Winnings 2025 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship – Race sponsor: Vaikobi
Trophy: A.J. Reynolds – Wednesday, 12 March 2025 – Sydney Harbour
Today’s wind was light and shifty as it was yesterday, but the results of the two short-course races was vastly different, which has added to the drama of the final three races of the Winnings 2025 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship, which continues on Sydney Harbour tomorrow.
After Yandoo had won each of the first four races of the regatta, the challengers needed to strike back today to keep the interest up and they did that with style.
In the first of today’s races (Race 5), the Smeg team of Nathan McNamara, Jed Cruikshank and Jack Taylor produced a good performance with excellent downwind speed to defeat Lazarus Capital Partners (Tom Cunich, Josh Feldmann, Paddy Bannon) by 1m23s with the young Sixt team (Jacob Marks, Alex Marinelli, Matt Doyle) a further 16s back in third place.
New Zealand’s ASCC (Eli Liefting) finished fourth, followed by Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Emma Rankin) and Balmain (Henry Larkings).
In the latter race (Race 6), the light breeze became even lighter but produced an exciting race in which the lead and positions throughout the fleet changed continually.
At the finish, the Australian champion Rag & Famish Hotel team of Harry Price, Max Paul and Finn Rodowicz came from behind to record a 51s victory which has put the team back into contention for the title.
Finport Finance (Keagan York, Matt Stenta and Angus Williams) also kept their hopes well alive with a solid second place just 8s ahead of a determined Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Emma Rankin, Joel Turner, Brandon Buyink).
The early race leader The Kitchen Maker (Lachlan Steel) finished in fourth place ahead of Race 5 winner Smeg and Lazarus Capital Partners.
Series leader Yandoo didn’t perform to the same level as she has over the first four races and the team had to be content with moderate 9th and 7th placings.
Following today’s two races, and allowing for current discards of each boats worst performance to date, Yandoo (Tom Needham, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake) leads with a net total of 11 points, followed by Finport Finance on 14, Rag & Famish Hotel on 21, Smeg 27, ASCC on 28, C-Tech (NZ) 32, and Balmain on 36.6.
Germany’s Black Knight (Heinrich von Bayern) and Shaw and Partners Financial Services are next, tied on 40 points.
There are protests entered from the racing and the above points are provisional at this time.
While the usual speed of the flying 18s was missing because of the lack of good wind, the racing was enthralling as the fleet spread across the harbour while working to the weather mark, then took a wide variety of downwind angles under spinnaker as the teams searched for the best breeze.
One of the most pleasing things to come out of the day’s racing was the performances of a number of young up-and-coming teams and the excellent effort by Emma Rankin in Shaw and Partners as she tried to become the first female ever to win a race at a Giltinan worlds regatta.
The Shaw and Partners team almost pulled it off as it led to the final weather mark but, unfortunately hit the mark and was forced to do a penalty turn which pushed them back to third place.
Race 7 of the Winnings 2025 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship will be sailed on Sydney Harbour tomorrow (13 March). The Australian 18 Footers League’s spectator ferry will follow the race, leaving Double Bay Public Wharf at 2pm.
SailMedia will livestream all the action, with expert commentary from the course.
Visit www.18footers.com for the very best in 18 foot skiff racing from Sydney Harbour.
Frank Quealey
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