers in the race but today all 18 starters completed the course.
Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel (James Dorron) won the start at the boat end of the line while Thurlow Fisher Lawyers and Gotta Love It 7 (Seve Jarvin) were best served at the pin end.
Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel produced excellent boat speed to the windward Beashel Buoy to lead from Gotta Love It 7 and Lumix (Brett Van Munster).
Thurlow Fisher Lawyers had to tack quickly to avoid a collision with Gotta Love It 7 and capsized as the skiff approached the mark.
Holding a handy lead as the fleet raced in to the wing mark off Shark Island, Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel also capsized, leaving Gotta Love It 7 with the lead over a charging fleet.
The 7 team increased the lead to 40s at the bottom mark off Clarke Island with Appliancesonline.com.au moving into second position ahead of Compassmarkets.com, Lumix and Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, which had made an amazing recovery.
Witt and his Appliancesonline.com.au team were applying the pressure to Gotta Love It 7 and grabbed the lead at the following windward mark, which set the scene for a great spinnaker battle down the middle run back to Clarke Island.
The two skiffs raced at top speed with just a few metres between them but the 7 team were unable to catch Appliancesonline.com.au as the pair turned the corner for the final windward beat back to the Beashel Buoy.
Appliancesonline.com.au held the advantage upwind, before a capsize and broken pole forced Gotta Love It 7 to limp home in 17th position 17 minutes behind the winner.
Next Sunday’ club race will be for the Yandoo Trophy. The Australian 18 Footers League will have a Spectator Ferry, leaving Double Bay Wharf, alongside the clubhouse, at 2.00pm, to follow all the action.