18ft Skiff 2022 JJ Giltinan Championship Invitation Race
by Frank Quealey 4 Mar 2022 00:44 PST
4 March 2022
After a week of heavy rain, strong winds and widespread flooding along the NSW and Queensland coastline, the 2022 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship regatta began with the traditional Invitation Race on Sydney Harbour today.
The original concept was to assist visiting teams with learning some of the local conditions but the race is now used primarily as a final tune-up for the 'real thing' which gets under way tomorrow.
Today's race was no different but it did confirm that there is little between the top three teams Australian champion Andoo, defending champion Smeg and NSW champion Tech2.
Andoo's team of Seve Jarvin, Matt Stenta and Sam Newton officially won the race by 1m57s from The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Aron Everett, John Cooley and Charlie Gundy), with Lazarus Capital Partners (Marcus Ashley-Jones, Jeronimo Harrison and Cam Gundy) a further 1m47s back in third place.
Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Steve Thomas) finished in fourth place ahead of Yandoo (John Winning) and Balmain Slake (Henry Larkings).
Tech2 (Jack Macartney), Smeg (Michael Coxon), Burrawang-Young Henrys (Simon Nearn) and Queensland's C-Tech (Dave Hayter) were all rules out of the race for being over the start line on the 'black flag' third attempt to get the race away but all continued for most of the race as part of their preparation for the championship proper.
The fleet was split with the decision to go with the bigger #1 rig or smaller #2.
Andoo chose the smaller while Smeg's team went big and the decisions provided an interesting race for the lead over the entire course.
At the first mark in Rose Bay, Andoo held a 10s lead over Ilve (Jono Whitty), C-Tech, and Smeg, followed by The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines, Rag & Famish Hotel (Harry Price), Yandoo, Tech2, WA's Black Swan (Luke Parkinson) and Noakes Blue (Yvette Heritage).
Although officially out of the race, Smeg raced into second place on the long spinnaker run across the harbour to Robertson Point then took the lead away from Andoo as the pair rounded the mark off Clark Island.
Smeg was fast downwind and continued to hold the lead over the following two legs of the course but as the breeze freshened a little Andoo's rig proved decisive and once the experienced team regained the lead the race was all-but won.
The visiting teams, particularly C-Tech, Black Swan and Black Knight (Heinrich Von Bayern) all showed glimpses of good form while the Danish team (Jesper Brondum) finished 12th in its first race on the harbour.
Invitation Race Results:
| Pos | Boat Name | Finish | Elapsed |
|---|
| 1 | Andoo
(Seve Jarvin / Matt Stenta / Sam Newton) | 16:11:33 | 01:10:33 |
| 2 | The Oak Double Bay / 4 Pines
(Aron Everett / John Cooley / Charlie Gundy) | 16:13:30 | 01:12:30 |
| 3 | Lazarus Capital Partners
(Marcus Ashley Jones / Jeronimo Harrison / Cam Gundy) | 16:15:17 | 01:14:17 |
| 4 | Shaw & Partners Financial Services
(Steve Thomas / Lindsay Stead / Locky Pryor) | 16:15:19 | 01:14:19 |
| 5 | Yandoo
(John Winning Snr / Fang Warren / Mike Kennedy) | 16:17:45 | 01:16:45 |
| 6 | Balmain Slake
(Henry Larkings / Max Paul / Flynn Twomey) | 16:18:34 | 01:17:34 |
| 7 | Ilve
(Jono Whitty / Lachlan Doyle / John Walton) | 16:19:29 | 01:18:29 |
| 8 | Fisher & Paykel
(Jordan Girdis / Kurt Fatouros / Nathan Edwards ) | 16:19:51 | 01:18:51 |
| 10 | Black Knight
(Heinrich Van Bayern / Thomas Martin / Andy Martin) | 16:22:08 | 01:21:08 |
| 11 | The Kitchen Maker/ Ceasarstone
(Lachlan Steel / Jerome Watts / Matt Doyle) | 16:22:17 | 01:21:17 |
| 12 | DENMARK Team
(Jesper Brondum / Uffe Anderson / Jesper Brondum) | 16:24:20 | 01:23:20 |
| DNF | 18 Footers Bar and Restaurant
(Pedro Vozone / Cam Walker / Paddy Bannon) | | |
| RET | Appliances Online
(Alex Marinelli / Darcy McCraken / Tyler Creevey) | | |
| RET | Black Swan
( Luke Parkinson / Cam McDonald / Luke Payne) | | |
| RET | Noakes Blue
(Yvette Heritage / Tom Clout / James Turner) | | |
| RET | Rag & Famish Hotel
(Harry Price / Josh McKnight / Harry Hall) | | |
| BFD | Burrawang‑Young Henrys
(Simon Nearn / Rory Cox / Brandon Buyink) | | |
| BFD | C‑Tech QLD
(David Hayter / Ben Roxburgh / Elliot Mahar) | | |
| BFD | Smeg
(Michael Coxon / Ricky Bridge / Zac Barnabas) | | |
| BFD | Tech2
(Jack Macartney / Charlie Wyatt / Lewis Brake) | | |
| DNC | Birkenhead Point Marina
(Tim Westwood / Will Dargaville / Alex Chittenden) | | |
| DNC | Finport Finance
(Keagan York / Bryce Edwards / Phill Marshall) | | |
| DNC | Lazarus Development
(Hugo Stoner / Hugo Leeming / Alex Watson) | | |
| DNC | Noakesailing
(Sean Langman / Ed Powys / Josh Porebski) | | |
| DNC | Noakes Youth
(Tom Cunich / Fynn Sprott / Harry Smith) | | |
2022 JJ Giltinan Championship Race Dates:
- March 5 - Race 1, George Calligeros Trophy
- March 6 - Race 2, Cliff Monkhouse Memorial Trophy
- March 8 - Race 3, Alan Cole Memorial Trophy
- March 9 - Races 4 & 5, A.J. Reynolds Trophy
- March 10 - Races 6 & 7, Bill Miller Memorial Trophy
- March 12 - Race 8, Big Kite Memorial Trophy
- March 13 - Race 9
Spectators can follow the racing on board the spectator ferry. Booking online through the club's website
www.18footers.com is essential.
www.18footers.com.au/18-footers-sailing/spectator-ferry
For those unable to make it out onto the water, Sail Media's live-as-it-happens broadcast team will be on Sydney Harbour to capture all the action.
Live streaming is available at www.18footers.com by clicking on the '18 Footers TV' link.