Handicap heroes and tight battles in the 2025 Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race

A clear look at what really shaped the results of the 2025 Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race.

Light air set the tone early

The 2025 Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race began with light breeze and long stretches of slow going. Boats spent the first afternoon trying to stay in any hint of pressure. Those small gains mattered, and by the time the fleet reached Cape Brett the pattern was clear. Anyone who kept moving through the quiet patches stayed in the hunt. Anyone who stopped paid for it.

The race used the PHRF handicap system. Ratings reshaped the times once the math was applied. The fleet included fully crewed monohulls, shorthanded monohulls and a single multihull. All sailed the same long course north and back. That mix gave the results sheet plenty to work with once the corrected times were released.

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Line honours came down to minutes

Motorboat III produced the sharpest elapsed-time performance. The Thomson 1150 held good speed through the soft patches and reached the finish first. The margin was slim after so many miles. Equilibrium followed only minutes later. Oceans Tribute, the multihull, arrived just behind them. Those three boats traded small gains throughout the race and stayed together for much of the course.

The next finishes arrived hours later. Kick, Whichway and Physical Favours made steady progress, staying on the favourable side of the shifts. Higher Ground and Carpe Diem completed the monohull finishers. These wider gaps reflected the run home, where the breeze dropped away and the fleet stretched out quickly.

Line honours for Motorboat III in the Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race 2025

Corrected time told the real story

Once corrected times were calculated, the picture flipped. Carpe Diem won the monohull fleet on handicap even though it finished last on elapsed. Its low rating rewarded every minute it kept moving. Kick and Physical Favours followed with tidy, balanced races that suited the conditions.

Motorboat III took fourth on corrected time. That was a strong result for a boat with its rating. It made the most of the short bursts of pressure and carried a consistent average speed across the course. The final margin between Motorboat III and the low rated boats ahead of it remained small.

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Equilibrium was the most affected by the lack of wind. It sailed well on elapsed time, but high rated boats need steady breeze to open a gap on the fleet. The air never stayed strong enough for long enough. Oceans Tribute experienced the same thing. The multihull held good pace, but the conditions did not allow it to translate that speed into a standout handicap result.

A tight group at the top

The top four monohulls on corrected time finished within a couple of hours of each other. Carpe Diem, Kick, Physical Favours and Motorboat III formed a close group. These boats managed the light air well. They kept their boats moving and avoided the long stalls that caught several others.

The next steps down the corrected list were larger. Whichway sat several hours behind Motorboat III. Higher Ground followed. Equilibrium completed the corrected results. These gaps likely came from the moments when boats sailed out of a thin band of breeze while others stayed in it. In this race, that was all it took to fall well down the corrected table.

Light air favoured the smaller boats

The 2025 Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race highlighted how different designs respond to soft air. Smaller boats often cope better when the breeze fades, especially when the sea state stays flat. Carpe Diem proved that. Kick and Physical Favours also made the most of their size. Their ability to keep moving through the quiet hours was clear on the results sheet.

Motorboat III showed a different strength. It held the pace to challenge for line honours while also staying competitive on corrected time. That combination stood out. Few boats can do both in light offshore conditions.

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Equilibrium faced the challenge many high rated boats know well. Without steady pressure, it struggled to build the margin required under PHRF. Oceans Tribute faced the same pattern. The multihull was quick but not quick enough in that breeze to dominate on corrected.

LIVE – Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race

A race shaped by timing, not theory

The overall results from the 2025 Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race were shaped by practical decisions. Boats that stayed in pressure lanes gained. Boats that drifted out lost. The conditions did not reward one design style over another. They rewarded the crews who reacted to each change and stayed patient when the wind stalled.

The corrected winner finished last on elapsed time. The line honours winner placed well on handicap. The fastest rated monohull battled at the front on the water but dropped to the back on corrected. None of that requires a grand theory to explain it. The breeze came and went. Some boats happened to be in the right place when it arrived.

Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race brings Round North Island contenders north

This race offered a clear reminder that offshore sailing in light conditions is simple at its core. Keep the boat moving. Protect your lanes. Take the gains when they present themselves. Those who managed that finished well up the list, regardless of rating or size.

The Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race