Gotta Love It 7 secures 2014 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship

Sydney, Australia (March 8, 2014) – The Gotta Love It 7 team of Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Scott Babbage scored their fifth race win of the 2014 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship when they easily won Race 6 on Sydney Harbour today.

Along with today’s win, they also secured the title as the only other team capable of equaling their score, Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon, David O’Connor, Trent Barnabas) would not match the Team Seven score on count back.

Gotta Love It 7 defeated Thurlow Fisher Lawyers by 53s today, with Mojo Wine (Chris Nicholson, Mike McKensey, Ricky Bridge) only 3s further back in third place.

While Seven’s wins was clear cut, the race for the minor placings went right down to the wire as only 14s separated the next three teams, Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, Mojo Wine and Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel (Jack Macartney).

After discarding their worst performances to date, Gotta Love It 7 has a total of five points, followed by Thurlow Fisher Lawyers on 16, New Zealand’s C-Tech (Alax Vallings) on 24, Mojo Wine also on 24, Yamaha (David McDiarmin, New Zealand) on 32 and Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel on 32.

One thing that has come out of the regatta is the closeness of the competition with the exclusion of Gotta Love It 7.

The race started in a 10-knot Easterly wind and clear sky with all teams rigged in their bigger #1 rigs.

UK teams Pica (Jamie Mears) and Haier Appliances (Rick Peacock) led the fleet across the harbour on a long port tack, while Smeg (Nick Press), Gotta Love It 7 and Layline Automation (Chip McCormack) were close behind.

The champion seven team elected to go closer in to the shore and picked up a shift which took it to the lead over Haier, Asko Appliances (Marcus Ashley-Jones), Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel, Knight Frank (Riley Dean, NZ) and Smeg at the Rose Bay windward mark.

Haier Appliances applied pressure to Gotta Love It 7 on the spinnaker run to the wing mark off Clarke Island, but the ever-reliable ‘7’ opened up a break as the fleet rounded the bottom mark of the course.

Once in front, it was a sure thing that, barring an accident, no team was going to catch the red boat.

The race then centred on the race for the minor placings and this was a race well worth watching as positions changed regularly all the way to the finish line.

At the windward mark on the second lap of the course, Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel edged ahead of Haier Appliances, C-Tech, Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, Mojo Wine, Pure Blonde (Nick Daly), Asko Appliances and Knight Frank.

Mojo had her turn of chasing the leader when she took over second place from Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel midway up the final beat.

While those two teams battled it out, Thurlow Fisher Lawyers sailed a great course and joined Mojo Wine as the pair set spinnakers for the run home.

In a wonderful finish for the minor placings the result was in doubt until the very end as Thurlow Fish Lawyers, Mojo Wine and Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel thrilled the large spectator fleet on the harbour.

Results: Race 6 – Overall

Source: Information provided by Frank Quealey

Background:
The 2014 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on March 1-9 is the 75th anniversary of the world’s greatest 18 Footer event which began on Sydney Harbour in 1938. Notable designers such as Ben Lexcen, Bruce Farr, Iain Murray and Julian Bethwaite have all been successful as winners, with Murray leading the charge claiming six consecutive wins from 1977-1982. In 2014, 5-time winning skipper Seve Jarvin will seek to match the master as Jarvin leads the Gotta Love It 7 team with Sam Newton and Scott Babbage. Murray is now the Gotta Love It 7 team manager.

2014 JJ GILTINAN 18ft SKIFF CHAMPIONSHIP – Race Schedule
March 1 – Race 1 (abandoned)
March 2 – Race 2
March 3 – Race 1 (re-sail)
March 4 – Race 3
March 5 – Race 4
March 6 – Race 5
March 8 – Race 6
March 9 – Race 7

List of Entries: 2014 JJ GILTINAN 18ft SKIFF CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Gotta Love It 7 – Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton, Scott Babbage – Australia
2. Thurlow Fisher Lawyers – Michael Coxon, Dave O’Connor, Trent Barnabas – Australia
3. Mojo Wine – Chris Nicholson, Mike McKensey, Ricky Bridge – Australia
4. C-Tech – Alex Vallings, Chris Kitchen, Joshua McCormack – New Zealand
5. Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel – Jack Macartney, Mark Kennedy, Peter Harris – Australia
6. Sydney City Marine – David Witt, Tom Clout, Matt Wark – Australia
7. Smeg – Nick Press, Dan Phillips, Dave Ewings – Australia
8. Yamaha – David McDiarmid, Andrew Archibald, Mark Overington – New Zealand
9. Fisher & Paykel – Grant Rollerson, Peter Nicholson, Geoff Bauchop – Australia
10. Asko Appliances – Marcus Ashley-Jones, James Dorron, Jeronimo Harrison – Australia
11. Lumix – Jonathan Whitty, James Hozack, Aron Everett – Australia
12. Pica – Jamie Mears, Stewart Mears,Matt Searle – UK
13. CST Composites – Howie Hamlin, Mike Martin, Nick Catley – USA
14. Winning Appliances – Shane Smith, Shane Dickson, Jake Restall – Australia
15. Yandoo – John Winning, Andrew Hay, Jim Beck – Australia
16. Appliancesonline.com.au – Micah Lane, Paul Montague, Tom Anderson – Australia
17. Haier Appliances – Rick Peacock, Tristan Hutt, Nick Murray – UK
18. Rabbitohs-Kenwood – Brett Van Munster, Joel Castle, Kurt Fatouris – Australia
19. The Kitchen Maker – Will Phillips, Malcolm Page, Cameron McDonald – Australia
20. Knight Frank – Riley Dean, Matt Coutts, John Little – New Zealand
21. Original Chia – Flemming Clausen, Soren Clausen, tba – Denmark
22. De’Longhi-Rabbitohs – Simon Nearn, Kieryn Cowan, Keagan York – Australia
23. Pure Blonde – Nick Daly, John Walton, James Smithers – Australia
24. Black Dog – Jarrod Simpson, tba, tba – UK
25. Maersk Line – Graham Catley, Matt Randell, Brad Collins – New Zealand
26. Hyde Sails – Jack Grogan, Sam Caslin, Michael Banks – UK
27. Magic Marine – Norbetr Peter, Finn Mrugalla, Eike Dietrich – Germany
28. Compassforex.com.au – Pedro Vozone, Jakub Jankowski, Daniel Watson – Australia
29. EuroLink – Friedrich Renner, Christian Meissner, Thomas Eggersdorfer – Germany
30. PB Towage – Josh Franklin, Tristan Hamilton, Barry Flanagan – Australia
31. Viagogo – Alexandra South, Locky Pryer, James Slee – Australia
32. Ilve – Oliver Hartas, Josh Marks, Tim Lake – Australia
33. Brisbane 18 Footers – Laurie Williamson, Daniel Smith, Nathan Smittmann – Australia
34. CT Sailbattens – Skip McCormack, Jody McCormack, Joe Penrod – USA