Slam wins 18ft skiff Invitational

Winning Appliances JJ Giltinan championship gets going properly tomorrow

Western Australia’s Slam, skippered by Grant Rollerson with crew Anthony (Jack) Young and Peter Nicholson gave a superb all round performance to easily claim the Invitation Race of the Winning Appliances JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney today.

Slam took the lead soon after the start in a NE 10-knot breeze over the Australian 18 Footers League’s four-laps windward-return course.

The Slam team led for practically the entire race and once they shook off an early challenge from American champions Howie Hamlin, Fritz Lanzinger and Paul Allen in CST Composites, they were in complete control before scoring a 1m15s win over CST Composites. Australian champions Michael Coxon, Aaron Links and Trent Barnabas, in Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, finished a further 34s back in third place.

Former Giltinan champion John Harris skippered Red Claw Wines into fourth place, ahead of UK’s Jarrod Simpson in Peters & May and local NSW team on Smeg skippered by Nick Press.

Slam and Asko Appliances (Marcus Ashley-Jones) led the fleet on the right hand side of the course while David Witt (Queenslander 1) was among the leaders on the northern shore. But it was the southern shore that proved the better with Slam and CST Composites vying for the lead as they approached the windward mark. CST Composites crossed Slam, but Slam came back to round the mark inside CST followed by Asko Appliances, Red Claw Wines, Peters & May, De’Longhi (Simon Nearn) and Panasonic (Jonathan Whitty).

The leading pair staged a good spinnaker battle downwind, back to the bottom twin rounding buoys, but Slam proved to have the superior speed.

Thurlow Fisher Lawyers stayed close to the southern shore on the spinnaker run and moved up into third place ahead of Asko Appliances and a large bunch of skiffs all coming into the marks from a variety of angles. It took great sailing skill by all teams to avoid a collision.

Slam increased her lead over the following windward leg with CST Composites still holding second place ahead of Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, Peters & May, Asko Appliances, Red Claw, Yandoo (John Winning) and Rag & Famish Hotel (Jack Macartney).

At the bottom mark the second time, Slam’s lead had stretched out to 50s over CST Composites with Red Claw Wines, Peters & May and Andy Budgen’s Hyde Sails all together.

While Slam held a big lead over the remainder of the course and CST Composites was always comfortable in second place, the race for the next four placings was gripping.

Defending champion Seve Jarvin and championship favourite Gotta Love It 7 team of Sam Newton and Scott Babbage did not compete in the race as Jarvin was suffering from flu.

Race 1 of the championship will be sailed tomorrow and the second on Sunday.

Full results here