Savills SORC Regatta set for another record

by Rob Kothe on 24 Oct 2005 The 28th annual Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship on November 26th and 27th 2005, the first major offshore regatta of the Australian east coast summer season, is the main curtain raiser for the 2005 Rolex Sydney to Hobart and 2006 Silver Anniversary Pittwater to Coffs races.

Middle Harbour Yacht Club will once again play host to this prestigious offshore series. Walter Carpenter, CEO of Savills Australia, this week issued a personal invitation to skippers for this year’s event.

‘Savills is delighted to continue our sponsorship of this prestigious event. The Savills SORC enjoys strong support from the Australian offshore fleet and is considered the champagne start to the racing season.

Carpenter continued, ‘Savills has been very keen to work with MHYC race officials over the last year with a view to expanding the regatta and we are absolutely delighted to see that we are well on track with record One Design fleet numbers assured.

‘Personally as a competing skipper, I am looking forward to seeing a little more breeze than we had last year, looking for some good 20 knot stuff.’

MHYC John Hurley, Principal Race officer for the Savills’ SORC commented, ‘a very similar regatta to last year. It’s a successful formula and we are expecting last year’s record One Design fleet to be topped again.

‘The growing numbers of One Design racers has certainly boosted the overall Savills regatta fleet. This year we are expecting between 25 and 30 Sydney 38 One designs and around 10 Farr 40’s. These boats will be racing on the offshore Macquarie Circle.

‘Denis Thompson will be the Race Officer for this course, working in conjunction with CYCA officials.

‘Where previously as all the fleets have raced four windward leewards over two days, this will be increased to three races on each of the days for these two fleets.

‘The handicap fleets are continuing to grow strongly too. With the ongoing increases in numbers in the IRC class, with boats from 30 metres down to 10 metres with a mixture of fixed keel and canting keel, it’s making it tough for Clubs and skippers.

‘We will be ‘divisionalising’ the IRC fleet, just as RPAYC and CYCA are also doing.

‘There will be multiple divisions depending on the spread of entries. Additionally, we will use two windward marks to optimise course time. For example Divisions 0 and Division 1 may be sent to a more distant top mark, with slower division 2 boats going to a shorter mark.

‘Ken Mascord from the MHYC will be the Race officer for the Rated Course on the Manly Circle. This fleet will include the IRC, JOG /Super 30 and the Sydney 32’s, racing their National titles.’

The Notice of Race is online now, along with the Entry Forms available at the official site www.sail-world.com/savillssorc2005

The full Event Program is in the current edition of ‘Australian Yachting'.

Prospective entrants are invited to contact MHYC who will assist with any enquires.

Middle Harbour Yacht Club
Email: sailing@mhyc.com.au
Telephone - +61 2 9969 1244 Fax - +61 2 9969 3326

Club website: http://www.mhyc.com.au/

Lower Parriwi Rd - The Spit - Mosman – 2088
Postal address: P.O. Box 106 - Seaforth - NSW - 2092 - Australia