Three windward-return course races staged on Day 3 of the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour today 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.
Races 6 and 7 of the championship will be sailed tomorrow.
Other race dates are:
Saturday March 21 Race 8
Sunday March 22 Race 9
NOTE:
Unfortunately, due to the present COVID-19 restrictions, the Board of the Australian 18 Footers League have decided to cancel the club's spectator ferry until further notice. Racing will continue, and AeroMedia Live Broadcast team will be out on Sydney Harbour to capture all the action, which can be viewed LIVE online at www.18footers.com and clicking on the '18 Footers TV' link..
The club's promotional day on the Island bar, Wednesday (March 18) has also been cancelled.
– Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League
