tech2 on form to take lead at JJ Giltinan

In the absence of an official world championship, the JJ Giltinan Championship is the highest honor for the 18-foot skiff class. The 2021 edition on March 6-14 brings together 20 teams on Sydney Harbor to make their mark in the 83-year history of the world’s premier 18-Footer championship.

Sydney, Australia (March 6, 2021) – Australian 18ft Skiff champion tech2 team of Jack Macartney, Charlie Wyatt, and Lewis Brake took the first step towards adding the JJ Giltinan Championship to an already impressive record this season when they came from behind to take out Race 1 of the regatta on Sydney Harbour today.

With a great display of crew work in the 12-18 knot SSE breeze, tech2 worked her way through the fleet to score a 27s victory from the Smeg team of Michael Coxon, Ricky Bridge, and Trent Barnabas, with Finport Finance (Keagan York, Matt Stenta, and Phil Marshall) a further 2m44s back in third place.

Andoo (Marcus Ashley-Jones) was a fast-finishing fourth place, ahead of The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Aron Everett) and Yandoo (John Winning).

After winning the start, tech2 found herself on the wrong side of the breeze on the short work across the harbour to the first windward mark and was only mid fleet as the skiffs raced up the harbour, two-sail reaching from Clark Island to Obelisk Bay.

Sean Langman’s Noakesailing grabbed the early lead from The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines, appliancesonline.com.au (Simon Nearn), Andoo, Yandoo, and Yandoo Winning Group (John Winning Jr.) at the Clark Island windward mark, and continued to hold the lead as the fleet began the long work back fro Obelisk Bay to the mark off the southern end of Shark Island.

Noakesailing continued to hold the lead into Rose Bay although Smeg was beginning to make a strong challenge for the lead, and tech2 was also starting her challenge.

Smeg elected to sail a course closer to Shark Island and took a 12s lead from Noakesailing which had sailed further to the left and slightly overlaid the mark. tech2 had made her way up to third place at that point, but was still 40s from the lead.

The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines was in fourth place, just ahead of Yandoo Winning Group and Finport Finance and a good battle was developing between the three teams until Yandoo Winning Group was forced out of the race after taking on water following the earlier collision with another competitor, which is the subject of a protest.

Over the next two legs of the course, Smeg continued to maintain her margin over tech2 as the pair eased away from the rest of the fleet.

The next group, The Oak Double Bay, Finport Finance, Appliancesonline, and Shaw & Partners Financial Services (Jim Colley) was absorbed in a good battle as the fleet headed back to Obelisk Bay on the second lap of the course.

A shift in the angle of the breeze allowed the fleet to use spinnakers on the long run, but it wasn’t a happy run for the teams on Yandoo and Noakesailing, which were both involved in a long-running battle with a Manly Ferry travelling at a similar speed as the two skiffs.

Shaw and Partners was another team to lose several places after capsizing close to the Obelisk Bay mark while placed in the top five of the fleet.

Finally, the pressure being applied by tech2 enabled the Australian champion team to take the lead away from Smeg as the fleet completed the second-lap leg from Obelisk Bay to Rose Bay.

With just two more legs of the course to sail, tech2 increased her lead over Smeg from 25s at Rose Bay to 27s at the finish.

The appliancesonline.com.au team were impressive, and in the leading group throughout the entire race, and won the handicap section of the race.

Event details – Day 1 results – Facebook

Background: Defending champions are Honda Marine team of David McDiarmid, Matt Steven, and Brad Collins who won their the third consecutive title in 2020.

JJ Giltinan Championship, Race Dates:
March 6, Race 1
March 7, Race 2
March 9, Races 3 and 4
March 10, Races 5 and 6
March 11, Race 7
March 13, Race 8
March 14, Race 9

JJ Giltinan Championship, List of Entries:
• tech2 – Jack Macartney, Charlie Wyatt, Lewis Brake
• Yandoo Winning Group – John Winning Jr., Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton
• Smeg – Michael Coxon, Ricky Bridge, Trent Barnabas
• Finport Finance – Keagan York, Matt Stenta, Phil Marshall
• The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines – Aron Everett, Courtney Mahar, Charlie Gundy
• Andoo Marcus – Ashley-Jones, Cam Gundy, Jeronimo Harrison
• Noakesailing – Sean Langman, Ed Powys, Josh Porebski
• Yandoo – John Winning, Fang Warren, Michael Kennedy
• Shaw and Partners Financial Services – Jim Colley, Shaun Connor, Harry Bethwaite
• The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone – Jordan Girdis, Lachlan Doyle, Tom Quigley
• Bird and Bear – Nick Daly, John Walton, tba
• Appliancesonline.com.au – Simon Nearn, Brandon Buyink, Kurt Fatouros
• Vintec – Tom Cunich, Alex Marinelli, Zac Barnabas
• Queenslander – Dave Hayter, Ben Roxburgh, Elliott Mahar
• Rag & Famish Hotel – Anthony Young, Matt Pearce, Phil Harmer
• Birkenhead Point Marina – Tim Westwood, Alex Chittenden, Felix Daverio
• Noakes Blue Yvette Heritage – Rory Cox, Oliver Scott-Mackie
• Lazarus Capital Partners – Lachlan Steel, Jerome Watts, Matt Doyle
• Ilve Pedro Vozone – Cam Walker, Paddy Bannon
• Lumix – Alex Watson, Laughlin Prentice, Matt Rogers

Source: Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.