A slow start to Day 2 while crews waited patiently for the breeze to fill. Steinlager hoisted a shade cloth, and its crew threw themselves into the water to cool off. Soon afterwards the northerly breeze kicked in providing conditions worthy of sailing from between Waiheke Island and Motutapu Island around Rakino Island.
Pacific Cup Class
On Day 2 the Pacific Cup Class started out first, at 14:25 under ToT – Custom scoring, , featuring three key turning points that required careful tactical execution. The smaller yachts flourished, leveraging their manoeuvrability to gain an edge over their larger competitors.
Line Honours: Hikurere continued her dominance, securing first place with an elapsed time of 1 hour, 8 minutes. Behind her, Lion New Zealand and Steinlager engaged in a tense fight for second place, with Lion New Zealand finishing in 1 hour, 11 minutes, just one minute ahead of Steinlager. Kinetic and Innismara followed closely behind.
Corrected Time Standings: Hikurere held her top spot with a corrected time of 1 hour, 6 minutes. Lion New Zealand followed at 1 hour, 7 minutes, while Innismara moved up to third place with a corrected time of 1 hour, 8 minutes. Steinlager and Kinetic rounded out the standings, separated by just 15 seconds.
Overall Standings After Day 2 – Pacific Cup Class: Hikurere has firmly secured her lead with a flawless 3-point score, having won all three races. Lion New Zealand remains consistent in second place with 6 points, while Innismara holds third with 9 points. Steinlager sits in fourth with 12 points, and Kinetic, despite strong efforts, is in fifth place with 15 points. The placings have been consistent across all three races (so far), so tomorrow’s racing could hold some upsets.
Millennium Cup Class
The Millennium Cup class Race 3 began at 14:42 under PCS – Constructed Course scoring; the Millennium Cup fleet followed the same course as the Pacific Cup Class. Yet again, smaller yachts thrived in today’s conditions.
Line Honours: Sharlou was first to cross the finish line, completing the race in just 53 minutes. Behind her, a tight duel saw Sassafras claim second place with an elapsed time of 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 29 seconds—just edging out Kawil, who finished a mere 29 seconds later. Janice of Wyoming followed a couple of minutes later, with Sea Eagle rounding out the fleet.
However, corrected times painted a different picture. Kawil emerged victorious on handicap with an adjusted time of 46 minutes, overtaking Sassafras (48 minutes). Sharlou’s raw speed secured her a corrected time of 53 minutes and 9 seconds, just ahead of Janice of Wyoming (53 minutes and 53 seconds) and Sea Eagle (53 minutes and 58 seconds). The difference between fourth and fifth? A mere five seconds.
Overall Standings After Day 2 – Millennium Cup Class: Kawil now leads the fleet with 5 points, thanks to her consistent performances across three races (finishing 3rd, 1st, and 1st). Sassafras remains in striking distance with 7 points (2nd, 3rd, and 2nd), while Sea Eagle follows closely with 8 points (1st, 2nd, and 5th). Sharlou sits in fourth place with 11 points (4th, 4th, and 3rd), and Janice of Wyoming rounds out the class at 14 points (5th, 5th, and 4th). With at least one race scheduled for tomorrow, the battle for podium positions is far from over.
