New offshore dash links Auckland’s sailors, a classic coastline, and the build up to the 2026 Round North Island.
A new offshore chapter, not the longest
The Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race fires its first start this Friday, 28 November, off Ōrākei.
The fleet will fan out north before rounding the Cavalli Islands, then turning their bows back for Ōrākei via Channel Island. It is a straight shot up the coast and back, and is a decent test for any boat heading offshore this summer.
This is not New Zealand’s longest offshore race. That honour still belongs to the Round New Zealand Two Handed Yacht Race, a full lap of the country run by SSANZ. The last edition was in 2019 and the next is provisionally set for 2027. That loop remains a serious goal for many sailors. The Cavalli race is not as long, but it carries its own weight.
Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race set to test Kiwi crews offshore
Two courses are on offer. The 275 nautical mile long course weaves past Motuharakeke, Te Anaputa and Te Anaputaiti islands, then on to the Cavallis before returning to Auckland via Channel Island. The 90 nautical mile short course takes the Flat Rock, D’Urville Rock, Cow and Calf, Waiheke and Ōrākei route. The long course doubles as a qualifier for the 2026 Doyle Sails Round North Island Race, so many entries are treating this weekend as a live rehearsal for February.
Cavalli Islands: beauty on the bow
The Cavalli Islands sit just off Matauri Bay. They are uninhabited, rugged and set in clear water that glows in the right light. Kayakers, divers and cruising boats know the area well. Racers skim past with the same landmarks but a very different mindset, scanning for shifts, swell changes and the next decision point.
Bringing the course this far north gives the Cavalli race its own character. There is enough blue water to stretch the fleet out, enough coastline to keep tacticians busy and enough history in these islands to remind sailors why this corner of Northland holds so much appeal.
Motorboats, campaigns and a crowded calendar
In 2019, Motorboat II carried Damon Jolliffe and Josh Tucker around the country in the Round New Zealand Two Handed Race. The pair also featured in the Round North Island fleet, where Equilibrium, helmed by Graham Matthews, won the first round and the overall event.
Fast forward to this weekend and Jolliffe is still going strong, now steering Motorboat III, a Thompson 1150, in the fully crewed long course division. Tucker returns alongside him as they fine tune gear, systems and crew work ahead of the 2026 Round North Island. They are sailing with a crew of five for this race, which fits neatly into their build up after a demanding 2025 PIC Coastal Classic.
Once Cavalli is done, Jolliffe and Tucker still have another 250 nautical mile qualifier to complete for the two handed Round North Island. In fact, their biggest race might be the one happening before Friday’s start. They have recently stripped out the interior of Motorboat III and loaded two half tons of water ballast per side, and are now working against the clock to have the boat fully reassembled and ready to line up this weekend.
Other boats have similar goals in mind. Equilibrium, Higher Ground, Kick, Carpe Diem, C U Later and Motorboat II all feature on the early RNI lists. The Cavalli course gives them an early offshore measure without the full pressure of the February start. It is a chance to sail against people they will likely see again next year and to understand whether their boats feel as sharp offshore as they do inshore.
Big carbon, small Ross boats and one fast tri
At the front of the fleet sits Equilibrium, the 55 foot Botin Carkeek yacht launched in 2011 by Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders. She carries a full carbon build, a lifting keel and a strong record in the Doyle Sails Gold Cup and Bay of Islands Sailing Week. If the breeze allows her to hold height and pace offshore, she will be hard to roll.
Alongside her in the fully crewed division is Radio Active, an Elliott 7.9 raced by Daniel Leech. She brings match racing DNA and plenty of miles in coastal events like Route 66 and the Northern Triangle.
Motorboat III has shown consistent form in the SSANZ Lewmar Triple Series and will look for opportunities on corrected time. She thrives when the Northland coast serves up varied angles and pressure.
The outlier in the fully crewed fleet is Oceans Tribute, a 46 foot Lock Crowther trimaran sailed out of Queensland’s Tinaroo Sailing Club, and which raced in the 2025 PIC Coastal Classic. She carries long range offshore experience and enough pace to unsettle the monohulls if the angles suit.
Short handed specialists and RNI form
Most of the long course fleet is short handed, which gives this race its strong Round North Island flavour.
C U Later, a Murray Ross designed 8 metre, has tackled the RNI more than once. In 2023 she finished third on handicap in the third leg and was still one of the quickest of the smaller boats home. She remains one of the most competitive small boats in the country.
Physical Favours, a Ross 914, and Higher Ground, a Ross 10.66 now sailed by John Seely, bring more Ross designs into the mix. Both boats have long offshore histories and know the Northland coast well.
The Elliott 1050 and 1060 group adds depth. Kick has been rebuilt and used as a training ground for younger sailors. Carpe Diem is a true cruiser racer, with histories sailing in the Bay of Islands Sailing Week and the Three Kings. Motorboat II, under the helm of Alan Quere, carries the legacy of Jolliffe and Tucker’s earlier campaigns.
Rounding out the shorthanded long course is Whichway, a Davidson 52 with a 2024 Fiji to Auckland passage in the logbook; crew included celebrated New Zealand boat designer Kevin Dibley. The boat sits in that crossover space between performance cruiser and offshore racer, and her longer waterline may give her a useful edge if the wind fills in.
Looking ahead
By Sunday the fleet will have a much clearer sense of where they stand. A clean run north and back will show which boats have settled into reliable offshore form and which crews still have work to do before February. Some will come home satisfied that their boats feel on pace. Others will come home with a list of upgrades that need to be completed.
Whatever the results, the Cavalli Islands Race already looks like a welcome addition to the offshore calendar.
