Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship - Preview
by Louise Bashford 24 Nov 2006 07:56 GMT
25-26 November 2006
Curtain-raiser for the Sydney to Hobart Race
This weekend’s Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship off Sydney Heads, the first of the new season’s regattas, promises spectacular racing from some of the leading contenders for the all-important handicap honours in the up-coming Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race.
With the start of the classic little more than a month away a significant number of the handicap favourites in the Hobart race will be using the Savills Championship to gauge their performance against the opposition.
The keenest battle in the IRC ocean racing division will come from two yachts that shone at Hamilton Island Race Week in August, Ray Roberts’ DK 46, Quantum Racing, and Stephen Ainsworth’s powerful 60-footer, Loki. At that event Quantum Racing dominated the IRC Racing division while Loki finished second in the Big Boat series.
The Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship will see these two yachts go head-to-head in the same division. Loki, being more than four metres longer than Quantum Racing, will hold the speed advantage, but when it comes to the all-important corrected time results no one will be surprised if Quantum Racing is on top of the podium.
The Sydney 38 Division of the Savills Championship will see another great battle, this one between two more prominent Hobart race handicap contenders, Lou Abrahams with his yacht, Challenge, and Bruce Taylor, sailing Chutzpah. While both skippers are using this contest as an important step in their preparation for the Hobart race, there’s no denying that Abrahams will be the sentimental favourite at the weekend.
At age 79 this ocean racing legend from Melbourne will be making his 44th passage south to Hobart. Having won the classic twice he is firm in his belief that Challenge can deliver the goods and lead to him having his name engraved on the Hobart race’s ultimate prize, the Tattersalls Cup, for the third time. Abrahams and the nucleus of his racing crew sailed Challenge from Melbourne to Sydney this week just to be at the Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship.
Near 500 sailors will be aboard the yachts contesting the five divisions this weekend.
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.
More information on event website.