18ft Skiffs 3-Buoys Challenge - Race 4 on Sydney Harbour

Sun, 4 Nov 2012

Giltinan champion skipper Steve Jarvin and his Gotta Love It 7 crew of Scott Babbage and Peter Harris were on great form today to take out Race 4 of the AEG 3-Buoys Challenge in a fifteen knot North East wind on Sydney Harbour.

The Gotta Love It 7 team grabbed the lead at the final bottom mark of the four-lap course then edged away to defeat Appliancesonline.com.au (Micah Lane, Paul Montague and Tom Anderson) by 56s with Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, skippered by five times Giltinan champion Trevor Barnabas, a further 29s back in third place.

Andrew Chapman’s Fisher and Paykel was a further 38s back in fourth place, followed by Mojo Wine (James Dorron) and De’Longhi-Rabbitohs (Simon Nearn).

Thurlow Fisher Lawyers’ third placing today was enough for the team to retain the series on 18 points, with Gotta Love It 7 next on 21, Fisher and Paykel 22, Mojo Wine 23, Rabbitohs-Kenwood (Brett Van Munster) 29 and Asko Appliances (Marcus Ashley-Jones) on 30.

The series is now at the halfway point and there will be a one week break (for race 1 of the NSW Championship) before the 3-Buoys Challenge resumes on 18 November.

Most of the fleet elected to use their smaller number two rigs today with only The Kitchen Maker, skippered by Olympic Gold Medalist Malcolm Page, and Coopers-Rag and Famish Hotel (Jack Macartney) electing to go with their bigger number one gear.

Malcolm Page was quickly into form in his first race back in the skiffs as The Kitchen Maker led the fleet from Thurlow Fisher Lawyers as spinnakers were set for the first run back to the bottom mark.

Appliancesonline.com.au was in third place ahead of Asko Appliances, Lumix (Euan McNicol), Gotta Love It 7, Mojo Wine and Coopers-Rag and Famish Hotel.

Thurlow Fisher grabbed the lead at the bottom mark and continued to lead on the next windward leg but Asko took over with the advantage of the nearer ‘red’ buoy rounding.

The racing was close and positions at the head of the fleet were continually changing over the next lap of the course.

Sporting their brand new number two rig, Appliancesonline was showing excellent pace and holding out Gotta Love It 7 before a slow mark rounding at the end of the third lap enabled the champion ‘7’ crew through for a well-deserved victory.

‘Pick the Podium’ is back again this season with prizes to be won by just making some selections on which teams you think will fill the placings in Sunday’s race. For full details, click here.

Race 1 of the NSW Championship will be sailed next Sunday with the Spectator Ferry leaving Double Bay Public Wharf at 2.15pm.