With five days to go until the start of the 2026 Doyle Sails Round North Island Yacht Race, General Lee Racing stands out as one of the fleet’s most credentialled entries.
Sailed two handed by Cameron Thorpe and Tim Holgate, the campaign combines a proven offshore platform with one of New Zealand’s most experienced shorthanded partnerships.
Thorpe and Holgate are well known within SSANZ and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, with a long history of racing together. Thorpe skippered Hard Labour to multiple Farr 1020 National Championship titles, and the pair have regularly competed as a duo in leading shorthanded series. Their move into the Bakewell White 37 class signals a clear offshore focus.
The yacht itself carries significant history. Launched in Auckland in 2010 as General Lee, she was campaigned in Perth between 2010 and 2017 by West Australian sailors Paul Eldrid and Scott Disley, establishing an early offshore reputation.
In 2017, she returned to New Zealand waters under the ownership of Steve Mair, who renamed her Clockwork. Alongside Jamie Logan, Mair steered the yacht to overall PHRF victory and Division 2 honours in the 2020 Round North Island Yacht Race.
Now restored to her original name, General Lee once again lines up for the event under new ownership.
Proven offshore design
Designed by Brett Bakewell White, the YD37 is a full carbon 11.30 metre monohull with a beam of approximately 3.7 metres and a deep 2.65 metre draft. Conceived as a pure performance racer, the design prioritises structural stiffness, efficient weight placement, and genuine all round speed.
Unlike many contemporaries that chased downwind headlines, General Lee was drawn with strong upwind capability as a core requirement. A capability they may well need in the 2026 RNIs. A bowsprit based asymmetric sail plan simplifies sail handling for two handed crews, while the open cockpit layout supports efficient trimming and manoeuvres offshore.
The design has proven consistently competitive under IRC and PHRF, often outperforming larger yachts on corrected time. With recorded top speeds exceeding 29 knots and a history of major offshore and coastal results, the platform is well established.
Qualification complete
Thorpe and Holgate completed their 250 nautical mile qualifier on 6 and 7 February, logging predominantly upwind miles as part of their final preparation. With qualification secured and systems refined, attention now turns to execution.
The 2026 Doyle Sails Round North Island Yacht Race starts from Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour on 28 February, sending the fleet on a 1,200 nautical mile anticlockwise circumnavigation of the North Island.
Her more recent form adds another layer to the story. Under Mair’s ownership, Clockwork placed 47th overall on PHRF in the 2025 PIC Coastal Classic and finished 9th in PredictWind Division 1b. Solid results, but not headline grabbing. For Thorpe and Holgate, the focus now is clear, unlock the full potential of a proven offshore platform and return her to the sharp end of the fleet.
That is the opportunity in front of them. General Lee Racing lines up with a winning hull, experienced hands, and a design built for sustained offshore pressure. As the final days tick down, this is a campaign with both history and unfinished business in one of New Zealand’s toughest two handed tests.
