Winning Appliances JJ Giltinan
18ft Skiff Championship. |
| By Frank Quealey, the Australian 18 Footers League. |
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Photos by the Australian
18 Footers League
Edited by Peter Andrews. |
| Thursday, March 3, 2011. |
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| A fleet of 29 teams, representing USA, UK and New Zealand, as well as Australian crews from NSW, Western Australia and Queensland will contest the Winning Appliances JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship, which begin tomorrow on Sydney Harbour. |
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All teams struggle for every breath of wind, during Race 5 of the New South
Wales Championship on Sydney Harbour, late last year.
Photo © Australian 18 Footers League.
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The first event of what is the world’s top 18ft Skiff regatta is the traditional Invitation Race to allow all teams to become acquainted with the harbour conditions. Races 1 and 2 of the championship will be sailed on Saturday and Sunday before the first of two lay days on Monday.
Pre regatta favourite is likely to be the defending champion Seve Jarvin and his Gotta Love It 7 team of Sam Newton and Scott Babbage, but there will be strong opposition from a number of top class teams. |
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Gotta Love It 7, during the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship 2010.
Photo © Australian 18 Footers League.
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Current Australian champions Michael Coxon, Aaron Links and Trent Barnabas (all multiple Giltinan winners) on Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, have had to overcome some gear problems in recent outings, but are sure to push Jarvin and anyone else to the limits.
Past champions, Howie Hamlin (USA), who is a two times winner in 2002 and 2003, and John Winning in 2000 will each be striving for another. |
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Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon), during a Twilight Race on Sydney Harbour
earlier this year.
Photo © Australian 18 Footers League.
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Both Hamlin with CST Composites and Winning with Yandoo have new boats built for the championship and have displayed the type of form in lead up races to make them definite chances. Another strong team is Smeg, which is skippered by the current Interdominion 12ft Skiff champion, Nick Press.
UK’s Andy Budgen with Hyde Sails, Western Australia’s Grant Rollerson with SLAM and Matt Searle with Red Claw Wines will also figure strongly in the championship as they all have proven records in previous Giltinan and other international regattas. |
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Red Claw Wines and Gotta Love It 7, during
the 18 Footers Life Members Trophy on Sydney Harbour,
October 17, 2010.
Photo © Australian 18 Footers League.
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New Zealand’s team will be missing three of their regular skippers, but Alex Vallings and his CT Sailbattens team are sure to make their presence felt and uphold the Kiwi spirit.
There are several new and young teams contesting the Giltinan Championship for the first time and the 62nd contest should be one of the best since it was first staged in 1938. |
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The 18 Footer fleet on their first spinnaker run on Sydney Harbour, during last
year's
Syd. Barnett memorial Trophy.
Photo © Australian 18 Footers League.
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List of entries and crews:
Australia - New South Wales
appliancesonline.com.au: Jeremy Wilmot, Paul Montague and Paul Atkins.
Asko Appliances: Marcus Ashley-Jones, Stewart Wells and Aaron Everett.
De’Longhi - Rabbitohs: Simon Nearn, Gerard Smith and Keegan York.
Fisher & Paykel: Andrew Chapman, Tim Baraclough and Ewan Duckworth.
Gotta Love It 7: Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Scott Babbage.
Kenwood - Rabbitohs: Evan Walker, Ted Hackney and Jeremy Roberts.
Panasonic: Jonathan Whitty, Greg Dixon and James Hozak.
Pure Blonde: James Francis, Brad Phillips and Cameron Mc Donald.
Rag & Famish hotel: Jack Macartney, Tom Clout and Drewe Waller.
Red Claw Wines: Matthew Searle, Archie Massey and Mike Mc Kenzie.
Sharks - Coldwell Banker: David Haseldine, Andrew Wong and Ian Henderson.
Smeg: Nick Press, Dan Phillips and Dave Ewings.
Spectrum Trimming: Luke Parkinson, Nick Daly and the 3rd member TBA.
TF Collect: Mark Kennedy, Tom Anderson and Ryan Houston.
The Kitchen Maker: Brett Van Munster, Darren Mc Kavanagh and Tai Elliott.
Thurlow Fisher Lawyers: Michael Coxon, Aaron Links and Trent Barnabas.
Yandoo: John Winning, Andrew Hay and Dave Gibson.
Australia - Queensland
Queenslander 1 (Q1): David Witt, Alan Mansfield and Barry Flannigan.
Australia - Western Australia
Black Swan: David Gilmour, Fang Warren and Pete Harris.
Slam: Grant Rollerson, Anthony Young and Peter Nicholson.
Panasonic 2: Scott Glaskin, 2nd and 3rd members TBA. |
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James Francis' Pure Blonde, during Race 1 of the Australian 18 Footers
League Club Championship on Sydney Harbour.
Photo © Australian 18 Footers League.
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New Zealand
CT Sailbattens: Alex Vallings, Chris Kitchen and Joshua Mc Cormack.
Maersk Line: Graham Catley, Hayden Whitburn and Brett Sellers.
Stunt Academy: Chris Hirst, Stu Wilson and Erwan Grossman.
Yamaha: David Mc Diarmid, Andrew Archibald and Murray England.
United Kingdom
Hyde Sail: Andy Budgen, Dan Wilsdon and Matt Wark.
Peters & May: Jarrod Simpson, Ian Turnbull and Adam Ovington.
United States of America
CST Composites: Howie Hamlin, Fritz Lanzinger and Paul Allen.
Kinder Caring: Skip Mc Cormack, Jody Mc Cormack and Matt Mc Kinlay. |
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Red Claw Wines and Rag & Famish Hotel providing
some spinnaker action on Sydney Harbour, during last
year's
Syd. Barnett memorial Trophy.
Photo © Australian 18 Footers League.
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Race dates are:
Race 1: Saturday March 5.
Race 2: Sunday March 6.
Race 3: Tuesday March 8.
Race 4: Wednesday March 9.
Race 5: Thursday March 10.
Race 6: Saturday March 12.
Race 7: Sunday March 13. |
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Pure Blonde (James Francis) in Race 2 of the New
South Wales Championship on Sydney Harbour late last year.
Photo © Australian 18 Footers League.
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All races will start at 3:00 pm with the exceptions of Races 1 and 6, which will start at 4:00 pm. A spectator ferry will follow each race, leaving Double Bay Wharf 30 minutes before the scheduled race start time. Race reports and video will be published on www.18footers.com.au as well as photographs from each race, which will also be published on www.flying18s.com.
Frank Quealey
Australian 18 Footers League |
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| Outimage and the
Australian 18 Footers Leaguea © 2011 |
