Kiwi crews in top the leaderboard after JJ Giltinan Trophy - Day 4
by Frank Quealey Australian 18 Footers League 7 Mar 2018 10:04 GMT
7 March 2018
Series leader Maersk Line during the 18ft Skiff JJ Giltinan Championship © Frank Quealey
Three New Zealand crews are in the top four overall after two races were sailed on Day 4 of the 2018 JJ Giltinan International 18ft Skiff Championship.
Racing was again held on Sydney Harbour today when two short-course, windward-return races were sailed.
The first of the two races was sailed in an 11-knot South-East wind and resulted in a win for Triple M (James Ward, Adam Gillson, Tom Anderson) by 11s from the Australian champion Smeg team (Lee Knapton, Ricky Bridge, Mike McKensey). New Zealand's Honda Marine (Dave McDiarmid, Matt Steven, Brad Collins) was a further 47s back in third place.
In the latter race, which was sailed in a flukey 8-14-knot South-East breeze, New Zealand's Maersk Line (Josh Porebski, Jack Simpson, Dave Hazzard) took the lead only a few hundred metres from the finish to defeat the UK's The Time Genie (Graham Bridle, Eddie Bridle, Ed Gibbons) by 2s. Finport Trade Finance (Keagan York, Matt Stenta, Angus Williams) another 10s back in third place.
After the end of the day's racing, Maersk Line leads the points table with 13 points, followed by Honda Marine on 14, Finport Trade Finance on 28, Knight Frank on 40, Asko Appliances (James Dorron) 40, and NZ's C-Tech (Alex Vallings) on 44.
The course for both races was set between the start in Taylor Bay to a windward mark in Rose Bay.
The lighter wind conditions and nature of the course didn't produce the excitement, spectacle or spinnaker/two-sail reaching we saw in the previous three days and the erratic results reflected the uncertainty of the short course racing.
In the first race, Triple M led the fleet to the top mark, and along with Quality Marine Clothing (Aron Everett) was near the lead throughout the three laps. Smeg was fourth to the top mark and held her position for most of the race before coming home in second place 47s ahead of Honda Marine.
The latter race saw UK's The Time Genie lead the fleet to the top mark from Triple M, Peroni (Nick Daly), Panasonic Lumix (Jordan Girdis), Finport Trade Finance, Harken (Riley Gibbs) and Appliancesonline.com.au (Brett Van Munster).
Conditions in this race were difficult as the wind varied in direction and strength. On the first lap of the course, most of the leading championship contenders were stuck at the back of the fleet.
Appliancesonline.com.au was the leader over the second lap of the course, from Triple M, Harken, Finport and Asko Appliances. Honda Marine was in 10th place and Maersk Line 11th.
When the wind freshened on the final run to the finish, a change came over the fleet when the then race leader Rag & Famish Hotel (Bryce Edwards) capsized, and Maersk Line came through to take the victory.
Day 5 of the JJ Giltinan Championship will be sailed on Sydney Harbour tomorrow, Thursday 8 March.
Race dates for the rest of the championship are:
Day 6 Saturday, March 10
Day 7 Sunday, March 11
How to follow the championship:
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Australian 18 Footers League
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