Property Players set for Savills SORC

by Rob Mundle on 24 Nov 2006 The Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship has more than a property sponsor – it has caught the eye of several high-profile property industry players including Lang Walker, Lou Abrahams, Guido Belgiorno-Nettis and Martin Hill.

This weekend these enthusiastic racing sailors will be among more than 500 contesting the Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship off the entrance to Sydney Harbour.

The head of Walker Corporation, Lang Walker will be racing in the in the extremely competitive Farr 40 keelboat class at the Savills Championship. He is as keen about this form of high pressure competition against the world’s best sailors as he is for his spectacular new 52-metre luxury sailing superyacht, Kokomo – which he was enjoying during its recent shakedown cruise through Queensland’s tropical Whitsunday islands.

Racing against Walker in the Farr 40 division of the Savills Championship will be Martin Hill, the Managing Principal of Hill PDA, the company that includes Australia’s largest property software business, Estate Master. Just last week Hill took an even bigger step into his favourite pastime, announcing the formation of the Estate Master international yacht racing team.

While the Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship has attracted many of Australia’s best offshore sailors – such as Bruce Taylor, Stephen Ainsworth, Andrew Short and Ray Roberts – there will be one sentimental favourite, 79-year-old Lou Abrahams, from Melbourne.

Abrahams is using the Savills Regatta as preparation for his 44th assault on the Rolex Sydney to Hobart race, starting on Boxing Day. The two-time winner of the Hobart race remains active in the property industry and is in the final stages of completing ‘St. Ninians’, a development comprising eight luxury waterfront apartments at Brighton in Melbourne.

Abrahams’ is looking forward to racing his yacht, Challenge, in the Sydney 38 class at the weekend against long-time rival Transfusion, skippered by Guido Belgiorno-Nettis, the Managing Director of construction giant Transfield.

Being part of the Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship fleet will allow Abrahams to gauge his performance against other highly fancied contenders for the ultimate prize in the Hobart race, the Tattersalls Cup – the trophy recognising the yacht that has won the classic on handicap.

The Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship winners will be determined over four races. The Warning Signal for the first race each day is due to sound at 10.55am. The second race will start as soon as practicable after the conclusion of the first.