Coxon on top again

A report from heat three of the Australian 18 footers League Club Championship

18ft skiff National champion Michael Coxon and his Casio Seapathfinder team showed they were ready for all comers when they took Heat 3 of the Australian 18 Footers League Club Championship on Sydney Harbour.

Coxon, Aaron Links and Nathan Ellis had to recover from an early setback to defeat American former world champion Howie Hamlin, who was competing in the race by invitation.

Casio crossed the line 28secs ahead of Hamlin's West Marine which had earlier held a 1min lead over Casio.

Officially, Omega Smeg (Daniel Phillips) placed second 3mins 48secs behind Casio with Ssangyong Yandoo (John Winning) a further 20secs behind Omega Smeg.

The race to the windward mark developed into a contest between two separate groups when some skiffs elected to sail to the western side of Shark Island while most of the fleet went to the east.

The group on the west came out best with West Marine, Churchills Sports Bar and Ssangyong Yandoo leading the pack on the first spinnaker run.

West Marine continued to hold a lead of 45 secs to 1 min over Casio and Ssangyong Yandoo for the first half of the course before Casio made her move on the short spinnaker run across the harbour from Rose Bay to Taylor Bay.

Once in front Casio held a tight cover over West Marine to record a morale boosting victory just one week before the start of the JJ Giltinan Championship.

Results:

Pos	Boat	Elapsed Time	Handicap Place	Club C'ship Points
1	Casio Seapathfinder	01:13.1	1st	19
2	Omega Smeg	01:17:00	5th	13.0 (2nd=)
3	Ssangyong Yandoo	01:17:20	9th	30
4	Computer Associates		4th	13.0 (2nd=)
5	Rag & Famish Hotel		6th	13.0 (2nd=)
6	SX Projects		3rd	31
7	Maytag		11th	32
8	Asko Appliances		13th	12.0 (1st)
9	Fisher & Paykel		8th	42
10	AAPT		12th	33
11	Belle Property		7th	34
12	Team Pomfret		2nd	41
13	Rosemount		10th	49
14	Aristocrat		14th	52
15	Churchills Sports Bar	Non-finisher		40
16	CST Composites	Non-finisher		41
17	Panasonic	Non-finisher		44
18	Team Morrison	Non-starter		43
19	Club Marine	Non-starter		30