Frantic leads the pursuit
Attention now turns to the race behind. Frantic, Mick Martin’s TP52, has rounded Cape Reinga and is sliding down the Northland coast toward the Bay of Islands before the last stretch into Auckland.
At 06:00 AEDT she lay about 147 nautical miles from the finish, averaging just over ten knots VMG and on pace for an evening arrival around 20:30 AEDT (16 October). She holds second on line honours and sits second in both IRC and PHS, proving impressively consistent for a mid-sized design.
Antipodes closing in
Not far astern, Geoff Hill’s Antipodes has rounded Cape Reinga and is chasing hard. The gap is about 45 miles, well within reach if conditions turn in her favour. She’s averaging close to ten knots and remains a serious contender for second on corrected time in the IRC division.
Divisional standings
IRC Division
1 – Lucky (USA) – Finished – Corrected 5 d 9 h 30 m
2 – Frantic (AUS) – Est. 16 Oct 20:27 – 7 d 3 h 10 m
3 – Antipodes (AUS) – Est. 17 Oct 01:31 – 7 d 15 h 5 m
4 – Wings (AUS) – Est. 18 Oct 05:19 – 7 d 14 h 7 m
ORC Division
1 – Wings (AUS) – Corrected 8 d 7 h 54 m 25 s
2 – Cooloola (AUS) – Corrected 9 d 1 h 25 m 10 s
PHS Division
1 – Lucky (USA) – Corrected 5 d 5 h 36 m 34 s
2 – Frantic (AUS) – Corrected 7 d 0 h 53 m 9 s
3 – Antipodes (AUS) – Corrected 7 d 19 h 5 m 12 s
Wings and Cooloola’s private duel
Farther north, Wings and Cooloola are locked in their own contest. Wings has stretched her lead across both ORC and PHS, averaging about eight knots over the past 24 hours. Cooloola is roughly sixty miles behind and will need a shift in pressure to close the gap.
With that separation, the race is now unfolding in clear phases — Lucky well ahead, Frantic and Antipodes trading blows mid-fleet, and Wings with a firm grip on the smaller-boat honours.
Lucky’s benchmark locked in
The 88-foot Juan K-designed maxi finished early Tuesday morning with an elapsed time of 2 days 20 hours 27 minutes 7 seconds — a result that has rewritten the race record book. Few will threaten that mark for years to come.
Weather and outlook
North-westerlies of 15 to 20 knots continue to drive the fleet toward Auckland. The sea state has eased since the rougher Tasman sections, giving crews a smoother ride for the final push south.
If the wind holds, most of the remaining yachts should reach Auckland between Friday and Saturday (17–18 October), closing out one of the fastest Sydney to Auckland races ever run.
A race to remember
This year’s edition has reminded everyone why this route holds such appeal. From Lucky’s record run to the persistence of Frantic and Antipodes, and the determination shown by Wings and Cooloola, every crew has added its own chapter to a trans-Tasman story built on endurance, teamwork and the joy of blue-water sailing.
