Four in a row for 7

Seve Jarvin's team looking unbeatable at the JJ Giltinan Championship

Another awesome display by the defending champion Gotta Love It 7 has given the team a massive lead after race 4 of the 2015 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship.

7's crew of Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Scott Babbage again gave an immaculate exhibition of power sailing to virtually destroy a high quality fleet of 18 Footer competitors and boats. The racing by Gotta Love It 7 has been close with top class action and exciting finishes, but Team Seven has dominated the scene.

For the fourth consecutive race day, Gotta Love It 7 didn’t get the best of starts, but her boat speed and handling by her crew is such that she once again led at the first windward mark and was never challenged from that point on.

At the finish, 7’s winning margin was 1 minutes and 6 seconds from Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel, recovering strongly following a couple of unfortunate gear problems earlier in the regatta.

The Rag crew of Jack Macartney, Mark Kennedy and Peter Harris were in fourth place at the Beashel Buoy on the first lap, but put in a consistent performance to work their way into second place.

Another improved performer, De’Longhi (Simon Nearn, Grant Rollerson and Kieryn Cowan) also came back strongly to finish a further 1 minute 16 seconds behind Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel, and just four seconds ahead of the leading New Zealand team, Yamaha, led by David McDiarmid.

After four races sailed (with no discards), Gotta Love It 7 has a perfect score of four points, followed by Mojo Wine (Lee Knapton) on 27, US champion Howie Hamlin (Harken) and Asko Appliances (Marcus Ashley-Jones) on 30, Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon) and Appliancesonline.com.au (Micah Lane) on 32.

Today’s 16 knot northeasterly wind saw all teams elect to use the smaller #2 rigs.

New Zealand’s Alex Vallings (C-Tech) led out of the start with Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel and Gotta Love It 7 close behind off Taylor Bay.

But 7 had grabbed a 20 second lead from C-Tech at the windward Beashel Buoy, followed by Smeg (David Witt), The Rag, New Zealand’s Maersk Line (Graham Catley), De’Longhi and Appliancesonline.

What followed was sensational viewing for the spectator fleet as boats raced at top speed to the wing mark off the southern end of Shark Island in Rose Bay.

Smeg was looking strong, but lost several places when the team had some difficulties then lost the breeze along Shark Island.

Results - today - overall

More pics from Christophe Favreau / www.christophefavreau.com