Record fleet for Savills SORC Regatta

by Rob Kothe on 20 Nov 2004 Next weekend’s Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship, hosted by Sydney’s Middle Harbour Yacht Club is expected to have a record fleet in excess of 100 boats.

The Savills Regatta (formerly known as the JP Morgan Regatta), will be the first major grand prix event leading up to the Summer’s big ocean races, the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and the Strathfield Pittwater to Coffs Race.


Leading international property consultants and real estate agents, Savills, has become the naming-rights sponsor of the Middle Harbour Yacht Club’s Short Ocean Racing Championship starting at 1100 on November 27 and November 28.


The Regatta comes as Savills drops its longstanding prefix FPD internationally, with the new, streamlined moniker to be showcased at the event which has attracted the cream of Australia’s offshore and one-design fleets.


Savills chief executive officer, Walter Carpenter, is also a director of Middle Harbour Yacht Club.


Commenting on the regatta, Carpenter said, ‘naturally Savills is very pleased to see the record fleet in our first year of sponsorship. As a director of MHYC, I am even more delighted, as the Club is positioned for major growth with ever improving facilities, the new floating marina and a major regatta.’


Once again, the One Design fleets have come to fore. A record 27 entries have been received for the Sydney 38 fleet, while 12 yachts will contents the Sydney 32 One Design racing in their second Nationals and the Farr 40’s, preparing for their World titles in March will number nine.


The IRC Division is very strong, with the New Zealand super maxi, Konica Minolta, sailing into Sydney on Monday to prepare for the Savills regatta.


The full entry list will be published online shortly.

The event website is www.sail-world.com/savillssorc2004