Largest ever

The biggest ever 18ft Skiff event outside of Australia has begun in Lake Garda

The largest fleet of 18ft skiffs seen to date outside Australia has assembled for the 2006 European International Championships at Campione on the stunning Lake Garda. The fleet includes two previous JJ Giltinan Champions, US sailor Howie Hamlin, sailing Pegasus Racing, and Australian John Winning with Yandoo, as well as eight British teams.

Racing got underway at 2.00pm in bright sunshine in classic ‘Ora’ conditions. In this part of the lake that means a steady 12 knots breeze so big rigs were the order of the day. In the first race Denmark’s Fleming Clausen on GP Covers was the first to tack off and head right to the cliffs and benefit from the additional pressure there and took a good lead for the first lap laps. However, Howie Hamlin was moving up the fleet and took the lead on the second beat which he held to the finish. Fleming held on for third behind John Winning and was followed by the second Danish team Ler Ole helmed by Jesper Broendum then the first British team, Rob Dulson’s Base 1 who came home in fifth.

After a lengthy delay to reset the course the second race got underway in ominously gathering gloom as a thunder cloud gathered over the cliffs immediately to the right of the fleet. It made its effect felt right on the start with a sudden shift to the right as gusts from the gathering storm started flowing down the steep valleys, turning the beat into a fetch for part of the fleet and resulting in a very congested start at the committee boat end with a number of boats locking racks. By the second lap the storm was on top of the fleet with strong gusts channelling directly down the various valleys and ravines between the cliffs creating unpredictable, dramatic shifts and lulls. The gusts of up to 25 knots and shifts of up to 30 degrees made life very difficult for the fleet with, at times, half the fleet capsized around the course.

Again, it was Howie Hamlin and his all star crew of Mike Martin and Trent Barnabas on Pegasus Racing who showed the way around the course, with an immaculate display of boat handling in incredibly demanding conditions to take the bullet. Howie and his crew seemed to be enjoying themselves so much in the challenging conditions they even put in a lap of honour (although this may have had more to do with not hearing the finishing signal!) The two Danish teams showed great consistency with Fleming Clausen’s GP Covers taking second and Jesper Broendum and crew on Ler Ole in third. Australian boat De Longhi helmed by Grant Rollerson sailed through the fleet after a lock up at the start for fourth place and again the first British boat, this time Ed Browne on SELS, took fith place.