JJ Giltinan Preview: Gotta Love It 7s Sam Newton
by Frank Quealey 14 Feb 2012 04:52 GMT
17-26 February 2012
Giltinan 18ft Skiff champions Gotta Love It 7 in action © Frank Quealey
JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff champion Seve Jarvin (Gotta Love It 7) is always quick to acknowledge the talents of his long time for'ard hand Sam Newton, with whom he has won three Giltinan Championships, for not only his skills on the water but his expertise in preparing the skiff for racing.
Sam and Seve have sailed together since 2001 in everything from a range of match racing boats, to 18ft Skiffs and yachts.
Their record includes four Australian Match Racing championships, two Australian 18ft Skiff Championships and numerous state titles as well as their three Giltinan victories.
Seve says "Sam has a great feel for a boat and knows how to get it going very fast".
"He has an easy going personality and we get on so well together. We are best mates".
The pair, along with the extremely experienced and talented sheet hand Scott Babbage, present an outstanding team which combines so well in all conditions and under pressure from their championship rivals.
Sam's value to the Gotta Love It 7 team was clearly evident recently when he missed four races during the Australian Championship on Sydney Harbour.
Gotta Love It 7 still managed to finish third in the Nationals behind Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon) and Smeg (Nick Press) and performed well, but the return of Sam in Race 5 was obviously a strong reason for the team's awesome 1m43s win over Thurlow Fisher Lawyers.
Sam's absence on Gotta Love It 7 during the Nationals was brought about by an adventurous trip he took with his father, Greg.
They contested a 14,500km/29 days Rally across three continents from London to Cape Town.
Their journey in a 1980 Holden Commodore car took them through 14 countries like Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and Tanzania, just to name a few.
Later this year, Sam is rumoured to be heading off to the US where he will join Oracle Racing's Sailing Team in defence of the 34th America's Cup.
Along with Sam's busy sailing schedule, he runs a very successful yachting business, trading under the name "All Marine" (www.allmarine.com.au).
Seve, Sam and Scott are strongly favoured to defend their Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship title in Gotta Love It 7, ahead of a 30-boat fleet on Sydney Harbour.
The warm up Invitation Race will be sailed on Friday, with the championship's first race to be sailed on Saturday.
The seven-race series will conclude on Sunday 26 February.