2016 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship

2016 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship - Overall

by Frank Quealey 21 Feb 2016 08:56 GMT 13-21 February 2016

Asko Appliances and the championship leaders were closely bunched on the first spinnaker run on the final day of the 18ft Skiff JJ Giltinan Trophy © Frank Quealey

Yamaha heads for the wing mark on the first lap of the course during the final race of the 18ft Skiff JJ Giltinan Trophy © Frank Quealey

Championship sponsored by appliancesonline.com.au
Today's race sponsored by The Kitchen Maker

The Smeg team of Lee Knapton, Ricky Bridge and Mike McKensey are the world's top 18ft Skiff team following the team's victory appliancesonline.com.au-sponsored 2016 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Champions, which concluded on Sydney Harbour today.

Smeg finished the championship with a total of 18 points to take the title by just one point from New Zealand's Yamaha (David Mc Diarmid, Matthew Steven, Bradley Collins).

Third place went to appliancesonline.com.au (David Witt, Tom Clout, Tom Anderson) on 24 ahead of defending champion Gotta Love It 7 (Seve Jarvin, John Winning Jr., Nick Catley), on countback, after also finishing on 24 points.

Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon, Trent Barnabas, Dave O'Connor) was fifth on 25 points and Peroni (Nick Daly, John Walton, Steve Thomas) sixth on 47

Today's race began in a 7knot Easterly breeze with interest centered on the battle between Smeg and appliancesonline.com.au, the only two teams possible of becoming the champions.

Appliancesonline is a noted heavy weather team and the day's conditions were heavily in favour of the Smeg team, which had a handy discard up the sleeve for the tricky wind.

From the outset Yamaha's boat speed was unmatched by the opposition and the team's crew work was faultless as it approached the first windward mark in Rose Bay.

With a 35s lead over Alcatel One Touch (Stephen Quigley), and a one minute break over third placed Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, Yamaha was in a commanding position as the fleet made its way to the wing mark off Clarke Island.

Gotta Love It 7 had been in fourth place at the windward mark but lost all hope when forced to sail up into the lee of Shark Island.

Triple M (John Sweeny) and Asko Appliances were next followed by the bulk of the fleet.

In a light, unpredictable wind over the lengthy course, the leading group maintained the advantage with Yamaha taking line honours by 1m21s from Peroni, with Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, just 2s back in third place.

Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, third today and fifth overall in the 18ft Skiff JJ Giltinan Trophy - photo © Frank Quealey

Alcatel One Touch finished fourth, with Triple M fifth and Asko Appliances (Marcus Ashley-Jones) in sixth place.

Compassmarkets.com (Keagan York) came from well back early to finish seventh.

Adventures of a Sailor Girl interviews

All the results and all the action with the winners and characters for this year's JJ Giltinan. First up with the winners, Smeg, Congratulations! Then onto father and son team, Steve and Tom Quigley, runners up and final back to back heat winners, Yamaha, third placed www.AppliancesOnline.com.au including an announcement on Team Ragamuffin, and a look back with Seve Jarvin, skipper of Gotta Love It 7 on his fourth place and handing over the title to Smeg.

A big thanks to Christophe Favreau for sending me some images to use in the video.

More adventures at www.AdventuresofaSailorGirl.com, or @sailorgirl218 on social media for live updates from the racing right through to the world championships.