Bean Rock delivered a classic Gulf contest. Starting off Ōrākei, it followed a long beat and reach around Rangitoto Beacon, Saddle Island and the Eastern Navy Buoy, then the slide home. It was a thinking sailor’s race and it split neatly into two stories.
On line
After strong early form, Equilibrium leads, yet Alegre has struck back at the first chance.
Race 3 of the 2025–2026 Doyle Sails Gold Cup Series delivered a timely reset. The Bean Rock Race on 1 November sent the fleet from Ōrākei Wharf to Rangitoto Beacon, Saddle Island, and the Eastern Navy Buoy, then home. Pace mattered, but the gains came from clean transitions and tidy crew work.
Bean Rock Race: Alegre answers back
- Alegre (Soto 40, Vaughn Clark) took the win in seven hours and thirty one minutes on corrected time.
- Equilibrium (Botin Carkeek 55, Graham Matthews) placed second after leading on elapsed.
- Liquid Luck (E 30 S, David Wade) finished third to continue a remarkable run of consistency.
The top five also featured Carrera 3 and Fulcrum, both producing their best of the series.
Nirvana and Flying Boat banked solid points.
Kaizen, Carpe Diem, and Champosa VII retired, which dents their title hopes.
Series standings after Bean Rock
Three races are complete and no drop score applies yet. The margin at the top is two points.
| Rank | Boat | Skipper | Type | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Equilibrium | Graham Matthews | Botin Carkeek 55 | 5 |
| 2 | Alegre | Vaughn Clark | Soto 40 | 7 |
| 3 | Liquid Luck | David Wade | E 30 S | 13 |
| 4 | Nirvana | Nigel Hendy | Dufour 45e | 17 |
| 5 | Flying Boat | Chris Beaumont | Young 11 | 24 |
On PHRF handicap
After three races, the PHRF leaderboard is starting to show familiar names at the top, but the order has shifted again after the Bean Rock Race.
Bean Rock Race: Liquid Luck is in fine form
Liquid Luck (David Wade’s E 30 S) sailed a precise race to claim first place on corrected time, continuing a remarkable run of consistency. The Sandspit-based 30-footer handled the light Gulf breeze beautifully, keeping clean lanes through Rangitoto Channel and making smart sail calls on the long reach north.
Carrera 3 (John Meadowcroft) was close behind in second, recording her best result of the series so far. Apparition (Ross 35, Marcel Vroege) rounded out the top three after a confident showing that saw her hold pace with much larger boats for most of the race.
Flying Boat (Young 11, Chris Beaumont) finished fourth, while Alegre (Soto 40, Vaughn Clark) took fifth — not quite matching her line-honours dominance but enough to keep pressure on the leaders. Nirvana (Dufour 45e, Nigel Hendy) stayed in the mix with a solid mid-fleet finish that proved valuable in the overall standings.
Series standings after Bean Rock
With three races completed and no drop score yet applied. Two teams are at the top of the board tied at 12, three points away from the next boat. This too will be a close competition.
| Rank | Boat | Skipper | Type | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liquid Luck | David Wade | E 30 S | 12 |
| 2 | Nirvana | Nigel Hendy | Dufour 45e | 12 |
| 3 | Alegre | Vaughn Clark | Soto 40 | 15 |
| 4 | Apparition | Marcel Vroege | Ross 35 | 17 |
| 5 | Equilibrium | Graham Matthews | Botin Carkeek 55 | 18 |
Consistency is now the name of the game. Liquid Luck’s small-boat precision and clean execution continue to yield big results against faster rivals, while Nirvana’s blend of comfort and pace keeps her firmly in contention. Alegre’s Bean Rock double shows she’s equally capable of threatening for the handicap crown if conditions stay light and tactical.
What comes next for the 2025–2026 Doyle Sails Gold Cup Series
The series now moves to the Percy Jones Memorial on 6 December, then the Balokovic Cup overnighter on 20 February. Longer legs favour preparation, teamwork, and patient strategy.
- Equilibrium brings waterline length and pace.
- Alegre brings accuracy and calm decision making.
- Liquid Luck sits ready to pounce if either stumbles.
The title fight is alive across the Hauraki Gulf.
But before the Percy Jones Memorial comes the Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race (28th November), where Equilibrium is set to compete. It’s a bold move — and the question is whether they’ve bitten off more than they can chew ahead of the Percy Jones. We’ll be watching closely, with more coverage from Boating New Zealand coming soon.
