JJ Giltinan

JJ Giltinan Trophy 2007 - February 16-25
Sydney, Australia (Photo credit Christophe Favreau)

How many of you have heard of the JJ Giltinan Trophy? OK...now how many of you have heard about the Australian 18 Footers League? If you answer "no" to both of these questions (I did) then you probably live somewhere beside Down Under (and/or Europe). The Australian 18 Footers League was founded in 1935 and is the Australian representative body to the International 18ft Skiff Association. Mr. James J. Giltinan was the League's first Secretary and had a trophy designed for a World's Championship for the class in 1938. It was named - not suprisingly - the J.J. Giltinan Trophy and to this day is the premier 18ft Skiff prize.

Another fact I didn't know - the birth of 18ft Skiff Racing (as we know it today) occurred on Sydney Harbour on 26 January 1892. The father of the 18ft Skiff was a local businessman named Mark Foy. You can read about Mark's efforts here. His original idea has morphed somewhat but it still looks wicked fast.

I love it that the more I know about sailing the more I don't know...and the more I learn.