Wraith II, the MOD 70 helmed by Sean Vernon, delivered a statement performance in the 2026 Balokovic Cup, the last event in the 2025-2026 Doyle Sails Gold Cup series, storming around the 89 nautical mile Gulf course in 5:44:22 and setting what organisers believe is a new course record.
In a strong south westerly breeze that built through yesterday evening—Friday, 20 February 2026—evening, the late entry multihull turned the classic overnighter into a high speed showcase, underlining the scale and pedigree of the former Snowflake and Beau Geste campaign.
Record pace in a classic Gulf test
The Balokovic Cup started off the Orakei Wharf area, with a 18:25 warning signal for the two multihulls, Wraith II and Oceans Tribute, and 18:30 for the remainder of the fleet.
Conditions were near perfect for an offshore sprint. A strong south westerly breeze produced pressure and chop through the Gulf, rewarding early commitment and punishing hesitation.
Wraith II stopped the clock at 00:14:22 this morning—Saturday, 21 February 2026. Her elapsed time of 5 hours 44 minutes 22 seconds not only secured multihull line honours, it placed her more than three hours ahead of the only other multihull in the race.
Guy Chester’s Oceans Tribute, a Crowther 40/46 trimaran representing Tinaroo Sailing Club, finished at 03:16:07 for an elapsed time of 8:46:07. The time gap between the two multihulls was 3 hours 01 minutes 45 seconds.
Ocean’s Tribute: circumnavigator Guy Chester brings sustainability to the PIC Coastal Classic
On corrected time, the margin remained the same, confirming Wraith II’s dominance in both outright speed and divisional result.
Monohull line honours: Equilibrium leads home
While Wraith II rewrote the record, the monohull fleet delivered its own tightly fought contest across nine starters.
Two boats, Liquid Luck and Motorboat, retired during the race, leaving seven to complete the course in demanding overnight conditions.
First monohull home was Equilibrium, the Botin Carkeek 55 skippered by Graham Matthews of SSANZ. Equilibrium finished at 03:51:30 for an elapsed time of 9:16:30, securing monohull line honours in convincing fashion.
The time gap to second placed Carrera 3, helmed by John Meadowcroft of RNZYS, was 2 hours 29 minutes 07 seconds. Carrera 3 finished at 06:20:37 with an elapsed time of 11:45:37.
Third across the line was Indis, the Sun Fast 3300 sailed by Andrew Benton of RYC, finishing at 06:29:01. Indis was just 8 minutes 24 seconds behind Carrera 3 but 2 hours 37 minutes 31 seconds adrift of Equilibrium.
Nigel Hendy’s Dufour 45e Nirvana crossed at 06:53:59, 24 minutes 58 seconds behind Indis. Chris Beaumont’s Young 11 Flying Boat followed at 07:09:47, 15 minutes 48 seconds later.
Marcel Vroege’s Ross 35 Apparition arrived at 07:20:05, another 10 minutes 18 seconds back. Ross Bannan’s Whiting 1/4 Tonner Magic Bus completed the course at 09:42:49, 5 hours 51 minutes 19 seconds behind Equilibrium.
From first to last monohull, the elapsed spread was just under six hours across the 89 mile course.
Indis claims handicap honours
On PHRF corrected time, the battle tightened considerably.
Indis took the handicap win with a corrected time of 9:38:21. Equilibrium, despite dominating on elapsed time, placed second on corrected time, just 11 minutes behind Indis once ratings were applied.
Carrera 3 secured third on corrected time to complete the podium.
The 11 minute gap between Indis and Equilibrium under handicap illustrates how effectively Benton and his crew sailed to their rating, particularly through the transitional breeze overnight. Behind them, the corrected time margins through the mid fleet remained competitive, reflecting the strength of the 36 to 45 foot core that has defined this Doyle Sails Gold Cup Series.
BlueWater Championship and season finale
The Balokovic Cup forms part of the Royal Akarana Yacht Club BlueWater Championship series for 2025–2026, alongside the 2025 PIC Coastal Classic, 2026 Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race and the upcoming 2026 Route 66.
Numbers that tell the story: corrected-time battles in the 2025 PIC Coastal Classic
Handicap heroes and tight battles in the 2025 Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race
The Marsden Cove Marina Route 66 is a 66 nautical mile coastal race from Auckland to Marsden Cove in Whangarei, organised by Richmond Yacht Club and raced under Category 4 plus safety requirements. It will close out the BlueWater Championship and provide one final offshore test for crews.
The fleet will celebrate its season achievements at the Gold Cup Prizegiving on 12 March at Royal Akarana Yacht Club, held in conjunction with the BlueWater Championships finale.
In a season that has already delivered tight margins and shifting standings, the 2026 Balokovic Cup will be remembered for one defining performance.
Wraith II did not just win her division. She powered through the Gulf and reset the benchmark for the race, turning a classic overnighter into a record breaking run that will shape expectations for years to come.
