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The JJ Giltinan International Trophy is considered the world's premier 18-foot skiff open championship, the eponymous brainchild of noted Australian sports entrepreneur J J Giltinan. ==Early Days - 1930s and 1940s== In the early 20th century 18-foot skiff racing had gained ground as a spectator sport. The radical innovations introduced by ''Aberdare'' in 1933 (a narrow beam, reduced sail area, reduced crew, and flat bottom) made it significantly faster than contemporary designs, leading ''Aberdare'' to win four consecutive Australian championships 〔http://www.skifftastic.co.uk/pages/boat.htm〕 The Sydney Flying Squadron, at that time the leading organizer of 18-foot skiff racing, promptly banned Aberdare's innovations, fearing the impact of these innovations on the established class.〔http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/18-footers〕 The desire to race these faster skiffs using ''Aberdares innovations led J J Giltinan to found the ''New South Wales 18-Footers League'' in 1935 as a rival club to the Flying Squadron. With the success of the new league Giltinan planned a world championship event for 18-foot skiffs on Sydney Harbour to coincide with Sydney’s 150th Anniversary in 1938.〔http://www.18footer.org/Facts/History/tabid/179/Default.aspx〕 The inaugural edition of the eponymously named contest was held in Sydney Harbor in 1938, won by ''Taree'' skippered by Bert Swinbourne (AUS), while ''Aberdare'' took third. Advertisements were placed in major newspapers throughout the world with positive replies being received from England, USA, Hong Kong and New Zealand. Unfortunately, due to unsettled conditions in Europe at the time only the New Zealanders were able to compete - sending three boats to the inaugural regatta in 1938, which produced a total fleet of 20 boats. The carnival was a great success. A local newspaper reported on the day following the first race: "The crowd at Circular Quay (ferry wharf) was so large that extra steamer accommodation had to be provided at the last moment, while craft of almost every conceivable description were in attendance. The foreshores were also thronged with spectators". The total crowd was estimated at more than 10,000 people. Bert Swinbourne's Taree took the first championship with two wins and one second placing from the three-race regatta. Australia filled all three placings with Victor (Vic Lucas) in second place and Aberdare (Vic Vaughan) third while New Zealand's best performer was Irina, which finished in fifth place. The success of the 1938 regatta led to a second championship being staged at Auckland in 1939 when three Australian 18 footers took on the Kiwi fleet of 21 boats. Unlike the original, this contest proved to be one of the most bitterly contested in the history of the championship. While the crowds on the foreshore were estimated at 25,000 people, it was marred by several protests, the latter of which saw the defending champion and provisional 1939 winner, Taree being disqualified. Gordon Chamberlain's Manu was then declared the winner. Taree's skipper Bert Swinbourne lodged an appeal against the decision, but when the appeal wasn't heard before the Australian team returned home, Swinbourne decided to hang on to the trophy. The Australian Board of Control later upheld the New Zealand decision in the best interests of keeping goodwill, but Swinbourne didn't agree and refused to hand over the trophy. He was expelled by the Australian League and for the next four years the Giltinan trophy remained hidden in Swinbourne's possession. Swinbourne later apologized for his actions and returned the trophy to the League. It was then handed over to New Zealand and presented to the Manu owners. A third contest took place at Auckland in 1948. Due to the bad feelings which resulted from the 1939 regatta, the League was determined to send the strongest team possible and recruited the great Billo Hayward to sail its top boat Crows Nest. This regatta was a triumph for the Australians as the huge sail carriers totally dominated the smaller New Zealand 18s to finish first, second and fourth overall. Hayward took the title with two wins and a fifth placing from the three races. Drama and conflict seemed to be a fact of life in the history of the 18 footer class and the late 1940s were no exception. Queensland were suffering from rising costs and went to 6ft beam boats with a further reduced number of crewmen, the League sailors refused to agree to the change and wouldn't allow the new boats to be registered in their events. The New Zealand governing body of the time tried to incorporate these new boats into the Giltinan Championship, a move which angered the League and resulted in the New Zealand body withdrawing its support of the championship. Several New Zealand sailors contacted the League, offering to take a private team of 18 footers to the 1949 championship in Sydney. The League agreed and even assisted the kiwis with their shipping costs. The Kiwis put up a good showing with their top boat Takiri finishing third overall behind Marjorie Too (Tony Russell) and Top Weight (Bish Bolton) of Australia. NZs Jack Logan believed he would never beat the Australians in his boat so began to browse through old plans of his late father, who was a master designer and builder. On a piece of 50-year-old parchment paper he saw a design which gave him an idea. He drew it out, chopped off the bow and gave her a transom in place of a pointed strn. The public called her a skimmer; Logan called her a frying pan, complete with handle. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「JJ Giltinan International Trophy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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