JJ Giltinan International Trophy

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.

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 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.

The desire to race these faster skiffs using Aberdare's 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. 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.

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