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While Australia and New Zealand were the driving forces behind the first 32 years of the JJ Giltinan 18 Footer Championship, we mustn’t forget the participation of Fiji as the only other competing nation until the USA in 1970. The Fijians first entry was Alex Bentley’s O’Vuka at the 1950 regatta in Auckland and led to the 1952 series being conducted by the Royal Suva Yacht Club.
A new 18 Footer was built for the home regatta on Suva Harbour and Laucala Bay and a fleet of ten boats from Australia, New Zealand and Fiji competed. Conditions for the regatta were ideal for light to moderate weather boats, and, like previous venues, tremendous crowds gathered on the waterfront to view the racing.
The scene in 1952 was vastly different to that of the modern JJ Giltinan Championship, as we can see in the accompanying photos supplied by 18 Footer historian John ‘Steamer’ Stanley.Two Fijian boats Tarua (F.H Gardiner) and Talei (R. Percy) went to the following championship at Auckland in 1954.
Unfortunately this was the last time Fiji contested the JJ Giltinan Championship.
Frank Quealey
Australian 18 Footers League
www.18footers.com.au
Past winners of the J.J. Giltinans:
1938 Taree Bert Swinbourne Aus
1939 Manu Geo. Chamberlain NZ
1948 Crows Nest Bill Hayward Aus
1949 Marjorie Too Tony Russell Aus
1950 Komutu Jack Logan NZ
1951 Myra Too Bill Barnett Aus
1952 Intrigue Peter Mander NZ
1954 Intrigue Peter Mander NZ
1956 Jenny VI Norm Wright Aus
1958 Jantzen Girl Len Heffernan Aus
1960 Surprise Bern Skinner NZ
1961 Venom Ben Lexcen Aus
1963 Schemer Ken Beashel Aus
1964 Toogara Cliff Monkhouse Aus
1965 Travelodge Bob Holmes Aus
1966 Travelodge Bob Holmes Aus
1967 Asc Motor Club Don Barnett Aus
1968 Daily Telegraph Ken Beashel Aus
1969 Travelodge Bob Holmes Aus
1970 Thomas Cameron Hugh Treharne Aus
1971 Travelodge Bob Holmes Aus
1972 Smirnoff Don Lidgard NZ
1973 Travelodge Bob Holmes Aus
1974 Travelodge New Zealand Terry Mc Dell NZ
1975 KB Dave Porter Aust
1976 Miles Furniture Stephen Kulmar Aust
1977 Color 7 Iain Murray Aus
1978 Color 7 Iain Murray Aus
1979 Color 7 Iain Murray Aus
1980 Color 7 Iain Murray Aus
1981 Color 7 Iain Murray Aus
1982 Color 7 Iain Murray Aus
1983 Tia Maria Peter Sorensen Aus
1984 Tia Maria Peter Sorensen Aus
1985 Bradmill Robert Brown Aus
1986 Entrad Robert Brown Aus
1987 Chesty Bond Trevor Barnabas Aus
1988 **Chesty Bond Trevor Barnabas
**Southern Cross Robert Brown
1989 Prudential Michael Walsh Aus
1990 Bank of New Zealand Scott Ramsden Aus
1991 AAMI Julian Bethwaite Aus
1992 AAMI Julian Bethwaite Aus
1993 Winfield Racing Michael Spies Aus
1994 Nokia Neil Cashman Aus
1995 Winfield Racing Michael Spies Aust
1996 AEI-Pace Express Stephen Quigley Aus
1997 Omega Smeg-2UE Trevor Barnabas Aus
1997 Smeg Trevor Barnabas Aus
1998 Omega Smeg-2UE Trevor Barnabas Aus
1999 Rockport Tim Robinson UK
2000 AMP Centrepoint John Winning Aus
2001 Rag & Famish Hotel John Harris Aus
2002 GE-US Challenge Howie Hamlin USA
2003 GE-US Challenge Howie Hamlin USA
2004 RMW Marine Rob Greenhalgh UK
2005 Club Marine Euan Mc Nicol Aus
2006 Casio Seapathfinder Michael Coxon Aus
2007 Fiat Michael Coxon Aus
2008 Gotta Love It 7 Seve Jarvin Aus
2009 Southern Cross Constructions Euan Mc Nicol Aus
2010 Gotta Love It 7 Seve Jarvin Aus
2011 Gotta Love It 7 Seve Jarvin Aus
** Denotes Joint Champions
