Record numbers for Savills SORC Regatta

by Rob Kothe on 22 Nov 2004 This weekend's Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship, to be sailed out of Sydney’s Middle Harbour Yacht Club, will have a record 100 plus boats on the start line.

The Savills Regatta (formerly known as the JP Morgan Regatta), is 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.

The IRC Division will be very strong, with the New Zealand super maxi, Stewart Thwaites 98 footer Konica Minolta, due to sail into Sydney today to contest the Savills regatta.

This will be a particularly interesting division and the weekend’s four race series will provide the first real form guide for the Rolex Sydney Hobart race.

The Kiwi crew, keen to prove they are now battle hardened and ready to take on Skandia in the Hobart race, are aiming to win the IRC overall prize, but they will have a lot of strong opposition.

Their first hurdle will be the Reichel Pugh 60 footer Wild Joe, with Iain Murray at the helm. Formerly known as Wild Oats, this Admiral’s Cup winner will be keen to show she is a winner in her new Sydney Hobart configuration.

The production boats will also present challenges. Hamilton Island runner up, David Mason’s Prime Time and Greg McMahon’s Afternoon are keen to continue the 44.7’s IRC domination.

Hamilton Island IRC Cruising division winner, John Bacon’s Sydney 39 Hussy, will be having her first full IRC series, her mettle will be tested in the strong line up.

Other interesting entrants include the heavily IRC optimised Farr 40 AFR Midnight Rambler and Rob Reynolds DK43 Pla Loma IV making her Australian debut.

Once again the One Design fleets have come to fore. The Sydney 38 fleet creates a new record of 27 boats, the Sydney 32 One Design racing in their second Nationals numbers 12 boats, while nine Farr 40’s will get in some practice for their upcoming World titles in Sydney.

With the Sydney 32’s sailing with the JOG fleet, a record 24 Jog boats will face the starter next Saturday morning. Three Mumm 30’s, the ‘off the breeze rocketship’, The Cone of Silence, and performers like Raging Bull and Krakatoa are likely to provide some spectacular racing.

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, which starts at 1100 on November 27 and November 28.

The Regatta comes as Savills drops its longstanding prefix FPD internationally in time for the new streamlined moniker to be showcased at this event.

Savills chief executive officer, Walter Carpenter, is a director of Middle Harbour Yacht Club. He commented this afternoon, ‘naturally Savills is very pleased to see a 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 its ever improving facilities, the new floating marina and a major regatta.’

The full entry list will be published online today.

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