Welcome to the rundown of the 2026 Bay of Islands Sailing Week. It has already shaped up as one of the most testing editions since the event began in 2003. The weather has been rough and the rain relentless. Yet, despite everything the conditions have thrown at the race committee, crews, and sponsors, racing is underway.
Final day (Day 4): Friday, 23 January 2026
Excellent racing and seconds define the Bay of Islands Sailing Week 2026
03:59:06pm — Dave Campbell’s Beneteau Oceanis 40.5, Opportunity, is the last boat to cross the finish line in any race in the 2026 Bay of Island’s Sailing Week.
03:54pm — the first of the Racing C fleet start to cross the finish line.
2026 BOISW Racing C: Delivers split results as handicap battles tighten in final race
02:56pm — the first of the Racing A fleet start to cross the finish line.
Line: Wired; EHC: Georgia One; PHRF: Georgia One.
2026 BOISW Racing A: Final 2026 race delivers clear winners as division narrows to four
02:46pm — the first of the Racing B fleet start to cross the finish line in their final 2026 Bay of Islands Sailing Week race.
Line: Daisy Duke; EHC: Radix; PHRF: Men at Work 3.
12:55pm — Racing C start on Race 7, 10 minutes after Opportunity finishes Race 6. Thirteen boats compete in this final Racing C race, and the final race to begin the 2026 Bay of Islands Sailing Week. Nexus sit this one out.
12:50pm — Racing B start their final race for the 2026 Bay of Islands Sailing Week. Ten boats are in the fleet with Akatea and Snatch continuing to remain at port.
12:45pm — Racing A head out again, this time for their final race of the 2026 Bay of Islands Sailing Week. This week has been challenging, with weather causing a cancellation on the first day of racing, and helped cause issues with boats—Vixen Racing having to replace her winch on the second day of racing. The series results after this final race will set a clear challenge for the 2027 event.
12:19pm — The Racing C fleet starts to cross the finish line.
Line: Nautilass; EHC: Young Magic; PHRF: Young Magic.
2026 BOISW Racing C: Control at the front, volatility on handicap on Race 6
11:51am — The Racing B fleet starts to cross the finish line.
Line: Daisy Duke; EHC: The Farm; PHRF: Apparition.
2026 BOISW Racing B: What a watch! Race 6 builds up to final race
11:32am — The Racing A fleet start to cross the finish line.
Line: Wired; EHC: Explore Racing; PHRF: Wired.
10:40am — Today fourteen teams join in the racing. Blue Newport’s Hanse 370, Enhanse, and Max Newport’s Craig Loomes, Rock N Roll, arrive from the Kerikeri Sailing Club ready for today’s action.
10:35am — Ten teams from Racing B starts Race 6, their second to last race. Snatch and Akatea are sidelined.
10:30am — Racing A starts Race 5. All teams are racing today.
8:35am — Race Committee calls it a race day. With the intention to start on time the Race Committee has said they will determine the number of races once the signal boat is on site and conditions are assessed.
8:00am — Today, Opua will have 10 knot westerlies increasing to 14 knots with gusts up to 21 knots.
Day 3: Thursday, 22 January 2026
Crews had a spectacular party at the Explore New Zealand Beach Party last night.
Racing results are beginning to tell a clear story of who are likely to win their divisions either on Line or on Handicap.
Bay of Islands Sailing Week heads to final day with series battles wide open
14:38pm — Racing group A leading boat finishes Day 3 Race 4.
Line: Wired; EHC: Equilibrium; PHRF: Equilibrium.
14:36pm — Racing group C leading boat finishes Day 3 Race 5.
Line: Nautilass; EHC: Young Magic; PHRF: Young Magic.
14:22pm — Racing group B leading boat finishes Day 3 Race 5.
Line: Blackout; EHC: Apparition; PHRF: Blackout.
DNF: Men at Work 3 and Snatch.
2026 BOISW Racing B: Race 5 shake-up as retirements impact the standings
12:46pm — Racing group C heads out for Day 3 Race 5. Course is 33 which heads out to Motukauri at mark (P) then continues to Moturoa mark (P) before returning to the finish line. Approximate length of course is 14.5NM.
12:41pm — Racing group B heads out for Day 3 Race 5. Course is 33 which heads out to Motukauri at mark (P) then continues to Moturoa mark (P) before returning to the finish line. Approximate length of course is 14.5NM.
Daisy Duke is out of this race.
12:06pm — Racing group A heads out for Day 3 Race 4. Course is 36 which heads out to Roberton Island mark (P), then Motukiekie Island (P) before heading onto Motuterahiki Island (P), round to Black Rocks (S) then onto the finish. Approximate length of course 21NM.
12:26pm — Racing group C leading boats finish Day 3 Race 4.
Line: Nautilass; EHC: Young Magic; PHRF: Young Magic.
2026 BOISW Racing C: Young Magic reshapes the podium on handicap in Race 4
11:47am — Racing group B leading boats finish Day 3 Race 4.
Line: Daisy Duke; EHC: Men at Work 3; PHRF: Men at Work 3.
2026 BOISW Racing B: Daisy Duke leads on the water as handicap reshapes Race 4
11:41am — Racing group A leading boats finish Day 3 Race 3.
Line: Wired; EHC: Equilibrium; PHRF: Equilibrium.
2026 BOISW Racing A: Equilibrium answers back on handicap as patterns emerge in Race 3
10:40am — Racing group B heads out for Day 3 Race 4. Course is 32 which heads out to Motukauri at mark (P) before returning to the finish line. Approximate length is 12NM.
10:35am — Racing group B heads out for Day 3 Race 4. Course is 32 which heads out to Motukauri at mark (P) before returning to the finish line. Approximate length is 12NM.
10:30am — Racing group A heads out for Day 3 Race 3. Course is 33 which heads out to Motukauri at mark (P) then continues to Moturoa mark (P) before returning to the finish line. Approximate length of course is 14.5NM.
Vixen suffered a winch failure yesterday and was not able to race. Advice from Harken was that it was best to replace the parts before sailing, so a ‘quick’ trip was planned. The team is currently travelling back to Opua with a box full of which Sharon Ferris-Chat tells us are “great Harken parts that Grant from Harken has put together” for them.
08:17am — Message from the Race Committee has come through. “Today’s forecast is from the complete opposite direction. Based on current observations and the forecast, the intention is to race on time and will try for 2 races, subject to confirmation once the sea state has been assessed.”
Bay of Islands Sailing Week weather clears after overnight red warnings
Day 2: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
It was a compelling day on the water, with tight racing across the fleet and margins measured in seconds. Several contests went right to the line, reflecting just how evenly matched the boats were. A full breakdown of the races is below.
Despite the challenging, wet conditions, the BOISW media team and Insight Media delivered outstanding photography throughout the day.
08:00pm — An Emergency Alert is sent out to mobile phones in the area warning of “RED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS with torrential downpours occuring for eastern coastal areas of Northland on top of a RED HEAVY RAIN WARNING.”
02:00pm till late — The entertainment at Racing HQ gets underway even though they’re experiencing torrential rain.
12:58pm — The first boats from Racing group B cross the finish line in Race 3.
Line: Daisy Duke; EHC: Daisy Duke; PHRF: Men at Work 3.
12:40pm — The first boats from Racing group C cross the finish line in Race 3.
Line: Nautilass; EHC: Opportunity; PHRF: Young Magic.
2026 BOISW Racing C: Stays wide open as Race 3 tightens the margins
12:20pm — Racing group B fleet Race 3 begins.
Race 3 is a shorter race than Race 2 for Racing group B.
Snatch and Akatea start the second race but call DNF, leaving ten boats remaining in the fleet.
12:06pm — The first finishers from Racing group A arrive at the line to complete Race 2.
Line: Wired; EHC: Georgia One; PHRF: Georgia One.
2026 BOISW Racing A: The big boats take on the rain in Race 2
11:50am — Racing Group C lined up for Race 3 under steadily worsening conditions. Rain was falling heavily by the time the start sequence began, but there was no hesitation from the fleet. Crews were keen to get racing. With Race 3 set over the same course length as Race 2, it promised a clear and revealing comparison once the results were in.
11:43am — The Racing group B fleet records its first Race 2 finishers.
Line: Daisy Duke; EHC: Black Out; PHRF: Men at Work 3.
11:24am — The first boats from the Racing group C fleet cross the finish line in Race 2.
Line: Nautilass; EHC: Opportunity; PHRF: Young Magic.
2026 BOISW Racing C: Opportunity didn’t just come knocking in Race 2
10:30am — The start signal for Racing group A’s Race 2 fired first. Five minutes later, Racing groups B and C were released. With that, all three fleets were underway and racing on the course together.
10:30am — As rain intensified and the breeze eased, the Race Committee choose to run one solid Racing Group A race, and two Racing Group B and Racing Group C races.
Wind across the course sits in the 14 to 16 knot range, steady and workable but lacking bite. Boat speeds still climb into the mid-teens at times, yet it is the unrelenting rain, rather than the wind, that define the day.
08:30am — Sailing Week is on!
As persistent and demanding as the rain is, visibility is good enough to race safely.
So, the call was made to get underway. And, despite the conditions, weather-hardened crews, keen to race put on their wet weather gear ready for their patience and limits to be tested.
07:00am — We wake to a more promising day, although the threat of cyclones still hang over the region.
Day 1: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
01:00pm til late — The party at the Race HQ grows steadily through the afternoon. Nina and Tony Kiff arrive to show their support, and soon the music starts, seats are drawn up, food and drink is ordered, and the reminiscing begins. Tomorrow’s another day, hopefully a racing day.
We catch up with Cees Romenyn, the 23 year veteran of Sailing Week, Sharon Ferris-Choat of Vixen Racing, and Nina and Tony Kiff, part of the original Sailing Week organising committee to talk through the decision, and what they think it means for Bay of Islands Race Week.
Bay of Islands Sailing Week racing abandoned for day as conditions worsen
12:00pm — The Race Committee make the practical but best decision to cancel all racing on the first day of the 2026 Bay of Islands Sailing Week.
“Reports in from Tapeka and Waitangi confirm the cloud has lifted and is giving us a clear picture of conditions across the bay. Unfortunately, it is rough out there, and contrary to the forecast, the breeze is continuing to build rather than ease.
As a result, the Race Committee has made the call to AP over A for today. We’ll rest and try again tomorrow.”
This marks the first time in the event’s history that the opening race day has been cancelled, a disappointment for the Race Committee after 12 months of planning aimed at delivering a smooth and well-run Race Week.
Day one abandoned as Bay of Islands Sailing Week waits for a clean start
08:30am — The Race Committee make the decision to delay racing by two hours. The message:
“As we can see the weather system moving south, the Race Committee has decided to delay racing by 2 hours to allow conditions to improve.”
Bay of Islands Sailing Week 2026 opens with patience, not panic
07:00am — We wake to rain and strong winds, with poor visibility across the bay. While it is not a promising start for racing, the Racing Committee remains hopeful that at least one or two races will happen today.
Bay of Islands Sailing Week set for lively opening as breeze builds through day one
The countdown is on!
Amid forecasts warning of wet, windy, and potentially cyclonic weather, the fleet for the 2026 Bay of Islands Sailing Week continued to build. As we arrived on Monday afternoon, 19 January 2026, it was clear the Race Committee was preparing for a regatta unlike any seen over the past 23 years, ready to think dynamically and adapt plans as the fleet assembled and the weather systems closed in.
