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.
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.
12:40pm — The first boats from Racing group C cross the finish line in Race 3.
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 the remaining ten boats in the fleet to finish.
12:06pm — The first finishers from Racing group A arrive at the line to complete Race 2.
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.
11:24am — The first boats from the Racing group C fleet cross the finish line in Race 2.
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.
