The 2026 Doyle Sails Round North Island Two Handed Yacht Race is underway, with a fast and hard fought opening 154 nautical mile leg from Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour to Mangōnui delivering tight racing across all four divisions.
Twenty six double handed crews started at 10.00am on Saturday 28 February from Victoria Wharf Devonport in an easing easterly. By early Sunday morning, the leaders were sweeping into Doubtless Bay after a demanding 14 to 16 hour coastal reach up the North Island’s east coast.
Explore Racing, the Elliott 50 co skippered by William Goodfellow and Jesse Turner, was first to cross the Mangōnui finish line at 00.47am on Sunday 1 March. They stopped the clock at a provisional elapsed time of 14 hours 27 minutes 38 seconds, securing line honours overall and in Division 1. The result ranks among the quickest Leg 1 performances in recent editions of the race.
However, on PHRF handicap it was Damon Jolliffe and Josh Tucker’s Thompson 1150 Motorboat III that claimed provisional overall honours for the leg. Finishing at 02.07am with an elapsed time of 16 hours 17 minutes 54 seconds, they corrected to 14 hours 52 minutes 24 seconds, placing them first overall on handicap and first in Division 1.
Division battles were equally close.
In Division 2, Motorboat 2, the Elliott 10.50 co skippered by Alan Quere and Vincent Trinquet, completed the leg in 16 hours 11 minutes 42 seconds, taking both line and corrected honours in their division.
Division 3 produced one of the standout performances of the leg. Ragnar, the Sunfast 3300 sailed by Brett Elliott and James Glidden, finished fifth on line overall and secured first in Division 3. On corrected time she sits just 17 minutes 45 seconds behind Motorboat III in the overall standings. Indis, the second Sunfast 3300 in the fleet, is only 5 minutes 40 seconds behind Ragnar on corrected time, setting up a tight contest for the remaining three legs.
In Division 4, the Ross 930 Hotdogger, co skippered by Nigel Bish and Sinisa Grujicic, led the charge. Finishing 16th on line, they secured first in division on corrected time, holding a 29 minute 27 second advantage over fellow Ross 930 Start Me Up.
One retirement was recorded on Leg 1, with Ākonga diverting to Marsden Cove for repairs.
Leg 2, the 476 nautical mile race from Mangōnui to Waikawa at the top of the South Island, will start no earlier than 24 hours after 60 percent of the fleet has finished, at the discretion of the Race Officer.
The 2026 Doyle Sails Round North Island Two Handed Race is held from 28 February to 15 March 2026. The event is organised by the Short Handed Sailing Association of New Zealand and presented by naming rights sponsor Doyle Sails, with additional support from NZL Sailing Foundation, Henri Lloyd Australia & New Zealand, The Chandlery, and Sea Lovers Gin.
We are tracking the race and publishing live updates throughout the event. We also have a strong gallery from the start line, capturing the fleet as they charged out of the Waitematā.
Take a look at the full set of images via the link below.
Live: 2026 Doyle Sails Round North Island Two Handed Yacht Race
