Micah Lane, Jack Macartney and Drew Waller brought their Vic Sail (formerly Team Lane) home a remarkable winner of Race 3 in the Ssangyong Yandoo NSW 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour today. 

The trio won a race of attrition by 13secs from series leader Ssangyong Yandoo (John Winning) with Australian champion Asko Appliances (Hugh Stodart) a further 18secs further back in third place.Minor placings went to Delonghi (Grant Rollerson) fourth, AAPT (Sean Langman) fifth and Gotta Love It 7 (Seve Jarvin) sixth.

With two more races to be sailed Ssangyong Yandoo heads the pointscore on 10 points, followed by Club Marine (Trevor Barnabas, replacing Euan Mc Nicol) on 13, Rag & Famish Hotel (John Harris) on 14 and defending champion Michael Coxon (Fiat) on 14. 

Lane and his crew were forced to use their #2 (smaller) rig after problems while rigging for the race then Asko Appliances capsized less than one minute before the start. 

Fiat won the start from Rag & Famish Hotel with Club Marine and Omega Smeg close behind. Fiat and The Rag elected to sail vastly different courses up the first windward leg and although Fiat led for almost the entire leg it was The Rag which eased away around the Beashel Buoy with a 10secs lead. The bunched fleet behind them was headed by Gotta Love It 7, followed by AAPT, Club Marine, Omega Smeg, Delonghi, Vic Sail, CST Composites and Pure Blonde.

Fiat grabbed the lead back at the wing mark and continued to lead around the first two laps of the course – although the margin was never more than 15secs. Omega Smeg and Gotta Love It 7 led the struggle for third place while Ssangyong Yandoo and Vic Sail were close behind in the ever freshening north east wind.

As the leaders headed upwind for the final time, Harris and his crew tacked early – a move which brought them to within a couple of boat lengths of Fiat midway up the leg. It looked to be a race  between the pair as they headed home under spinnaker but the seas and fresh wind were set to end the match race.  Rag was the first to go then Fiat followed soon after as the crew attempted the gybe into Rose Bay. The young Gotta Love It 7 crew were left in front but just when it seemed as though they would take the victory they capsized on the gybe at the final wing mark.

Patrons on the following spectator ferry were thrilled by the action of what was one of the best races seen on the harbour for a few seasons. 

Frank Quealey Australian 18 Footers League  www.18footer.com.au

Last Updated ( Sunday, 19 November 2006 )