New Cruiser/racer models from the Sydney Yachts

by Media Services on 26 Jul 2004 The racing fleets in Australia stand testimony to Sydney Yachts' understanding of offshore conditions.

The Sydney 38 OD fleet now stands at 64, with as many as 15 Sydney 38’s likely to race to Hobart on Boxing Day. The Sydney 32 OD fleet, now rising into the 20’s is likely to surpass the numbers of the 38’s in years to come.

Both these designs are proof that high performance and sturdy construction are key elements in these successful designs.

Sydney Yachts has an unmatched record with its Australian built high performance offshore race winners, built for southern ocean conditions. In recent years, its custom division has been producing luxury performance cruisers with the second Warwick design about to start construction.

A fusion of these very successful and proven elements provides a new and exciting option to the traditional cruising production yacht.

Sydney Yachts have now launched the first two models in their new high performance offshore cruiser racer range - the CR. The first models, the impressive CR 47 and the CR 39, were launched last week at Sydney’s Walsh Bay.

These new Murray Burns Dovell designs showed in their sea trials that they are both very stiff and effortlessly fast, in both light and heavy conditions.

Incorporating developments of the hull and foils from the very successful racing models, the new Sydney Yachts CR series will be very IRC competitive.

Designer Any Dovell explains: ‘The appendage package on the CR 39 is very similar to the 38; we did not want to mess with a good thing.

On the CR 47 the hull is very similar to the 46, and that is very slick but the boat has a new keel and bulb, finer in thickness and smaller in profile.’

Modern swept back spreader rigs with non-overlapping headsails, make sailing easier, while the cruising deck layout, provides a larger cockpit. On the 39, the wheel is further back than on the 38, increasing again the mid deck area.

On both models, the spacious and well-appointed interior guarantees a new level of cruising comfort. As Dovell explains, this new CR series is very much driven from consumer needs. They are cruising and luxury oriented, based on high performance hull and appendage packages.

The Sydney CR range can be customised during construction for short handed sailing and for extended cruising, with motorised winches and sail handling controls, furler etc. The halyards and sheets are underdeck, providing uncluttered and inviting deck areas.

The first of the CR 39’s, custom built for owners John and Lyndal Bacon, has Corian® bench tops and stunning stainless steel facings in the galley.

The CR47 is fully lined internally, with a spacious owner's cabin, twin heads/showers and a generous galley, again with Corian® bench tops and a large main saloon area with myrtle topped tables.

Sydney Yachts Martin Thompson commented at the launch, ‘this is a most rewarding time for the Sydney Yachts team. We already have the large One Design fleets, innovative new custom boats and now the new CR series.

We are all proud of the new series, with more boats now in production. The combination of world class design, state of the art construction facilities and our very experienced team, continue to produce fine products and we are continuing to build on each success.’

The difference between the Sydney 39CR and 47CR and the standard 'production' cruiser is the attention to detail.

The hull windows in the main saloon ensure the cabin is light and well ventilated. The furnishings are luxurious, well appointed and can be customised to suit the owner's taste.

Large cockpit areas are perfect for entertaining and racing around the buoys, without imposing on the interior space.

Currently, the Bacon family are cruising their new CR 39 north to the Whitsunday’s. Their first racing outing will be at 2004 Hog's Breath Race Week.

The twin wheeled CR47 will be on show at the Sydney International Boat Show this week, before owner, Steve Chiodo and wife Mary, cruise north to Hamilton Island.

Full boat specifications, line drawings, layouts and images are available now at www.sydneyyachts.com

For more information, please contact Martin Thompson on +612 9979 8044 or 0414 414 100.