Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship - Day 1

Konica Minolts struggles at Savills Regatta

The New Zealand super maxi Konica Minolta struggled in light winds, but eventually got the gun in the opening race of the IRC division of the Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship aat sea off the Sydney's Manly Beach today.

The Kiwi 98-footer did not get in front until the second beat to windward, the culmination of a very light nor'-easter, being buried at the start and a mediocre first spinnaker run.

Out in front from the clear start for the IRC boats was 2003 Admiral's Cup champion Wild Oats, now racing as Wild Joe under the ownership of Sydney yachtsman Stephen David.

With America's Cup yachtsman Iain Murray On the helm of the Reichel/Pugh 60, Wild Joe got an excellent start and with international Michael Coxon calling tactics, picked the best pressure and wind shifts to be 25 seconds clear the first windward mark.

Konica Minolta, whose tactician is New Zealand America's Cup sailor Earl Williams, eventually overtook the smaller boat on the second beat to windward and extended her lead to about four minutes on the final spinnaker run to the downwind finish line.

Thwaites blamed the light weather for the big boat's 'stickiness'. 'We struggled in the light breeze, only 5.5 knots at the start,' he said.

'We were buried at the start and had to tack away to get clear air on an unfavourable tack.

'In contrast, Wild Joe got a good start and clear air early which enabled them to pick the right shifts," he added.

Prime Time won the first race on handicap from Austmark with Pla Loma IV third. Full results will be announced with corrected time results for the IRC, PHS, JOG and Super Yacht Divisions later in the afternoon.

The fleet is now sailing race two of the four race series which continues tomorrow, with the wind shift from NNE to NE and freshening to about 10 knots.

Victoria's Chutzpah beats Sydney fleet

Victorian yachtsman Bruce Taylor has a long list of ocean racing achievements with his yachts named Chutzpah, but today he also showed his skill in short-course racing in the highly competitive Sydney 38 class.

Taylor steered Chutzpah to a convincing win in the opening race for the Sydney 38 One Design division of the Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship off Sydney Heads.

The former Commodore of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, who this year will be contesting his 24th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, got a perfect start in the big 26-boat fleet and showed excellent light weather tactics to win by a comfortable 57 seconds.

Chutzpah held off a determined effort by Leon Christianakis' Cydon which in August won the South Pacific Sydney 38 championship at the Hogs Breath Regatta and then took out the Sydney 38 division at Hamilton Island Race Week.

Cydon had a mediocre start and its talented crew, which includes Jamie and Bobby Wilmot, did well to work their way through the fleet to take second place ahead of Rush, helmed by former Etchells World champion Cameron Miles.

A close fourth was another RPAYC entry, Tony Walls' Acuity, followed by MHYC entrant Uncensored, skippered by Chris Lobb.

In the second race of the four race regatta over the weekend, Cydon got a much better start and was in front at the windward mark for the first time.

This was one-design racing at its best, with just seconds separating the top boats as London Tavern picked a slot on port tack to round just astern of Cydon, with Chutzpah and NSW champion Sydney 38, Shining Star next.

Going for the double

Sydney yachtsman Richard Perini has his sights on rare double in one-design international racing, aiming to add the 2005 Farr 40 World Championship to the Mumm 30 Worlds he won last month.

The advantage he will have in the Farr 40 Worlds is that they will be sailed on his home waters off Sydney, in fact, virtually the same waters he is sailing this weekend in the Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship.

At the helm of his new Farr 40 OD, Evolution, Perini today won the opening race for the class off Sydney Heads, showing light weather skills he has fine tuned on his overseas campaigns in the Mumm 30 class, also a Bruce Far design.

The Savills SORC is the first regatta in the intensive campaign for Perini and crew to win the 2005 Farr 40 OD Worlds in Sydney in early March, with this weekend's event being followed by the Rolex Trophy in mid-December and the Australian Championship in February.

Evolution got a clear air start in the ten boat fleet today and took the inshore side of the course to take the race, 27 seconds clear of the Victorian yacht Brighton Star, helmed by sometime ocean racing yachtsman David Gotze, owner of the Volvo 60, Indec Merit.

Only 12 seconds astern in third place came Lang Walker's Kokomo, which was seven seconds ahead of Belle Property (Chris Meehan) with another six seconds of Marcus Blackmore's Emotional Hooligan.

With the nor'easter freshening from the morning 7-10 knots to a steady 12-13 knots, CYCA director Matt Allen, with CYCA Vice Commodore Roger Hickman calling the shot, had a runaway win.

Full results on www.sail-world.com/savillsSORC2004