Honda Marine in control at JJ Giltinan

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 17, 2020) – After yesterday’s layday, three windward-return course races staged on Day 3 of the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour produced three different winners in the light SE breeze.

In the first race of the day (Race 3 of the championship), Shaw and Partners Financial Services (James Dorron, Harry Bethwaite, Tim Westwood) led all the way over the two-lap course to cross the finish line 13s ahead of Finport Finance (Keagan York, Matt Stenta, Angus Williams).

Defending champion and series leader Honda Marine (David McDiarmid, Matt Steven, Brad Collins) was a further 50s back in third place, followed by Winning Group (Seve Jarvin), C-Tech (Alex Vallings), URM (Marcus Ashley-Jones), Smeg (Micah Lane) and Rag & Famish Hotel (Bryce Edwards).

Race 4 was sailed over three laps and again it produced an all the way winner, Bird & Bear (Tom Clout, John Walter, Cameron McDonald). Bird & Bear dominated the first two laps of the course then hung on to defeat Honda Marine by 40s, with Yandoo (John Winning, Mike Kennedy, Fand Warren) a further 1m52s back in third place.

Race 3 winner Shaw & Partners Financial Services finished in fourth place, ahead of Winning Group and Sean Langman’s Noakesailing.

The final race of the day was sailed over another two-lap course and once again produced an all-the-way winner when Winning Group (Seve Jarvin Sam Newton, Scott Babbage) cruised home a 45s winner from Rag & Famish Hotel (Bryce Edwards, Jacob Broome, Rory Cox).

Honda Marine was 16s back in third place, followed by Yandoo, Tech2 (Jack Macartney), The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone (Jordan Girdis) and the previous winner Bird & Bear.

The top six point scores after five races, without a drop, are: Honda Marine 10, Winning Group 16, Yandoo 36, Shaw & Partners 37, Smeg 39, and Tech2 on 43.

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.