Perfect scoreline for 7

Lively conditions for race three of the 18ft skiffs' JJ Giltinan Championship

Gotta Love It 7 scored her third consecutive win in the series when she dominated the 24-boat fleet in race 3 of the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championshi.

Once again, the defending champion crew of Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Scott Babbage were not well placed at the start, but their red flying machine moved into the lead on the first windward leg.

Despite a great performance by the Smeg team of David Witt, Tom Clout and Matt Wark, there was little chance of anything but a Gotta Love It 7 victory. 7's winning margin was 1m34s.

The first two teams had established their advantage very early and most interest among the spectator fleet centred on a wonderful battle for the next five or six placings.

At the finish Appliancesonline.com.au (Micah Lane, Paul Montague, Tom Anderson) had worked her way through from a slow start to grab third place, 43 seconds behind Smeg.

Mojo Wine (Lee Knapton) showed improved form from earlier races to come home in fourth place, ahead of New Zealand’s Yamaha (David McDiarmid) and Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon).

Gotta Love It 7 clearly leads the regatta with three points and a perfect scoreline, but today’s placings have tightened up the group battling for second with Thurlow Fisher Lawyers on 17 points, Harken (Howie Hamlin, USA) and Mojo Wine on 21, Asko Appliances (Marcus Ashley-Jones) on 23, then Appliancesonline and Smeg on 24.

Conditions were perfect for today’s race with all teams using their smaller #2 rigs in the north east wind.

Smeg took the lead after the start with Knight Frank (Riley Dean), Gotta Love It 7, Mojo Wine, The Kitchen Maker (John Sweeny) and Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel (Jack Macartney) in the leading group.

At the first mark,Gotta Love It 7 had worked her lead up to 20 seconds over Knight Frank, Smeg, Appliancesonline, Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel and Thurlow Fisher Lawyers.

Knight Frank was engaged in a great battle with Smeg as the pair raced along Shark Island to the wing mark in Rose Bay, but capsized in her attempt to carry the spinnaker in the testing conditions.

By the end of the first lap, Team Seven held a 25 second lead from Smeg with Mojo Wine moving up to third ahead of Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel and Appliancesonline.

Brilliant crew work by the 7 team saw their lead extend to 45 seconds at the following windward mark, while the big improver was Appliancesonline which was continually making inroads into the fleet.

The championship continues tomorrow with the following races on 18, 19 and 21 February with the conclusion on Sunday 22 February.

Results - race 3 - overall