The Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship (SSORC), to be held over the weekend of 28 and 29 November, is shaping up to present strong challenges with last year’s winners returning to defend and others looking for redemption.

This year marks the 49^th running of the SSORC and its appeal is wide ranging, attracting an assortment of boats to the start line each year. 

Among the front runners in 2026 are the top two from Division 1 last year, Sean Langman’s GP42, Back 2 Black and Bob Cox’s DK46, Nine Dragons. Returning also is Division 2’s winner from 2025, Neil Padden and his Beneteau First 40.7, Wailea.

Three more different designs would be hard to find, but the handicap sorts it all out and makes fair racing for all at the Middle Harbour Yacht Club (MHYC) organised event.

Back 2 Black is lining up ahead of Langman’s 35^th assault on the Rolex Sydney Hobart. The Managing Director of the Noakes Group has faith in his latest yacht, which he bought in Europe last year and represented the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia at the revitalised 2025 Admiral’s Cup, alongside Zen, the team finishing fifth overall.

After returning to Australia and contesting the 2025 Sydney Hobart, Back 2 Black underwent modifications, including new appendages, a cockpit layout change “and a few things that are secret,” Langman said before winning the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast race earlier this year.

Bob Cox, from MHYC, won Division 1 four years in a row, but relinquished to Langman’s rocket ship and took second place last year. Cox is 81 now, but as keen as mustard to give it another go, courtesy of his devoted crew. 

And Neil Padden is heading to the SSORC with the same mindset as Cox. “We’re coming back to defend.” These are fighting words and backed further by his statement: “We always try to sail well and get the best result we can, no matter who we are sailing against. The crew are always keen.”

Padden has been competing at the SSORC “for many years I can’t remember how many!”

More than anything, the yachtsman says “I like the format of passage race and windward/leeward races. And I like to support my club. The SSORC is always good competition and good fun.” 

Others coming to make their mark include Division 2’s third placegetter from 2025, Matt Wilkinson’s Farr 30, Foreign Affair and Robert Carr’s Summit King 40, Jambo. Other competitors include Ian Box’s XP44, Toybox 2, Mark Griffith’s DK46, LCE Old School Racing and Edward Cox’s Ker 40 Minerva. 

Saturday’s passage race is being held in conjunction with the CYCA’s Summer Short Offshore Series. On Sunday, the Premier and Performance Divisions will sail two short offshore windward/leeward races, while the Cruiser Racers will contest a combination inshore/offshore passage race.

Seven Islands Race

Held in association with the SSORC is the Seven Islands Race. Pursuit style, it takes the fleet from MHYC to islands either side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and returns to the finish at the Club. 

Brian Lees, owner of the Adams 10, Contentious, has probably done more of these races than anyone else and finished second last year.  

“We’ve been lots of times,” Lees confirms. “I’ve done it about 20 times in the Adams 10, six or seven in the Northshore boat I used to own and before that, I did it with my Adams 40 a couple of times.” 

Lees doesn’t need to say he likes the race. It’s obvious. But why? “The scenery is really good for a start. I first started sailing as a 14-year-old at Greenwich, which is the same area of the islands we race around on that side of the Harbour Bridge. 

“It’s a bit different and interesting. It’s tactical – so important not to get caught in the lee of the islands.”

Lees says going up the course is one part of the race and then coming back down the Harbour, he says, “You start thinking about who is where - and how you are going in the race,” with the winner first past the post back at MHYC.

“The ferries and cruise boats you have to duck and weave, so that adds a bit of interest too,”  Lees said.

In a big breeze last year, which forced officials to shorten the course, Lees gave a few onlookers at Balmain something to think about. “The breeze hit hard and we heeled right over close to shore. A few people ran and others looked shocked,” he remembered.  

It would have been a sight, particularly as the average age of the six crew is 75 years! 

Standard entries for the SSORC close on Wednesday 25 November at 23.59 hours, so no better time than to enter than now.

WORDS: Di Pearson/MHYC media

IMAGES: Andrea Fancolini/MHYC media