News From Oz: JJ Giltinan Invitational

Back on topic...If there is one place I'd rather be right now, it's Double Bay Sydney for the annual running of the JJ Giltinan Championship Regatta. I fell in love with this community a few years back and excited to stay in touch, even a Hemisphere away.

18ft Skiffs
Invitation Race
JJ Giltinan International Championship
Friday, 13 February 2009
Sydney Harbour


The traditional Invitation Race in the JJ Giltinan Championship was sailed on Sydney Harbour today as a warm up for the championship-proper which begins tomorrow (Saturday, 14 February).

The race began in an 18knot South East wind but this dropped to below 10knots midway through the course.

Defending champion Gotta Love It 7 (Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Tom Clout) showed the rest of the fleet that they will be the team to beat when they finished a clear 1m6s winner today from Project Racing, skippered by Andy Budgen of the UK.

Third placing went to Yandoo, skippered by 2000 Giltinan champion John Winning, which finished a further 46s back.

Gotta Love It 7 and Yandoo were the early pacesetters on the spinnaker run from Rose Bay to Robertson Point as they led a charging bunch of skiffs.

The experience of the Yandoo crew saw them grab a 10s lead at Clarke Island on the following windward leg.

Project Racing moved into third place at this point, followed by Kinder Caring Home Nursing (Brett Van Munster), DeLonghi (Simon Nearn), Smeg (Hugh Stodart) and others.

All teams elected to 2-sail reach to the Chowder Bay buoy where Yandoo retained her lead but Gotta Love It 7 was soon back at the front as they worked into Rose Bay in a fading breeze.

Once in front, Gotta Love It 7 was not headed again aas she went on to an easy win.

Yandoo looked set for second placing but was run down by Project Racing over the final leg of the course.

Two of the other leading contenders in the championship, Rag & Famish Hotel (John Harris) and Southern Cross Constructions (Euan Mc Nicol) both recovered well from ‘ordinary’ starts but were never in a position to challenge the winner.

Hopefully, conditions will be more consistent for tomorrow’s opening race of the championship.

The Australian 18 Footers League will have its regular spectator ferry following each race of the championship and will have two ferries on each Sunday 15th and 22nd) as well as Saturday, 21st February.

Departure times are 2.30pm on each day with the exception of 14th and 21st February when ferries will depart at 3.30pm.

Photographs will be published on www.18footers.com.au.

Frank Quealey
Australian 18 Footers League

A Decision Has Been Made

The weather has made a change here in New England, sadly to a cooler temp, and change is brewing in the future of VOR leg two.

Puma made a decision, which appears to have them on a course set to cross paths with the Telefonica bloys (blue and black.) Is everyone going for the "scoring line" at 58DegE? Way to early, but what fun it is to think and ponder...



Green Dragon and the "Ericsson Brothers" seem clear in their path, but looking at the weather, will be curious to see how the "high road" boys do compared to the "low and cold", less distance but if the weather report I am looking at is on the mark...

Then there is Delta Lloyd...made a move in "our" night. Here's what Matt has to say:

Last night there was an opportunity to make an aggressive tactical call. I would have preferred to be positioned to the south side (right) of the fleet, but it was a risky call. The move would have involved tacking away from boats within sight of us—all sailing on our same tack. So, instead we played a conservative card to stay with the boats alongside. This fit our pre-race plan, to sail with other boats for some bench-mark testing, but it worked against my maverick streak. I was sure that tacking and moving into the westerly position was the correct move. What to do? Go for the kill or stay with the fleet and test? Read on...

Keeping on the theme of "Decisions Made"...read all the various "bits" on the ISAF choice to NOT go with the 29erXX and stick with the 470...ugh.

I'm sorry ladies! Mrs. Jen Morgon Glass made an excellent point on the Scuttlebutt this morning:

"Lady sailors, let's vote by sailing. The 29erXX will join the 49er at their
World Championship July 12-19th on Lake Garda, Italy. The class is now sponsored
by Seiko and the event promises to be amazing. Come and join us!"

Thinking... Lake Garda is my favorite place in the world, the VOR will be over and plan to be out that way for the 18 footer World Championships...could July 2009 be month of the "Skiff"... here on BoatBites... it will be!

Lake Garda, Looking South from above Campione, taken early morning.

Lake Garda Italy offers up some the of best sailing, hospitality and fantastic espresso!!!

Those are the "Bites" for Monday... till tomorrow...

Creative Break

What is your Muse? What inspires you on a down day or breaks you from a rut in the work day? One’s object of motivation is a powerful tool in reaching goals of many levels.

Recently I was in need of creative break on a few writing assignments. It doesn’t seem to matter what I’m researching or writing about, catching up with a fellow sailor is my best practice to re-inspiring the head: keeping the words flowing. If I can not go sailing, talking about sailing is not a bad fall back plan.

This day I was working on a piece for a web magazine called Suite 101 when a call came in from fellow racer Tom Loughborough and one of the founding members behind the American Sailing League. We had got to chatting in Newport a few months back and with a common passion for more spirited sailing, became an easy conversation and has not stopped since. He rang for a chance to keep the chatter going with the addition West coast heart and soul behind the operations: Chad Freitas, one of two directors behind the San Francisco based Skiff Sailing Foundation and contributing force in the ASL.

Needless to say my work for Suite 101 was pushed aside for the moment because talking with these two passionate sailors about skiff sailing and their goals for the American Sailing League was just plain cool. The hour conversation, sadly cut short by technology’s inability to keep up with the three of us, left heads full of ideas, all which will be but a tease to those who read this - sorry!

Yes, a tease. That is exactly what the ASL did to the guests of San Francisco’s Pier 39. They teased spectators with a spirited display of 18 foot skiffs racing about in front of the pier. Add in live music, commentary, video and any means possible to share the sport. This included a fully rigged 18 footer on display, very nice!

The success of these events sprung from passion and a strong motivation to succeed. The folks of Pier 39 were pleased and the skiffs will return in 2009 to dance for the waterfront guests. The American Sailing League is just warming up and the time to listen and talk with them cured the writer’s block!

Now day dreaming about racing a skiff. Which is right up there with the day dream of catching a ride on a V70. This all leading me to remind folks of the upcoming start to VOR 2008 and that V70s are basically skiffs on steroids. Noticing a theme?

The Volvo Ocean Race will be something like no other sailing event for 2008-09. How so you may ask. Well, for starters, they are pulling all the stops on telecommunications and surely there must be a sudden job market for IT staff in the world of sailing.

Now, I’m not naive to the motivation for VOR to flood the senses with news and scoop, meeting the exposure demands of high paying sponsors is no small feet. But please fall victim! I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of those boys who like riding waves on 70 feet of carbon.

These guys know what they are getting into, are true athletes and great personalities for the sport of sailing. I hope you’ll bookmark the VOR website, take many coffee breaks and watch the action.

NOTE: On-site blogging begins once I get settled on or around September 29th. Aside from off-topic reports, event specific posts will be on my Sailing World Blog thru October 11th.

Cheers!
Jenn

18 Foot Affair...

It's an affair to remember and one worth repeating...sitting here with a beautiful office view of the Connecticut valley, reflecting over my last office view of skiffs screaming across the waters of LakeGarda , Italy...I take a moment and look up the dates of the next European event...the country view is breath taking but a "sea" of skiffs awaiting launch makes my heart flutter.

Photo: J. Langille

The world of keel boats would regulate my pulse if not for dear friend Mason Woodworth's skiff ambition launching around the same time SailTrim.Org arrived on the virtual scene. I still recall the day...sitting at my cubical in biotech land and looking up the 18footer instead of staring aimlessly at excel spreadsheets... As Mason and team (David Brown and Simone Hamilton) prepared for their first JJ Giltinan Championship event in Sydney 2006; I resigned from team "rat race" with promise to join the boys for the 2007 installment of JJ...and so the affair began as a long distance relationship.

Photo: C. Favreau

What's the attraction? Combination of speed, carbon fiber and large sail area...at least that's what tickled my fancy. The relationship began when I entered into their world.

My first skiff encounter was in Sydney and the skiff sailor's nature...strong characters with humble hearts drew me into the class. Each of the teams I encountered, whether top flight or breaking trail, carried themselves broadly both figuratively and literally, with their own boats upon shoulders as they made way to the water's edge knowing; no matter how good a sailor you think you are...the 18footer will test both skill and wit.

Photo: J. Langille

For you see...the 18 foot skiff is a bit of a mono-haul princess (my opinion of course!). If the sailor does not bestow on her every bit of their attention, meeting her needs...she'll dump them, quite literally. Not focused...you will go swimming...worried about a missed deadline at work...splash!


Photo: C.Favreau

No matter how humbled, never have I seen a skiff sailor give up from a day's carnage...broken rigs, blown sheets, bowsprits and torn sails...a lawn littered by tools, carbon fiber and rigging till the sun rises; ensuring another day of racing is had. It's off the water where one witnesses the true character of a skiff sailor...

Whether it's sharing tools, tips and tactics or turning the regatta tent party into a surprise 40th for one of their own...the 18 foot skiff sailor is of strong mind, tender heart and good humor...

Photo: J.Langille

They are some of the silliest folks I've met in the world of sailing, easily laughing off the day's events. Not sure whether it's due to the Aussie roots combined with British humor and the artistic Europeans...or one race course bringing together the corporate professional who's traded in his suit for neoprene along side the "whipper-snapper" of a sailor who cut classes to make the start (not sure if that's the case...). It's a fleet of mixed nationalities and sailing legends...like no other sailing scene I've witnessed!

No matter...once they leave shore, all are 18 foot skiff sailors...an elite group. It's an 18 foot affair I plan to keep close to heart...do not be surprised if my next tale is from the trapeze...

Special thanks to Mason Woodworth and the entire Team Aeon (we have one killer shore crew!), Christophe Favreau and basically the Great Britain Skiff Fleet!!

"Go big or go home..." ~ Team Aeon

~Jenn