The two short course races on Day three of the Winning Group 73rd JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship produced close racing on the track, and laid a wonderful platform for a close contest over the remaining five races of the regatta on Sydney Harbour.

With a light Easterly breeze on hand for the first of the two races, the Smeg team of Michael Coxon, James Dorron and Tom Anderson led all the way over the two-lap course to defeat Big Pete (Sean Langman, Ed Powys and Rhys Mara) by 12s, with Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Dave O’Connor, Trent Barnabas and Tom Quigley) a further 11s back in third place.

Finport Finance (Keagan York), the series leader going into today’s racing, finished fourth followed by Noakes Youth (Tom Cunich) and Andoo (John Winning Jr).

The breeze went more towards the North East and freshened a touch to 8-10 knots.

In a race which produced a close battle for the lead throughout the entire two laps of the course, the Big Pete team made up for its narrow loss in the earlier race to narrowly defeat Shaw and Partners Financial Services by 7s, with Andoo (John Winning Jr, Seve Jarvin and Sam Newton) another 6s back in third place.

Rag & Famish Hotel (Harry Price) finished fourth ahead of Yandoo (John Winning) and Smeg.

After the first four races of the nine-race championship, Big Pete and Smeg share the lead on 14 points, followed by Andoo on 16, Shaw and Partners Financial Services and Finport Finance 18, Yandoo 25, Rag & Famish Hotel 27, Lazarus (Marcus Ashley Jones) 29, Balmain Slake (Henry Larkings) 41 and Germany’s Black Knight (Heinrich Bayern) on 43.

In the first of the two races, Smeg and Shaw and Partners shared the lead at the weather mark after a close contest with Finport Finance and Big Pete. Black Knight was in fifth place just ahead of Noakes Youth.

Smeg’s downwind speed enabled her to open up a 20s lead over Big Pete at the bottom mark with Shaw and Partners in third place ahead of Finport Finance, Noakes Youth, Black Knight, Rag & Famish Hotel and Andoo.

The Smeg team retained her lead at the following weather mark before helding of all challengers over the final leg of the course.

In the latter race, Yandoo won a great contest between four teams to lead narrowly at the weather mark from Big Pete, Andoo and Rag & Famish Hotel.

The fifth placed Shaw and Partners team elected to sail a completely different downwind course to the four teams ahead of them and the move proved to be a winner when the skiff closed in on the leader and was now in third place.

Sean Langman and his team were powerful in the conditions and grabbed the lead on the final beat to the weather mark.

As spinnakers were set for the run to the finish Big Pete held a 12s lead from Shaw and Partners, Andoo, Rag & Famish Hotel, Yandoo, Smeg and Noakes Youth, and held off the determined challenge from Dave O’Connor’s Shaw and Partners to record a good win.

In the handicap section of the championship, Noakes Youth (Tom Cunich, Fynn Sprott and Aiden Mansley) won both races and now moves up into equal second place overall with Yandoo on 32 points, behind the leader Shaw and Partners Financial Services on 19 points.

With two more short course races to be sailed tomorrow on Sydney Harbour, the overall position is unlikely to become any clearer for the overall position in the championship, particularly as ‘current’ discards will be included in net totals.

The race dates for the Winning Group 73rd JJ Giltinan World 18 footer Championship are:

• Wednesday – March 8 – Races 5 and 6
• Thursday – March 9 – Race 7
• Saturday – March 11 – Race 8
• Sunday – March 12 – Race 9

An Australian 18 Footers League spectator ferry will follow the racing on each of the seven days, leaving from Double Bay Public Wharf, alongside the clubhouse, at 2pm.

Results after 4 Races:

by Frank Quealey