Winings 2025 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship – Race Sponsor: Harken
Trophy: Alan Cole Memorial Trophy – Tuesday, 11 March 2025 – Sydney Harbour
Two short-course races with rain and light, variable easterly conditions on Day 3 of the Winnings 2025 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship made little difference to the incredible performance being shown by the defending champion Yandoo team which has now won four consecutive races of the regatta on Sydney Harbour.
Fast and faultless best sums up the Yandoo team of Tom Needham (skipper), Fang Warren (sheet) and Lewis Brake (bow), which has dominated all four races of the nine-race series and given it a clear points lead going into another two races tomorrow.
Adding to the woes of Yandoo’s major challengers, most of the more favoured teams are either carrying one or more disappointing race results, becoming involved in racing incidents or are performing below their regular form.
After the four races, Yandoo leads the (provisional) pointscores with a total of four points, followed by Finport Finance (Keagan York, Matt Stenta and Angus Williams) on 12 points (and has a protest pending), with New Zealand’s C-Tech (Alex Vallings, Matt Steven and Brad Collins) in third place on 19 points.
Until each team discards its worst performance after tomorrow’s two races, the overall placings behind the leader, to date, are misleading.
Low visibility and a 5-8knot easterly wind prevailed for most of today’s first race (Race 3, two laps, windward-leeward) but it made no difference to the Yandoo team as it immediately grabbed the lead and was 32s clear of the second-placed ASCC (Eli Liefting), followed by the German Black Knight (Heinrich von Bayern), Marine Outlet (Josh Porebski) and Smeg (Nathan McNamara).
The Australian champion Rag & Famish Hotel crew incorrectly believed they had been called OCS and returned to restart and were only 16th. Finport Finance were recalled and restarted and were in 17th place.
Yandoo extended her lead over ASCC to 55s at the bottom mark to end the first lap but there was drama further back when three of the leading group, Balmain, Vaikobi and Shaw and Partners Financial Services became entangled as they rounded the mark.
When the breeze freshened and went further to the East as the fleet headed for the finish under spinnaker, positions changed greatly and caused further havoc when the second placed ASCC capsized just a few metres from the finish line and ultimately didn’t complete the course.
Yandoo’s final winning margin over Finport Finance was 2m53s with C-Tech just 2s further back in third place. Rag & Famish finish well to grab fourth place just 1s ahead of Smeg, followed by WLTH (Josh Sloman).
In the latter race (Race 4), Yandoo again was soon in the lead and led by 14s at the weather mark from a hard challenging Black Knight, but the following spinnaker run saw Yandoo’s lead extend to 50s and the series leader went on to win the race by 1m10 from Finport Finance with Black Knight (Heinrich von Bayern, Thomas Martin and Andy Martin) a further 12s back in third place.
Marine Outlet was fourth, followed by Rag & Famish Hotel and C-Tech.
Races 5 and 6 of the Winnings 2025 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship will be sailed on Sydney Harbour on Wednesday, 12 March. The Australian 18 Footers League’s spectator ferry will follow the racing, 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.
SailMedia will live stream all the action:
Frank Quealey
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