| Giltinan 2011 Preview. |
| By Frank Quealey, the Australian 18 Footers League. |
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Photo by the Australian
18 Footers League
Additional photos and edited by Peter Andrews. |
| Saturday, February 26, 2011. |
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| One of Australia’s best known 18ft Skiff sailors from the 1990’s, David Witt has made a comeback in the class to represent Queensland with a serious Giltinan Championship campaign. David was not only one of the best skippers in the 18s’, he was also crew on UK’s Tim Robinson’s boat when he won the 1999 Giltinan in Rockport. |
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David Witt accepting the blue ribbon for his 1999 Giltinan
win.
Photo © Australian 18 Footers League.
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In this campaign, David is joined by long time crew and champion sailors Alan Mansfield and Barry Flannigan. The trio will be one
of the heaviest (if not the heaviest) teams in the regatta and will certainly be one to watch in strong wind conditions.
Alan Mansfield said recently that during one of their training sessions on Waterloo Bay, they completed the day without a single capsize in around 35-knots. Their skiff is a former Gotta Love It 7 and Smeg hull and they have added two brand new rigs on the skiff, which will race as Queenslander 1 (Q1).
David Witt came originally into the 18s’ from Cherubs’ as a 17-year-old, and quickly established himself as a very fine talented sailor as well as quite a character off the water. His transition from the Cherubs’ was so successful that it quickly led to an influx of other Cherub sailors into the Australian 18 Footers League fleet. |
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18 foot action on Sydney
Harbour back in September 1990.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage Australia.
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| Two of Dave’s former team mates, who followed him from the Cherubs’ will be competing against him in this regatta. They are Andrew ‘Noddy’ Hay on Yandoo and Dave ‘Gil’ Ewings on Smeg. He also sailed successfully with Grand Prix Sailing in the 1990’s and represented sponsors Ericsson, AAMI, Nokia and Pace Express. |
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AAMI in action on Sydney
Harbour back in September 1990.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage Australia.
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| Over the past 18 years, he has been involved in major sailing projects all over the world. Aside from his 18ft Skiff achievements, he has competed in 16 Sydney-Hobart races (all as skipper or primary helmsman), a Whitbread Round-the-World (now known as Volvo), Maxi World champion, Fastnet races, Melbourne-Osaka (teo-handed) and Round Europe race. His roles often included that of project manager (as well as primary helmsman-skipper) on boats from 30 to 100 feet, and managing budgets from tens of thousands up to multi-million dollar projects. |
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18 foot action on Sydney
Harbour back in September 1990.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage Australia.
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The team are not only looking for success in the 2011 Giltinan, but see their challenge as a boost to re-establishing an 18ft Skiff fleet in Queensland.
"We want to help develop the talents of young Queensland sailors and believe our knowledge and experience will help these young sailors as well as lift the Queensland profile in sailing", Witt said.
More information and photographs can be found at www.flying18s.com and www.18footers.com.au.
Frank Quealey
Australian 18 Footers League www.flying18s.com. |
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| Outimage and the
Australian 18 Footers Leaguea © 2011 |
