Thirty-Nine Sydney One-Design’s for Savills SORC regatta

by Media Services on 24 Nov 2004 Australia’s offshore sailing scene continues to be dominated by the Sydney 38 One Design, but now the Sydney 32’s are headed in the same direction.


‘They are breeding somewhere,’ joked an elated Class CEO Simon Reffold on Saturday, referring to new record Sydney 38 fleet that will be lining up this weekend for the Savills SORC Regatta off Sydney Heads.


‘Nowra,’ was the pleased response from Martin Thompson from Sydney Yachts, after calculating that almost half of the entire Savills regatta fleet had been built at Sydney Yachts’ Nowra production facility.


Thompson continued, ‘the Sydney 38 One Design racing scene is delivering new experiences for Australian sailors and its expanding fleet numbers, as we can see with the Savills Regatta.


‘We have 13 Sydney 38’s sailing in the 60th Sydney to Hobart race and for eight of the boats; this is their first Hobart race.’


The crews in the Hobart race range across the spectrum from Lou Abrahams, sailing south for the 42nd time, Bruce Taylor for his 23rd, to the young Melbourne University students, who will be having their first Hobart experience. Three others have been chartered for the race, the 38’s; being the most popular offshore charter boat in southern waters.


Even though there will be a record fleet turning right after Christmas, there could still be as many as seventeen Sydney 38’s racing in the Strathfield Pittwater Coffs Harbour series and then as many as 25 are expected for Skandia Geelong Week’s Sydney 38 Nationals.


This week-end, off Sydney Heads, there will be 27 Sydney 38’s sailing in Middle Harbour’s Savills SORC Regatta - a new record for One Design offshore racing in the southern hemisphere.


The 38 title in the Savills regatta will be very hard to win. Until a month ago, Leon Christianakis and Bobby Wilmot had Cydon on a roll, with good wins at the Pan Pacific titles at Hogs Breath Race Week, but Steve Kulmar, with help from Steve McConaghy on Shining Sea, knocked them off at the Port Stephens regatta.


As Royal Prince Alfred’s Denis Thompson commented at Port Stephens, ‘the standard in the 38 Class has risen dramatically over the last years and its still rising.’


There are a half a dozen boats that could win the Savills title. Steve Robson and Cameron Miles on Rush have a fine record and Steve Ellis, who was a regular podium placer with Buon Giorno in the Farr 40 class, took third in Port Stephens with his charter, London Tavern.


Not to be discounted are the hard sailing boats preparing for Hobart, like Martin Hill’s Estate Master, with Olympic Laser sailor Michael Blackburn calling tactics and Rupert Henry’s Team Lexus, with Jan ‘Clogs’ Scholten making the tactical calls.


This weekend the fast growing Sydney 32 One Design fleet, now 25 boats strong nationwide, will be competing for their second National titles.


Last year’s winner, Dave Bull’s Jester, will have to sail hard to hold off Stan Montgomery’s Mainstay. They will also face stiff opposition from David Bonallo’s Hobart bound Rollercoaster and a host of new comers, including Felix Marks’ Groove, which beat Jester in the MHYC Inner Circle event a few weeks ago.


Angus Grinham’s Gusto has been showing strong form in the Combined Clubs Sydney 32 regatta and J24 campaigner, Stuart Muirhead, could surprise with his newly launched Quickie.


David Bonallo and Chris Bowling, two long-time offshore sailors, are taking the first Sydney 32, Rollercoaster to Hobart.


‘I have to say, we do not envisage large numbers of Sydney 32’s racing to Hobart, although the 32 is a true cruiser-racer, most of us would consider it rather at the small end for Hobart,’ Thompson said.


‘Australian sailors have embraced the 32 because it’s an easy boat to sail with a small crew, with large volume below decks and it has a strong One Design presence.


‘We could easily have ten 32’s racing at Port Lincoln Week in South Australia in March and nation-wide its clear that we will eventually have more 32’s, than 38’s sailing in Australian waters, so just between the two classes we will top 100 boats, he added.’


For more information on the Sydney 38’s and Sydney 32’s www.sydneyyachts.com