Tight at top of JJ Giltinan 2020

In the absence of a world title for the 18ft Skiff Class, the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship is it, held annually in Sydney, Australia. For a region that likes to go fast, and a legion of legends with names on the trophy, it’s time again to make history.

Sydney, AUS (March 18, 2020) – The defending champion Honda Marine team of David McDiarmid, Matt Steven, and Brad Collins hold a narrow points lead over their nearest rival as the fleet tomorrow goes into the final two races of the 2020 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour.

After each team drops the worst placing from the seven races sailed to date, Honda Marine leads former World champions Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton, and Scott Babbage in Winning Group by just four points, so every placing in each of the two races will be critical.

Honda Marine has a net total of 11 points, Winning Group is on 15 points. Shaw & Partners Financial Services (James Dorron, Harry Bethwaite, Tim Westwood) is third on 28, followed by Smeg (Micah Lane) 29, Tech2 (Jack Macartney) 35, and Finport Finance (Keagan York) 43.

In today’s first race, sailed over a windward-return two-lap course in a 13-18 knots NE wind, Honda Marine came from behind early in the race to defeat Smeg (Micah Lane, Ricky Bridge, Peter Harris) by 44s, with Winning Group a further 35s back in third place.

C-Tech (Alex Vallings) was fourth, followed by Shaw & Partners Financial Services and Finport Finance.

Honda Marine trailed the early leader, Shaw & Partners, to the top mark but powered downwind under her big rig (her opponents had smaller #2 rigs) to hold a 7s margin at the bottom mark. Over the final lap of the course, Honda Marine out-sailed the rest of the fleet to go on to an impressive 44s victory.

In the latter race (Race 7), Winning Group won the start and quickly opened up a clear 45s break over Noakesailing (Sean Langman), Smeg, Tech2, Noakes Blue (Yvette Heritage), Bird & Bear (Tom Clout), Finport Finance, Vintec (Kirk Mitchell), and Honda Marine, which was 1m30s behind the leaders.

Unlike Race 6, the big rig boats were unable to gain enough time over the smaller rigged boats downwind and Winning Group was still 30s ahead at the bottom mark l. Noakesailing was still in second place but Tech2 had edged just ahead of Smeg in the battle for third place.

Over the final lap of the course, Winning Group had little trouble retaining her lead and was still 45s ahead of Smeg and Tech2 at the top mark. Smeg and Tech2 then staged a spectacular spinnaker battle on the run down the middle of Sydney Harbour to the finish. Tech2 finally getting the better of Smeg to take second place by just 8s.

The JJ Giltinan Championship will conclude tomorrow with two races (races 8 and 9) being sailed to complete the nine-race regatta.

1996 JJ Giltinan world champion Stephen Quigley will present the traditional blue ribbon to the winning team on the water, immediately after the completion of Race 9. Mr. Quigley has also won Australian, European, NSW, and Australian 18 Footer League Club Championships, and has been a Director of the club for the past 20 years.

Race details – Online broadcast – Series results

Race dates are:
March 14 Race 1
March 15 Race 2
March 17 Races 3, 4, 5
March 18 Races 6 & 7
March 19 Race 8 & 9

Entries for 2020 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship:
Honda Marine: David McDiarmid, Matt Steven, Brad Collins
Winning Group: John Winning Jr., Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton
Finport Finance: Keagan York, Matt Stenta, Angus Williams
Shaw & Partners Financial Services: James Dorron, Harry Bethwaite, Tim Westwood
Smeg: Micah Lane, Ricky Bridge, Peter Harris
C-Tech: Alex Vallings, Sam Trethewey, Matt Coutts
Tech2: Jack Macartney, Charlie Wyatt, Trent Barnabas
Appliancesonline.com.au: Brett Van Munster, Phil Marshall, Kurt Fatouris
The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines: Aron Everett, Courtney Mahar, Charlie Gundy
Noakesailing: Sean Langman, Ed Powys, Nathan Edwards
The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone: Jordan Girdis, Lachlan Doyle, Tom Quigley
Yandoo: John Winning, Mike Kennedy, Jasper Warren
Vintec: Kirk Mitchell, Pete Nicholson, Matt Wark
Maersk Line: Peron Pearse, Eli Liefting, Harry Clark
Rag & Famish Hotel: Bryce Edwards, Jacob Broom, Rory Cox
Birkenhead Point Marina: Tom Anderson, Elliot Scali, Tom Arkens
URM: Marcus Ashley-Jones, Cam Gundy, Lewis Brake
Ilve: Pedro Vozone, Matt Doyle, Jerome Watts
Queenslander: David Hayter, Nathaniel Dutton, Elliot Mahar
Dal Zotto: Jack Sprague, Josh Feldmann, Marc Chapon
Noakes Blue: Yvette Heritage, Rory Hunter, Oliver Scott-Mackie
Bird & Bear: Tom Clout, Cameron McDonald, John Walton
Lumix: Alex Watson, Cooper Richmond, Ben Roxburgh
QMC: Matt Rogers, Darren Rogers, Steve Wilson

Source: Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.