Sat 21 Mar 6.00pm As the evening draws in, so does our chance to celebrate each other!
Sat 21 Mar 05.30pm Crews gathered once again at the Wynyard Pavilion, this time not for the welcome, but to celebrate and take part in the prizegiving.
Matt Flynn of Krakatoa II, the Pogo 40, stepped into the role of Master of Ceremonies to announce the winners.
Before the winners were announced, the yellow floating duck, which had drawn plenty of attention from crews and swimmers alike, was officially named. Crews had been invited to suggest names, with “Duck Norris” taking the honours.
The awards ceremony then began with loud cheers and hooting, marking the real start of the after party.
Overall winners
- First overall handicap: Sequesta, the Ed Dubois 42 skippered by Philip Deibert.
- First monohull on line honours: Alegre, the Soto 40 skippered by Vaughn Clark.
- First multihull on line honours: Frank Racing, the GC32 skippered by Simon Hull.
PHF handicap winners
DIVISION 1 (multihull)
- Selah, the Spirited 380 skippered by Andrew Turnbull.
- Ocean’s Tribute, the Crowther 40 skippered by Guy Chester.
- Alien, the Turissimo 10 skippered by Jackson Keon.
DIVISION 2 (monohull)
- Extreme, the Jim Young skippered by Mark Roberts (Moulet).
- Sham Pain, the Mg Whitbread 30 skippered by John Kensington.
- Krakatoa II, the Pogo 40 skippered by Matt Flynn.
DIVISION 3 (monohull)
- Southern Fun, the Laurie Davidson skippered by Aaron Hume-Merry.
- Chain Reaction, the Elliott 1050 skippered by Graeme Lucas.
- Team Sex, the Magic 25 skippered by Anne Hirst.
DIVISION 4 (monohull)
- Perfect Alibi, the Young 88 skippered by Colin Booth.
- Princess, the 6 Metre Class (which is in-fact 10.20-metres) skippered by Chris Dickson.
- Aoelian, the Alan Wright 12 skippered by Melissa Logan.
DIVISION 5 (monohull)
- Sequesta, the Ed Dubois 42 skippered by Philip Deibert.
- Princess, the Stewart 34 skippered by Jon Nash.
- Titus Canby, the Farr skippered by Ken Fyfe.
Class Winners
- 8.5 multi, Freedom the 8.5 Great Barrier Express skippered by Coen Ursem.
- Sports boats, Team Sex the Magic 25 skippered by Anne Hirst.
Battle of the Clubs
- Sequesta, Extreme, Sham Pain and Team Sex win for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS).
Sat 21 Mar 03.00pm Crews start rolling back into Jellicoe Harbour. First the Gc32, Frank Racing, skippered by Simon Hull, followed by Guy Chester’s Crowther 40 Oceans Tribute. Then the monohulls arrived. John Kensington’s Mg Whitbread 30, Sham Pain first. Others followed soon after, raft-ups forming as crews settled in and relaxed.
Sat 21 Mar 12.00 noon The race has started.
Looking ahead, conditions are expected to improve slightly through the afternoon. A northerly breeze is forecast to build from around 6 knots to 8 knots between 1pm and 5pm, and calm seas. A low tide at 4pm, dropping to 0.3 metres, may also influence tactics across the harbour especially as the fleet heads towards the finish line.
Sat 21 Mar 11.30am On a day of minimal but growing wind, the course has just been confirmed, formally called Course 5. The course is circa 8 nautical miles and is run between Takapuna and Rangitoto Island:
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- Starting at the North Head Yellow Racing Buoy
- Rounding the Takapuna Yellow Racing Buoy
- Rounding the Northern Leading Yellow Racing Buoy
- Back to the starting mark
Sat 21 Mar 9.00am This morning delivered near-perfect autumn conditions, clear skies and sunshine, but very little wind.
The fleet has now been split into divisions, reflecting the wide range of boats taking part. Division 1 features high-performance entries including the GC32 Frank Racing alongside a strong group of Open 8.5s such as Attitude, Epsom Salts, and Lucifer, as well as offshore-capable designs like Oceans Tribute and the multihull Selah.
Division 2 includes well-known Kiwi performers such as Another Duchess, Krakatoa II, and Innismara, while Division 3 shapes as one of the tightest fleets, with boats like Chain Reaction, Kaimai Flyer, and Southern Fun expected to feature.
Further back, Divisions 4 and 5 highlight the depth of the event, from classic Kiwi designs to modern cruisers. Among them, Sailena, the 7-metre Moonraker 23, stands out as one of the smallest boats in the fleet.
Fri 20 Mar 7.00pm onwards Festivities began at Jellicoe Harbour in the Wynyard Quarter. The Wynyard Pavilion courtyard was filled with crews, supporters, and industry faces, including members of the 36 Degrees Brokers Beneteau and Lagoon rally fleets. A few familiar names from Emirates Team New Zealand were also spotted, a strong show of support for grassroots sailing.
Across Jellicoe Harbour, PIC Insurance flags line the waterfront while berths were packed with competing boats. Others remained in nearby marinas, preparing to join the fleet for today’s start.
During the evening, Commodore Adrian Percival of the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club welcomed competitors and outlined safety expectations, with a light reminder not to collide with his starter boat.
