The 88-foot maxi Lucky has rewritten the record books in the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race, storming across the Tasman in less than half the time of the previous mark.
A record rewritten
The 2025 Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race will be remembered as the year one boat redefined what’s possible on the Tasman. The 88-foot Juan K-designed maxi Lucky—skippered by American owner Bryan Ehrhart with New Zealand legend Brad Butterworth calling tactics—has claimed line honours in spectacular fashion, slicing the race record almost in half.
The benchmark of 5 days, 3 hours, 37 minutes and 57 seconds, set in 2023 by Geoff Hill’s Antipodes, has stood as a serious challenge for any offshore campaign. But Lucky’s performance turned that figure obsolete, finishing in a yet to be officially confirmed time of 2 days 20 hours 26 minutes and 28 seconds—an astonishing display of precision sailing, relentless pace, and race-course mastery.
A pedigree of champions
Formerly Rambler 88, Lucky carries one of the most formidable résumés in modern ocean racing. Her design lineage is pure performance, built for speed and reliability at the cutting edge of offshore technology. In the last year alone she’s collected a string of prestigious titles.
In January 2025, Lucky set a new RORC Transatlantic Race monohull record, finishing in 7 days, 20 hours, 34 minutes and 41 seconds, eclipsing Comanche’s 2022 benchmark by an hour and 25 minutes. The Caribbean 600 followed, where she again took monohull line honours, before crossing the Pacific to the Transpac Race, winning the Barn Door Trophy with the fastest elapsed time in its history—5 days, 21 hours, 23 minutes, and 49 seconds.
To bring that same precision and energy to the Tasman speaks volumes of both boat and crew. The Sydney to Auckland course can serve up everything from light airs to brutal squalls. Lucky faced both and made it look effortless.
Butterworth’s steady hand
Having Brad Butterworth aboard was always going to be a game-changer. The Kiwi tactician’s name is synonymous with elite sailing—America’s Cup victories, Whitbread Around the World campaigns, and decades at the sharp end of international competition. His ability to read weather systems and balance risk and reward proved decisive as Lucky powered east through the middle stages of the crossing.
Butterworth’s calm approach under pressure helped the crew push hard without over-reaching. Speaking after the finish, he credited the synergy aboard Lucky:
“Bryan’s assembled a world-class team and given us a boat that rewards commitment. The Tasman gave us everything—fronts, squalls, calm patches—and the boat just kept charging. It was one of those rare races where everything came together.”
The owner behind the name
Chicago-based Bryan Ehrhart is no stranger to long-range sailing adventures. Over the past decade he’s campaigned a series of boats named Lucky, from club racers to global maxis, always chasing that balance between speed, seamanship, and challenge. Bringing Lucky to New Zealand was a natural step after her Transpac triumph—another milestone in a year that has seen the crew cross half the planet and dominate wherever they’ve lined up.
Ehrhart described the finish in Auckland as “an emotional high point”, praising the local welcome and hinting at a return for future editions.
A new chapter for the race
For organisers, Lucky’s record-shattering win is a defining moment for the still-young Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race, founded by the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club and Royal Akarana Yacht Club in 2023. The event was conceived as a modern trans-Tasman classic—linking two great yachting nations through competition and camaraderie.
If Antipodes proved the race’s viability, Lucky has demonstrated its world-class potential. Her performance sets a bar that will attract the next generation of maxis and offshore crews looking for a fresh frontier.
This record run isn’t just a personal triumph for Ehrhart and Butterworth—it’s a statement that offshore racing between Australia and New Zealand deserves a place among the world’s great ocean races.
As Butterworth put it, “The Tasman’s a wild stretch of water. To cross it this fast, safely, and in that kind of style—well, that’s something special.”
