JJ Gilltinan: Kiwis edge closer to historic win

JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff International - Day 4, March 7, 2018 © Suellen Davies / Auckland Skiff League

It was both a stressful and exciting day on Sydney Harbour for Race 4 and Race 5 of the JJ Giltinan. The forecast was for 15 knots and the call was for number one rigs. The breeze dropped off to around 10 knots for the afternoon. Race 4:

All four Kiwi boats were deep at the start and with the three lap windward/leeward race, they had some serious work to do. And C-Tech worked the hardest rounding the top mark for the first time in 3rd, followed by Honda Marine in 5th, Maersk Line in 7th and Knight Frank in 8th. Both Maersk Line and Knight Frank went for the gybe set on the first downwind.

At the bottom mark Maersk Line managed to come around in 3rd with Honda Marine 4th, Knight Frank 6th and C-Tech 7th. So it was up and down for the Kiwis and the story was the same for the duration of the race.

Honda Marine was in 2nd at the top mark for the final time behind Triple M with Smeg mixing it up as well. Maersk Line in 5th followed by Knight Frank in 6th and C-Tech in 8th. The last downwind once again provided some stressful moments for the spectators and it looked like Smeg was going to take the win, but it was Triple M, who led for most of the race who took away the win with Smeg in 2nd and Honda Marine in 3rd.

Race 4 Top 8 Results:

Triple M
Smeg
Honda Marine
Quality Marine Clothing
Maersk Line
Knight Frank
ASKO
C-Tech

JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff International - Day 4, March 7, 2018 - photo © Suellen Davies / Auckland Skiff League

Race 5:

After the first attempt to start was blown up due to a massive shift within the one minute, the race got away with an equally dodgy shift. Most of the fleet was at the pin end of the line and both Harken and C-Tech had to restart after being over when the gun fired.

The Kiwi fleet was deep and it looked like their luck had run out.

The race leader from the start was the team from the UK The Time Genie who were on fire and looking famous.

At the second top mark, the highest ranked Kiwi was Honda Marine who were 9th. At the final top mark, Maersk Line opted to go the starboard side of Shark Island and it paid off with them taking an awesome shift into the mark. They managed to get up to second, just behind ASKO. Honda Marine who went up the port hand side of the final upwind, rounded the top mark in 8th.

And then it was a massive game of snakes and ladders for the final downwind of the day. Maersk Line did a gybe set while ASKO did a bear away. It was the manoeuvre by Maersk Line that put them just ahead of ASKO. The Time Genie and Maersk Line pushed each other hard during last 200m of the race and it came down to the wire with Maersk Line crossing ahead of the Brits by a whisker.

Fineport Trade Finance also had a glamour final downwind and snuck into 3rd. Honda Marine managed to also pull off a glamour finish crossing just behind Finport, and just moments in front of ASKO.

Stressful and exciting.

New Zealand last won the JJ Giltinan Trophy in 1973 when Terry McDell, Peter Brook and Kim McDell won in Auckland sailing TraveL\lodge

Race 5 Top 8 Results:

Maersk Line
The Time Genie (GBR)
Fineport Trade Finance
Honda Marine
ASKO
Appliancesonline.com.au
Vintec
Harken

Racing continues on Thursday 8 March with back to back windward/leeward races also on the cards.

New Zealand Team - Representing Royal Akarana Yacht Club / Auckland Skiff League Honda Marine – Dave McDiarmid, Matt Steven, Brad Collins
Knight Frank – Riley Dean, Luke Stevenson, Tim Snedden
C-Tech – Alex Vaillings, Sam Trethewey, Matt Coutts
Maersk Line – Josh Porebski, Jack Simpson, David Hazard

Post Race Interviews - Maersk Line

Post Race Interviews - Honda Marine