Rolex Trophy Series as lead-up regatta to Hobart

• NEWS
• 02 Nov, 2003 03:16:00 PM

Rolex Trophy Series as lead-up regatta to Hobart

The Rolex Trophy Series, previously called the British Trophy Series, will be the lead-up regatta to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s annual lead-up regatta to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be called the Rolex Trophy Series,  further extending the support of Rolex for yachting in Australia.

The Rolex Trophy Series 2003 will be sailed off Sydney Heads and on Sydney Harbour on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 13, 14 and 15 December, as a stand-alone regatta.

With divisions for IMS, IRC and One Design yachts, many entrants in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will use the event as their final preparation for the long ocean race to Tasmania starting on Boxing Day, 26 December.  The regatta, previously called the British Trophy Series, will continue as an annual event.

CYCA Commodore John Messenger, in announcing the sponsorship by Rolex of the Rolex Trophy Series, said today that not only would the association with Rolex raise the status of the regatta but would also extend the media and public perception of Rolex as one of the world’s major supporters of yacht racing.

“The CYCA first introduced this regatta to provide a competitive series in the even years between the biennial teams racing for the Southern Cross Cross Cup, but it became so popular we made it an annual stand-alone series for individual yachts,” Commodore Messenger said.

“The Rolex Trophy Series will continue to attract the most competitive yachts and produce high class racing around the buoys on the harbour and offshore,” he added.

The Notice of Race for the Rolex Trophy Series will be available shortly from the CYCA.

The 2002 British Trophy  Series saw Syd Fischer’s Farr 50, Ragamuffin, take out the IMS Division while the IRC Division went to Neville Crichton’s super maxi,  the Reichel/Pugh 90, Alfa Romeo.  American yachtsman Jim Richardson won the Farr 40 One Design division for the NSW Championship with Barking Mad.