First blood to Macquarie

Frank Quealey reports on day one of the 18ft skiff's SLAM JJ Giltinan Championship on Sydney Harbour

Australian champions Micah Lane, Jack Macartney and Drew Waller started their challenge for the SLAM JJ Giltinan Championship in great style when they brought their skiff Macquarie Real Estate home a narrow winner in Race 1 of the regatta on Sydney Harbour today.

Macquarie Real Estate took the victory by just 8 secs from John Sweeny’s Active Air-2UE with 2005 champion Euan Mc Nicol on Club Marine a further 32secs back in third place. Asko Appliances sailed by Hugh Stodart finished fourth, followed by Seve Jarvin's Gotta Love It 7 and defending champion Michael Coxon on Fiat in sixth place.

A 15-knot northeast breeze greeted the 32-strong fleet for the start off Double Bay. Macquarie Real Estate quickly grabbed the lead soon after the start but had to give way to US champion Howie Hamlin’s Pegasus Racing mid-way up the windward beat.

At the Beashel Buoy Pegasus Racing held a narrow lead from Macquarie Real Estate, Asko Appliances and Fiat with Active Air-2UE, Gotta Love It 7 and Club Marine in hot pursuit.

The downwind leg tested the fleet to the maximum as the breeze was slightly ENE and forced all crews to struggle with their big spinnakers as they approached the wing mark at Shark Island.

The young Macquarie crew out-manoeuvred their more experienced rivals to lead aroung the Rose Bay mark just ahead of the Americans. Active Air-2UE had good downwind boat speed to take third place just ahead of Asko, Club Marine and Gotta Love It 7.

The leaders split into two separate groups on the second windward leg with Macquarie, Active Air-2UE, Asko and Club Marine going to the RHS of the course while Pegasus Racing, Gotta Love It 7 and Fiat went to the left on the northern shore. Those on the right picked up the easterly slant in the breeze and Macquarie held a 25 seconds lead over Active Air-2UE as spinnakers were set for the next run back down harbour.

Club Marine was third, followed by Asko, Gotta Love It 7 and the early leader Pegasus Racing. The leaders had a spectacular spinnaker run back to the start mark as Macquarie Real Estate battled to hold off the Active Air-2UE challenge.

With two laps completed and just one to go Macquarie headed back upwind with a 15secs margin over Asko and Active Air-2UE who were locked together. Macquarie retained their lead at the final windward buoy and headed for home as the likely winner. The Active Air-2UE crew had other ideas and chased the leaders all the way downwind, only going down by just 8secs in a sensational finish to the opening race.

Race 2 will be sailed on Sydney Harbour tomorrow. The regatta continues mid week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with the final races due next Saturday and Sunday.