| Starting this Friday on Sydney Harbour, the annual JJ Giltinan Championship is generally regarded as the effective 18ft Skiff World Championship. The event pits the top Australia 18 sailors against a broad international field and is never short of experienced sailors and this year's JJ will be no exception.
While Australia continues to dominate the 18ft Skiff scene in terms of both results and sheer number of boats, this year there have been more new boats launched than previously, a sign that the class may finally be on the upturn again. Four new boats have been built to race in Sydney this year, with another built for British former JJ winner Rob Greenhalgh, being shipped directly back to the UK.
One of the most influential figures in the class is John Winning Senior (aka Woody). Winning's company Winning Appliances is a major retailer of 'white goods' hence why so many fridge/freezer brands end up with their names emblazoned down the sides of boats on the circuit. ...more |
