Seve Jarvin: No time to rest

Sydney, Australia (March 9, 2014) – The Australian Gotta Love It 7 team of Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Scott Babbage officially became the 2014 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff champions today after a magnificent regatta performance which saw the team score five wins and one second place from the six races which count towards the final points.

The win gave skipper Seve Jarvin his sixth victory as a skipper in the championship, equaling the record of Iain Murray (1977-1982, inclusive), who is now team manager for Gotta Love It 7.

The 2014 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on March 1-9 was the 75th anniversary of the world’s greatest 18 Footer event which began on Sydney Harbour in 1938. In addition to Murray, notable designers such as Ben Lexcen, Bruce Farr, and Julian Bethwaite have all been successful as winners.

Murray, in his new role as CEO to Team Australia, the Challenger of Record for the 35th America’s Cup, has now appointed Jarvin to the Team Australia crew. Prior to the JJ, Jarvin skippered the opening event of the 2014 Extreme Sailing Series in Singapore. Here Jarvin replies to questions…

How did you get into sailing?
I got into sailing through my family who are all quite sailing orientated. My dad has sailed his whole life and has been to the Olympics and regattas all round the world. It was sort of forced into me, so I had to get into it when I was younger and was lucky enough to really enjoy it and have stuck with it.

What are your hopes for the series?
We have been thrown into the deep end a bit, it’s the first time we have sailed a multihull, and we don’t have too many big expectations early on. The learning curve will be quite steep early on, but we are a young team and improving every minute on the water.

What are your ambitions over the next 12 months?
As a team, the long term goal is to be the challenger that advances to the 35th America’s Cup, and the Extreme Sailing Series is a way in for us. As a team, we improved upon the things we did wrong early on in Singapore, and hopefully by next event in Oman (on March 19-22), things will be running smoothly.

Is the Extreme Sailing Series the training ground for Team Australia?
Yes for sure, we are all young guys and there is nothing better than sailing against the best. These are all the best in the world, and having not sailed multihulls before, we are learning quicker than ever.

What is your greatest sporting achievement?
Probably the first JJ Giltinan that I won (in 2008) as a skipper; it was a pretty big thing. I had already won as sheet hand on Euan McNicol’s Club Marine in 2005, but steering was pretty special. The year before we had just missed out and it hurt, so the year after we had really wanted to win it.