Impressive Year for Australian design

by Ian Grant on 5 Mar 2001 The Murray, Burns, Dovell designed Sydney 38, built managed and marketed by Sydney Yachts has claimed significant success on the national and international circuit in recent weeks.

This high performance sloop purposely designed to satisfy the growing demand to race One-design and compete with the best under the IRC handicap formula has continued to retain an impressive performance market growth record.

Their market destiny created from close One-Design fleet racing in the inaugural Hog's Breath Australian championship series to the nip-n-tuck duels, which highlighted the IRC fleet competition in the Hamilton Island Hahn Premium Race Week, has continued to spread over a wide range of events.

In fact the Sydney 38 has featured in the major results at the Singapore Straits regatta, Middle Harbour Yacht Club Ord Minnett Trophy series, The C.Y.C.A. Wollongong -Sydney short ocean race and the recent Presidents Cup in the Philippines.

Hong Kong based Sydney 38 Stella expertly helmed by Fred Kinmonth and crewed by specialist Etchell sailors completed a very successful maiden international regatta season in Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.

Stella sailed by a group of Etchell sailors finished third at the prestigious King's Cup in Thailand followed by IRC class wins in the Singapore Straits regatta and the Presidents Cup in the Philippines.

The IRC rating formula encourages designer's to develop their 'think tank' around creating fast, stiff yachts which have the ability to provide their owners with interesting racing and the Sydney 38 has proven it can fit that demand.

Murray, Burns, Dovell, were quick to grasp the critical elements of the IRC rule as achieved with the regatta and ocean race results with the Sydney 36 and more recently with the Sydney 38.

Similar success has been achieved with the growing fleet In the United States, where the Sydney 38 has achieved consistent high scoring results under PHRF in San Francisco and Chicago.

Over the past nine months the Sydney 38 besides being the fastest selling yacht in the Southern Hemisphere now boasts to have the largest one design yacht racing fleet in Australia.

A fleet of nine Sydney 38's will be racing at Pittwater shortly when Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club Commodore John Paul takes delivery of his new yacht.

Well known marine industry identity and ocean racing enthusiast John Messenger has joined the Sydney Harbour racing fleet proudly standing at the helm of his recently launched sloop.

There is little doubt that all of the owners are pleased with the fast, easy to sail design with veteran Victorian skipper and dual Sydney-Hobart race winner Lou Abrahams claiming his Sydney 38 Another Challenge to be one of the most sea friendly offshore racing designs.

Charter operators like Alec Barrass of Teamsail are finding the same yacht is proving very popular for corporate sailing and weekend cruising because of the spacious cockpit and comfortable features in the layout below deck.