Michael Coxon's Fiat has taken a strong grip on the Australian 18 Footer League's Club Championship following the team's third consecutive win in the three races of the series sailed so far. Coxon, Aaron Links and Nathan Ellis will be out to defend their Giltinan title next week and will gain confidence from today's victory sailed in some extreme conditions.

Fiat took the official victory by 2mins 36secs from Daniel Phillips' Omega Smeg with Club Marine (Euan Mc Nicol) a further 10secs back in third place. While competing only by invitation in yesterday's race, the New Zealand skiff CT Sail Battens, skippered by Phil Airey was superb and took line honours although ineligible for points. CT Sail Battens grabbed a 20secs lead over Club Marine at the windward mark and was well ahead of the fleet for the remainder of the course. Fiat trailed Club Marine in the early stages with Gotta Love It 7 (Seve Jarvin) and Rag & Famish (John Harris) also close to the official leaders. There was little separating the top group at the leeward mark but it was obvious that the weather was going to play a big part in the eventual outcome. A rain squall reaching around 30 knots swept across the course and was quickly gone but the result was a race left with no wind. Fiat finally got the first of the new breeze and went on to an easy win while the battle for the minor placings was a three boat race. Omega Smeg continues to show improved recent form and took second place after a tight spinnaker run to the finish.

With three races still to be sailed in the championship Fiat leads the pointscore with 3 points, followed by Asko Appliances (Hugh Stodart) and Club Marine on 12 points, Gotta Love It 7 on 13 and Rag & Famish Hotel and Omega Smeg on 15. The next three races will be conducted over the following week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday), with the final two on Saturday and Sunday 24 and 25 February. New Zealand's CT Sail Battens has certainly shown great pre series form while Howie Hamlin's credentials are well known in the USA challenger Pegasus Racing.

The big one starts next week when the JJ Giltinan 2007 gets under way on Sydney Harbour. An Invitation Race will be sailed on Friday with Races 1 and 2 being conducted on Saturday and Sunday.