The corrected-time results reveal where tactics, patience, and smart sail choices made all the difference in New Zealand’s great race north.
Division 1A
At the sharp end of the fleet, Evan Davies’ Davidson 55 Another Duchess topped Division 1A with a corrected time of 22:04:27, sailing an immaculately consistent race to lead by almost fifty-five minutes. Close behind came William Goodfellow’s Elliott 50 SS Explore Racing on 22:59:20, while Harry Dodson and Tony Bosnyak’s TP52 Mayhem claimed third on 23:05:55.
The battle between the TP52s stayed fierce, with Jim Murray’s Pac 52 Callisto only 3 minutes 26 seconds behind Mayhem, the tightest margin in the class. Further back, Rob Bassett and Brett Russell’s TP52 Wired and Bryon Ehrhart’s Juan K-designed Lucky traded waterline length for heavy ratings, both finishing well adrift on corrected time. The class averaged 23:40:42, the slowest of the event, proof that even the fastest hulls can’t outrun a tough handicap.
Division 1B
Among the mid-sized performance racers, Chris Hornell’s Shaw 9 Blue Dude led the charge, correcting to 20:00:24 for the win. Kaizen, a Farr 36 One Design sailed by Simon Manning and Andy Robertson, followed on 20:15:54, and Mike Sanderson’s Shaw 35 Rehab rounded out the podium on 20:44:38.
From there the times stayed remarkably close. Vaughn Clark’s Soto 40 Alegre finished just nineteen minutes behind the leader, while Finn Topzand’s Ross 1066 Margaritaville missed Scott Fyfe’s Shaw 10.5 Illuminate by only 13 seconds, the tightest finish of the division. At the back, Sharon Ferris-Choat’s Verdier 40 Vixen Racing trailed Mikayla Plaw’s Melges 40 Sassinate by 34 minutes 58 seconds. The 1B average of 22:00:17 placed the fleet well ahead of the grand-prix yachts on corrected pace.
Division 2
Division 2 delivered the closest competition of the day. Marc Michel’s Dehler 30 OD Niksen took the win on 20:49:18, just 38 seconds clear of Peter Schischka’s Young 11 Super Sport Force Eleven. Kevin Peet’s Ross 9.14 Blackout followed only three minutes later on 20:53:01.
The mid-fleet battles were thrillingly close. Brian Watson’s Beneteau 44.7 Savante and Brendan Sands’ Elliott 1050 Kick were separated by a mere 2 seconds, while Bob Still’s Woolley 10.66 Mustang Sally edged Nigel Hendy’s Dufour 45e Nirvana by 3 seconds. The widest gap came near the tail, where Nick Roberts’ Dehler 41 Akonga finished 51 minutes 40 seconds behind Ross Brownlie’s Elliott 1050 Daytripper. With an average corrected time of 21:27:33, Division 2 sat firmly among the faster fleets.
Division 3
The cruiser-racers in Division 3 showed that steady hands and good routing still count. Brad Marsh’s Young 11 Legacy topped the class on 20:24:26, ahead of Keith Trask’s Beneteau First 35 First Priority on 20:29:49, and Leo McCullough’s Dufour 36 Performance C’est La Vie on 20:49:19.
Only 5 minutes 23 seconds split the top two, while the longest stretch — just over an hour — separated Barry Martin’s Senior 11.4 Bizarre and Peter Cunningham’s J112E Ticketty Boo. Division 3 averaged 21:00:46, faster overall than both Divisions 1A and 1B.
Division 4
In the 30-foot sweet spot of Division 4, Matt Krogstad’s Farr 1020 Starmaker shone brightest, winning on 19:26:46. Luke Judge’s Ross 930 Wasted Away followed on 19:40:03, with Richard and John Power’s Farr 1020 Lavanti third on 19:51:32.
The next boats were barely minutes apart. Garth McKilliam’s Ross 930 Grunt Machine sat just 2 minutes 1 second behind Lavanti, and Sinisa Grujicic’s Ross 930 Hotdogger only a few minutes further back. The division’s average corrected time of 20:16:05 beat every higher class, reinforcing how these moderate-displacement boats thrived in the mixed conditions.
Division 5
The small-boat fleet of Division 5 again proved that agility can outdo muscle. Gary Fowler’s Young 88 Paddy Wagon won on 19:30:27, ahead of Daniel Wise’s Young 88 Young Mischief on 19:34:15 and Lanny Walker’s SR26 T-Rex on 19:36:23.
Only 2 minutes 8 seconds covered the top three, a razor-thin result after more than sixty hours of sailing. Jamie Caisley’s Elliott 7.8 Ex Machina endured a longer leg north, finishing 1 hour 35 minutes 34 seconds behind T-Rex. Division 5’s average corrected time of 19:58:15 stood as the fastest of the event.
Double-Handed
Short crews, big results. Matt Krogstad’s Farr 1020 Starmaker, already a Division 4 winner, repeated the feat here with 19:29:55. Richard and John Power’s Lavanti followed on 19:42:00, and Sinisa Grujicic’s Ross 930 Hotdogger was third at 19:45:11.
The duel between Ryan McCready’s Ross 9.1 Physical Favours and Leo McCullough’s Dufour 36 C’est La Vie came down to a staggering 2 seconds. The division’s average corrected time of 20:30:49 placed the double-handed crews between Divisions 4 and 3, proof of careful planning and tireless trimming from two-person teams.
Classic
Among the timber and fibreglass heritage fleet, Thomas Rutter and Dougal Bell’s Modern Classic Innismara took the honours with 21:38:21. The handsome yacht’s result would have placed her mid-fleet in Division 2, proving that a well-handled classic can still compete on corrected time.
Cross-class insights
Average times
Across the corrected-time results, the lower divisions recorded quicker averages than the larger, higher-rated fleets. Division 5 led the day with an average of 19:58:15, followed by Division 4 on 20:16:05, and Division 3 on 21:00:46. Division 2 followed closely at 21:27:33, with Division 1B averaging 22:00:17, and Division 1A rounding out the set on 23:40:42. The Classic division’s average was 21:38:21, while the Double-Handed group came in at 20:30:49. These figures highlight the strong corrected performances seen among the smaller, lighter classes such as Gary Fowler’s Young 88 Paddy Wagon in Division 5 and Matt Krogstad’s Farr 1020 Starmaker in Division 4.
Summary
- Division 5: 19:58:15
- Division 4: 20:16:05
- Double-Handed Division: 20:30:49
- Division 3: 21:00:46
- Division 2: 21:27:33
- Classic Division: 21:38:21
- Division 1B: 22:00:17
- Division !A: 23:40:42
Margins
The smallest margins told some of the most dramatic stories. Division 2 produced the closest finish of the event, with Brian Watson’s Beneteau 44.7 Savante and Brendan Sands’ Elliott 1050 Kick separated by just 2 seconds. The Double-Handed division matched that intensity; Ryan McCready’s Ross 9.1 Physical Favours and Leo McCullough’s Dufour 36 Performance C’est La Vie also crossed the line only 2 seconds apart on corrected time. In Division 1B, Scott Fyfe’s Shaw 10.5 Illuminate edged Finn Topzand’s Ross 1066 Margaritaville by a mere 13 seconds, while Division 1A’s closest pairing saw Jim Murray’s Pac 52 Callisto just 3 minutes 26 seconds behind Harry Dodson and Tony Bosnyak’s TP52 Mayhem.
The widest gaps also shaped the scoreboard. In Division 5, Jamie Caisley’s Elliott 7.8 Ex Machina trailed Lanny Walker’s SR26 T-Rex by 1 hour 35 minutes 34 seconds, the largest step of the event. Among the Double-Handed entries, Nick Roberts’ Dehler 41 Akonga finished 2 hours 8 minutes 21 seconds behind Marc Michel’s Dehler 30 OD Niksen, and in Division 2, 51 minutes 40 seconds behind Ross Brownlie’s Elliott 1050 Daytripper. Division 3 recorded a one-hour gap between Barry Martin’s Senior 11.4 Bizarre and Peter Cunningham’s J112E Ticketty Boo. In the premier Division 1A fleet, Bryon Ehrhart’s Juan K-designed Lucky finished 2 hours 5 minutes 18 seconds behind Rob Bassett and Brett Russell’s TP52 Wired.
Summary
- Closest finish of the event: Division 2, 2 seconds; Double-Handed Division, 2 seconds
Viewed together, the corrected-time results underscore the variation across classes and conditions rather than any single factor. Divisions 5 and 4 achieved the fastest averages, while Division 2’s two-second result between Savante and Kick demonstrated how tight corrected racing can be over 119 nautical miles. Division 1B showed strong depth across its mid-fleet, while the Double-Handed results, including Starmaker and Lavanti, matched the pace of many fully crewed yachts. Across the board, the corrected times captured a fleet-wide reflection of weather patterns, timing windows, and course strategies that shaped each division’s outcome in this year’s PIC Coastal Classic.
