Coxon swipes 18ft skiff championship

A report from the final day of racing at the Ssangyong JJ Giltinan Championship on Sydney Harbour

Michael Coxon, Aaron Links and Nathan Ellis (above) are the new 18ft Skiff champions following their Race 7 victory in the Ssangyong JJ Giltinan International Championship which concluded on Sydney Harbour today (Sunday).

The trio brought their skiff Casio Seapathfinder 35 seconds ahead of Hugh Stodart and his Asko Appliances team who finished runners up in the championship. Third place in the race and third overall was last year's winners, Euan McNicol and Club Marine, who finished a further 20 secs behind Asko.

Final placings were Casio on 16 points, Asko 18, Club Marine 21 and Rag & Famish Hotel (John Harris) also on 21 in fourth place. Howie Hamlin (USA) finished fifth in Pegasus Racing on 40 points with Andrew Cuddihy's Fisher & Paykel rounding out the top six with 50 points.

It was another top start by Coxon and his crew which set up an early lead. Club Marine went ahead after the first spinnaker run but Casio regained the lead at Rose Bay. Asko was 50 secs behind Casio at that point and in fourth place.

Club Marine was in front again downwind after Casio was unable to clear Bradleys Head under spinnaker. Asko also gained from this problem but was still 20 secs behind Casio. Casio and Club Marine exchanged the lead over the next three legs of the course with Casio's bigger rig enabling her team to lead at Rose Bay with just two more legs of the course to sail.

The big danger now was Asko which had moved to within 10 secs of Casio and it was now a case of a race in two for the title - winner takes all. On the final windward leg to the finish the pair raced tack for tack with Casio's team withstanding the pressure superbly to go on to their 35secs victory.

It was a wonderful conclusion to the regatta and a fitting spectacle for the large spectator fleet which packed Sydney Harbour on vessels of all sizes.

Results:

Pos	Skiff	Elapsed Time	Handicap Place	C'ship Points (after discard)
1	Casio Seapathfinder	1.29.58	2	16
2	Asko Appliances	1.30.33	4	18
3	Club Marine	1.30.53	7	21
4	Rag & Famish Hotel	1.31.40	5	21
5	CT Sailbattens	1.32.10	3	57
6	Pegasus Racing	1.32.28	9	40
7	Belle Property	1.35.55	8	82
8	Radii	1.36.16	10	70
9	De Longhi	1.36.35	13	75
10	Fisher & Paykel	1.36.37	14	50
11	Active Air	1.36.40	6	66
12	Maytag	1.37.31	11	81
13	Noakes Youth	1.37.55	1	116
14	Omega Smeg	1.38.05	12	73
15	Ssangyong Yandoo	1.39.31	23	53
16	appliancesonline.com.au	1.39.57	20	68
17	Barron & Smithers	1.40.01	18	116
18	CST Composites	1.41.53	16	95
19	Fisher Fine Arts Helly Hansen	1.42.31	24	70
20	Toshiba	1.43.41	25	88
21	AAPT	1.43.43	26	72
22	Southern Cross Constructions Groupe Sefico	1.43.44	15	138
23	Barracouta Sails	1.43.44	17	123
24	Hermes/SELS	1.44.43	27	123
25	Avaya	1.45.20	19	151
26	Panasonic	1.46.12	21	126
27	Wentworth Courier	1.47.00	22	155
28	SX Projects	1.47.36	28	99
29	Ssangyong New Zealand	1.52.39	29	147
30	Hurley Palmer Flatt	Non finisher		173
31	Rosemount	Non finisher		172