Coxon and the new Fiat

Opening race win for new sponsor on 18 Footer League Club Championship

Michael Coxon, Aaron Links and Nathan Ellis showed that they will again be the team to beat this season when they recorded an outstanding win in Race 1 of the League’s Club Championship on Sydney Harbour today, Sunday.

The trio led for the entire South-East course in their brand new Fiat skiff to defeat Asko Appliances (Hugh Stodart) with Club Marine (Euan Mc Nicol) further back in third place.

Behind the placegetters were Ssangyong Yandoo (John Winning), Gotta Love It 7 (Seve Jarvin) and AAPT (Sean Langman).

Fiat clearly won the start and led from Rag & Famish Hotel (John Harris) and Maytag (Tony Hannan) as the fleet headed to the windward mark in Rose Bay.

Fiat led by 12secs from Maytag as they turned for the first spinnaker run with Team Lane moving into third place ahead of SX Projects, Rag & Famish and Pure Blonde.

On the long downwind run, Fiat moved away to a 20secs lead but it was now Asko in second place ahead of Ssangyong Yandoo, Rag & Famish and SX Projects.

Ssangyong Yandoo challenged to within a couple of boatlengths of Fiat as the pair worked their way back upwind to Clarke Island, but it was still Fiat in control (by 35secs) at the buoy.

It was all Fiat again on the next downwind leg as the team opened up an even bigger gap (50secs) over Ssangyong Yandoo.

The race for minor placings was gripping as Gotta Love It 7 rounded the leeward mark just a few secs ahead of Asko.

Fiat was untroubled over the concluding legs of the course and the spectator interest centred on the battle behind the Coxon-led team. The win was an emphatic one, and it has sent a clear message to the other teams for the coming NSW Championship.