Rolex Trophy, Rolex Challenge ratings announced

• NEWS
• 17 Oct, 2005 09:17:00 AM

Rolex Trophy, Rolex Challenge ratings announced

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has moved to make the prestigious 2005 Rolex Trophy rating series more attractive to smaller boats and draw more international and interstate competition for the Rolex Challenge teams event.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has moved to make the prestigious 2005 Rolex Trophy rating series more attractive to smaller boats and draw more international and interstate competition for the Rolex Challenge teams event.

The Rolex Trophy will have three, possibly four, IRC divisions based on ratings. Rolex Challenge teams must comprise two boats from different rating IRC divisions.

The Rolex Trophy will be sailed offshore from Sydney, with the one-design series from 10-12 December and the rating series from 15-18 December.

The Rolex Challenge teams event comprises results in the Rolex Trophy rating series and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, with points weighted for the long race.

“We will be providing more racing for everyone, with the maxis and super maxis getting longer courses, and the smaller and mid-range boats closer fleet competition around the buoys,” says CYCA Rear Commodore Roger Hickman, chairman of the Sailing Committee.

“The Rolex Trophy provides exciting racing in the lead-up to the Rolex Sydney Hobart, both in the one-design and rating series, with the emphasis on individual performances. 

“Having three rating divisions will give boats of widely varying size and performance the opportunity for better boat-on-boat competition rather than see the bigger and faster boats, particularly the super maxis, race away into the distance and possibly dominate IRC handicap results if there is just one IRC division.

“The Rolex Challenge is an international teams series but at the same time we want to encourage Australian States to nominate teams,” said Hickman, adding that the CYCA expected teams to represent Australia, New Zealand (the current holders), Great Britain, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

The Rolex Trophy rating series 2005 fleet will be split into three divisions, based on rating:

· Division 0 for yachts with a minimum rating of 1.395. This will include boats such as the 60 to 66-footers Loki, Vanguard, Aftershock and Another Duchess, up to the super maxis Alfa Romeo, Skandia, Konica Minolta and the new Wild Oats.
· Division 1 for boats with a minimum rating of 1.210 and less than 1.395, including boats such as the DK46s, Hollywood Boulevard, Dekadence and Shogun.
· Division 2 for boats with a rating band of between 0.95 and 1.210, covering smaller and older boats in the fleet, including Sydney 38s such as Chutzpah and Estate Master and low rating older boats such as Impeccable.

If there is sufficient interest, the Club will add a Division 3 to cater for Sydney 32s, Mumm 30s and similar small boats.

With an expected wide range of competing boats, both in size and age, the faster yachts in Division O and Division 1 will sail a longer windward/leeward course than the Division 2 boats, with courses set so that both divisions take around 1 hour 15 minutes for the first boat to complete their course.   This will mean setting two windward marks, with a gate at the leeward end to be used by all boats.

“The longer course of about 22 nautical miles for Division 0 and Division 1 boats will give the bigger boats a much longer time and distance to use their spinnakers,” says Race Committee chairman Hickman. “It means that maxi and super maxis will get more time racing…a better return on their investment for the owners, with legs of three to four miles.”

The Rolex Challenge will be open to teams of two boats representing Nations or States and Territories of Australia.  One boat must be drawn from the Division O or Division 1, and one from Division 2, of the Rolex Trophy rating divisions.  This means teams could comprise a super maxi such as Skandia and a Sydney 38 such as Chutzpah representing Victoria.

Using a modified low scoring system, each race of the Rolex Trophy will count similar points but the 628 nautical mile Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be weighted with a bonus score in accordance with its distance and status.

The Rolex Trophy rating series will also include a PHS Division, with the Rolex Trophy one design series expected to attract strong fleets of Sydney 38s, Sydney 32s and Farr 40s.

The Notice of Race for the Rolex Trophy and Rolex Challenge are now available at www.cyca.com.au under Sailing. 

Further information is available from the CYCA Sailing Office on  (02) 9363 9731 or email – sailing@cyca.com.au