JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 presented by The Winning Group - Race 3

Alan Cole Memorial Trophy - Race Day Partner: Shaw and Partners Financial Services

Day 3 of the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship, presented by The Winning Group, was a frustrating one for all teams, officials and spectators as a lack of wind reduced the planned racing from two races to just a single two-lap windward-leeward Race 3 on Sydney Harbour today.

The day's racing started on time in very light wind and it was the series leader Yandoo which held a narrow lead over New Zealand's Shaw and Partners Financial Services at the end of the first lap when the breeze died and the race officer abandoned the race.

There was a break of more than 45 minutes while the fleet waited to hopefully get a race started, then finally a decision was made to stage Race 3.

JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 Race 3 - Spinnaker run in Race 3 - photo © SailMedia

While the wind was still light throughout the two-lap race, the racing was tight at the head of the fleet. The Smeg crew of Ash Rooklyn, Josh Porebski and Niall Morrow took an early lead after electing to go to the left hand side of the course and led narrowly at each rounding mark before finally taking a narrow 4s victory.

The Kitchen Maker crew (Lachlan Steel, George Morton and Jerome Watts) pushed Smeg to the limit and almost grabbed a last minute win after the two leading teams staged a spinnaker-gybing match race over the final leg of the course.

Another great battle was going on behind Smeg and The Kitchen Maker duel.

Two New Zealand teams, ASCC (Campbell Stanton, Ollie Gilmore and Pat Morgan) and Shaw and Partners Financial Services-NZ (Eli Liefting, Sam Street and Josh Schon) were having a similar gybing duel right to the finish line before ASCC finally won the day narrowly from her Kiwi team mate, finishing third 52s behind The Kitchen Maker.

Keagan York's Shaw and Partners Financial Services-Australia finished in fifth place, ahead of Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich), Yandoo (John Winning Jr), Germany's Black Knight (Heinrich von Bayern), Rag & Famish Hotel (Ben Crafoord) and Club Marine (Emma Rankin).

JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 Race 3 - Killer Coffee Co and GC Sails upwind - photo © SailMedia

Due to the delayed start and lack of breeze the scheduled Race 4 was not sailed today and the scoreboard after the races doesn't accurately show the overall position as a number of the leading teams are already carrying results they would expect to discard later.

The total scores from all three races have defending champion Yandoo ahead on 9 points, followed by Shaw and Partners Financial Services-Australia in second place on 11 points, Rag & Famish Hotel on 18, Queensland's GC Sails (Scott Cunningham) on 22, Smeg on 27 and the Australian champion Balmain (Henry Larkings) on 28 points.

As predicted, the two-lap windward-leeward races in light wind usually produce unpredictable results and today's Race 3 was no exception.

Smeg's crew showed in the Invitation Race prior to the start of the championship that their boat was quick in these conditions and their crew work was outstanding as they grabbed the early lead with good tactics.

JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 Race 3 - Spinnakers in light wind - photo © SailMedia

Smeg led ASCC by 18s at the first weather mark, followed by the Kitchen Maker, Shaw and Partners-Australia, Black Knight, Lazarus, Rag & Famish, Shaw and Partners-NZ, Balmain, Sixt (Jacob Marks), Club Marine, Berlin Bears (Philipp Nocke, Germany) and Yandoo, which was 1m20s behind the leader.

At the bottom mark, Smeg retained her 18s advantage over the fleet but it was now The Kitchen Maker that was throwing out the challenge as the pair set off for the final weather mark.

There was less than 10s between the two leaders as they set spinnakers for the run to the finish and it was a great race over the final leg to give Smeg her 4s victory.

The overall positions should become a little clearer after tomorrow's races (scheduled Races 5 and 6) but the most accurate position won't occur until after Thursday's Race 7.

The Host Club, Australian 18 Footers League's spectator ferry will follow all races and ferry tickets may be purchased now.

JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 Race 3 - At the finish line - photo © SailMedia

SailMedia will livestream all the action from the course, along with expert commentary and coverage of Races 5 and 6 will be available on www.youtube.com/video/8nk8PkikIIQ/livestreaming

Races 5 and 6, along with coverage of all previous racing, can be viewed on www.youtube.com/@18footersTV

Remaining dates for the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship, presented by the Winning Group, are:

• Wednesday: March 11, 2026 Races 5 & 6, A. J. Reynolds Trophy
• Thursday: March 12, 2026 Race 7, Bill Miller Memorial Trophy
• Saturday: March 14, 2026 Race 8, Bill Kite Memorial Trophy
• Sunday: March 15, 2026 Race 9, Ribbon and J. J. Giltinan Trophy

Race 3 Results:

JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff World Championship 2026 Race 3 - ASCC leads fellow New Zealander Shaw and Partners to finish third - photo © SailMedia