Sunday, 24 February 2013
Sydney Harbour
Gotta Love It 7’s Seve Jarvin, Scott Babbage and Peter Harris became the 2013 champions when they took out Race 7 of the Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour today.
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Photo: Frank Quealey |
Following yesterday’s wipe out in Race 6 of the championship it all came down to today’s final race in a strong North-East wind with Gotta Love It 7 and Coopers-Rag & Famish Hotel level on eight points.
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Photo: Frank Quealey |
Allowing for discards being introduced, Coopers-Rag & Famish Hotel (Jack Macartney, David Witt and Mark Kennedy) had to finish within the first three placings today and ahead of Gotta Love It 7 to win the title.
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Photo: Frank Quealey |
A great start by the ‘7’ crew saw the red flying machine quickly take the lead from The Rag as the fleet sped off towards Bradleys Head.
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Photo: Frank Quealey |
Gotta Love It 7 maintained her advantage over Coopers-Rag & Famish Hotel, and when the latter team capsized near the Beashel Buoy the title was as good as won by ‘7’.
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Photo: Frank Quealey |
With their main challenger out of contention, the ‘7’ crew appeared to sail more conservatively (if you can sail an 18 conservatively in a 25-knot North East wind) as Thurlow Fisher Lawyers led the fleet down the spinnaker legs back to Clarke Island.
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Photo: Frank Quealey |
Spectators aboard the two club controlled ferries and others in a variety of vessels following the race were treated to some of the most spectacular action the 18s can provide.
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Photo: Frank Quealey |
Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon, Trent Barnabas, Dave O’Connor) led until the final rounding mark at Rose Bay but put on a performance to be remembered. They had capsized on the second windward leg but came back to lead the fleet home, before a spectacular capsize on the gybe as the crew ‘gunned’ it hard.
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Photo: Frank Quealey |
7’s crew saw the swim and quickly pulled their kite down for the run between the islands to the finish. New Zealand’s C-Tech (Alex Vallings, Josh McCormack and Peter Burling) finished 34s behind Gotta Love It 7, with Coopers-Rag & Famish Hotel coming home another 3m15s back in third place.
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Photo: Frank Quealey |
The final placings in the championship gave Gotta Love It 7 (9 points) a two points victory over Coopers-Rag & Famish Hotel, with Thurlow Fisher Lawyers third on 19 points. C-Tech also finished the series on 9 points but lost to Thurlow Fisher on a countback.
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Photo: Frank Quealey |
Smeg (Nick Press, Dan Phillips, Dave Ewings) was fifth on 21 points and
Appliancesonline.com.au (Micah Lane, Paul Montague, Tom Anderson) sixth on 34 points.
Frank Quealey
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