Team Honda Marine Going For Three In A Row

Honda Marine on the way to victory at the 2019 JJs on Sydney Harbour
When the 24 boats contesting the 2020 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour from March 14-22, defending champion David McDiarmid could become the first New Zealand skipper to win three titles in the 82-year history of the world’s premier 18-Footer championship.

 

David, Brad Collins and Matt Steven will head a three-boat team from New Zealand in their Honda Marine-sponsored skiff.

 

They are joined by the experienced C-Tech team of Alex Vallings, Sam Trethewey and Matt Coutts, and the very much improved young Maersk Line team of Peron Pearse, Eli Liefting and Harry Clark.

 

McDiarmid is quick to point out that the Honda Marine campaign is very much a team effort.

 

David says: “It’s definitely not all about me.  We are a three-man team and everyone is critical to our success.”

 

“When we all teamed together, we joked about our goal of being able to win three JJs, and now we have that opportunity.”

 

“It wouldn’t be possible without the support we have received from a large group of people over the last seven JJs.”

 

“With a lot of hard work, we have improved year on year to first catch up to the Sydney fleet in 2016, then passing them in 2018.”

 

“The highlight of our 18-foot campaign so far was holding all four major international trophies at the same time.  As well as the JJ title, we won the Mark Foy in Fiji, the European Championship in Lake Garda, and ANZAC in Auckland.”

 

Dave added: “As usual, we will be bringing a big, loud New Zealand support team.”

 

The New Zealand teams contesting the 2020 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship are:

Honda Marine:   David McDiarmid, Matt Steven, Brad Collins

C-Tech:   Alex Vallings, Sam Trethewey, Matt Coutts

Maersk Line:   Peron Pearse, Eli Liefting, Harry Clark

 

Determined to regain the supremacy they held for many seasons, the local 18-Footer teams will be going all out to win back the coveted trophy and spoil the Honda Marine team’s hope of a third consecutive title.

 

A group of five teams are presently leading the Australian challenge.

 

Recently crowned Australian champion Tech2 is a strong team which has been improving each week since the new boat had her first race in early December.  The recent addition of four-time JJ Giltinan champion bowman Trent Barnabas could give her skipper, Jack Macartney his first JJ Giltinan title.

 

Other top teams include NSW champion Winning Group, which has a multi Giltinan championship-winning crew, and the 2018-2019 Australian champion James Dorron in Shaw & Partners Financial Services.

 

Finport Finance and Smeg have won individual championship races during the current season but just need to be more consistent over the whole regatta to make an even stronger challenge.

 

Race dates are:

Saturday              March 14             Race 1

Sunday                 March 15             Race 2

Tuesday               March 17             Races 3 & 4

Wednesday        March 18             Races 5 & 6

Thursday              March 19             Race 7

Saturday              March 21             Race 8

Sunday                 March 22             Race 9

 

Entries for 2020 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship:

Honda Marine: David McDiarmid, Matt Steven, Brad Collins

Winning Group: John Winning Jr., Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton

Finport Finance: Keagan York, Matt Stenta, Angus Williams

Shaw & Partners Financial Services: James Dorron, Harry Bethwaite, Tim Westwood

Smeg: Micah Lane, Ricky Bridge, Peter Harris

C-Tech: Alex Vallings, Sam Trethewey, Matt Coutts

Tech2: Jack Macartney, Charlie Wyatt, Trent Barnabas

Appliancesonline.com.au: Brett Van Munster, Phil Marshall, Kurt Fatouris

The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines: Aron Everett, Courtney Mahar, Charlie Gundy

Noakesailing: Sean Langman, Ed Powys, Nathan Edwards

The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone: Jordan Girdis, Lachlan Doyle, Tom Quigley

Yandoo: John Winning, Mike Kennedy, Jasper Warren

Vintec: Kirk Mitchell, Pete Nicholson, Matt Wark

Maersk Line: Peron Pearse, Eli Liefting, Harry Clark

Rag & Famish Hotel: Bryce Edwards, Jacob Broom, Rory Cox

Birkenhead Point Marina: Tom Anderson, Elliot Scali, Tom Arkens

URM: Marcus Ashley-Jones, Cam Gundy, Lewis Brake

Ilve: Pedro Vozone, Matt Doyle, Jerome Watts

Queenslander: David Hayter, Nathaniel Dutton, Elliot Mahar

Dal Zotto: Jack Sprague, Josh Feldmann, Marc Chapon

Noakes Blue: Yvette Heritage, Rory Hunter, Oliver Scott-Mackie

Bird & Bear: Tom Clout, Cameron McDonald, John Walton

Lumix: Alex Watson, Cooper Richmond, Ben Roxburgh

QMC: Matt Rogers, Darren Rogers, Steve Wilson

Spectators can see all the teams while they are rigging, then follow the racing on board the club’s spectator ferry, which leaves Double Bay Wharf, alongside the rigging area, at 2pm.

 

Book online through the club’s website www.18footers.com