Balmain 18Footers Super Sprint + video wrap
by Which-50 Media 3 Mar 2022 00:39 GMT
Balmain Slake © Which-50 Media
The Balmain Super Sprint recognises the origins and tenacity of over 100 years of racing 18ft Skiffs on Sydney Harbour. This inaugural Super Sprint signifies the heritage of the class, shared history with Balmain and the planning, execution and teamwork required to be a modern day winner.
Balmain Private and the 18ft Skiff share a birthplace in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Balmain. Both were bred from a culture of utilising innovation, harnessing passion and challenging the accepted order.
With the 2022 JJ Giltinan Championship starting on Sydney Harbour next Saturday, the Balmain Super Sprint at the Australian 18 Footers League was a final opportunity for 18ft skiff teams to sharpen up their crew work in preparation for the world's biggest 18ft skiff regatta.
This is the first year that Balmain, a national financial services company, has been involved in the series.
The club arranged to hold four very short windward-return course races for a cumulative point score. The light winds made the sailing a challenging, but entertaining for the packed supporters boats, including a heritage ferry ‘Regal’ to accommodate over 100 Balmain guests.
In the first of the short races, Dave Gilmour skippered Noakes Sailing to victory over the German Black Knight team, skippered by Heinrich Von Bayern, after the German team had led over the first lap of the course.
Race two of the afternoon produced an easy win for Seve Jarvin's Andoo, but the race for second place between Balmain Slake (Henry Larkings) and the Black Knight, which had taken the overall lead in the event, was close enough to maintain interest. It was great to see the Balmain Slake team pull off a runner up position in the event backed by their sponsor and in front of a boat full of Balmain clients.
In the third race, Tech2 (Jack Macartney) was back in the winners circle after coming from behind the early leader The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Aron Everett).
The overall winner was up for grabs as the fleet went into the final race and Tech2 took an early lead on the first lap of the course. Keagan York, Bryce Edwards and Phil Marshall in FINPORT were at their best in the conditions and came back strongly over the final lap to grab the race and overall victory from the Tech2 team, with Rag & Famish Hotel (Harry Price) in third place.
Concluding the trophy presentation Balmain CEO Andrew Griffin said, “It was a fantastic day out on the water watching the racing today, the class has a strong racing history on Syndey Harbour and Balmain is pleased to have an 18ft skiff team racing in this fleet. It's been a fantastic day and we will be here for a long time.”