A smaller fleet, the same intensity
Racing group A lined up for its offshore race with one change from yesterday. The fleet reduced from five to four boats after Vixen did not start, due to a winch failure. What remained was a compact but high quality offshore group, spanning from the TP52 Wired through to the Farr 43 Georgia One.
If yesterday’s race was defined by rain and a stretched fleet, today’s offshore contest sharpened everything. Start time was 10.30am, and from the gun the boats settled quickly into their familiar roles, but with noticeably tighter spacing through the middle of the race.
Wired sets the pace again
On elapsed time, Wired once more showed why it remains the benchmark for outright speed. The TP52 stopped the clock at 1 hour 11 minutes 40 seconds, securing line honours by 3 minutes 33 seconds over Equilibrium.
That margin is far smaller than yesterday’s gap, where Wired enjoyed more than ten minutes in hand on the water. Today’s race saw the front of the fleet compress, with Explore Racing and Georgia One also staying in closer touch.
Explore Racing finished in 1 hour 23 minutes 10 seconds, followed by Georgia One in 1 hour 28 minutes 08 seconds. From first to last, the elapsed spread was just over 16 minutes, compared with nearly 32 minutes yesterday. With conditions stabilising, the fleet is racing closer.
| Result | Boat Name | Skipper | Elapsed Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wired | Rob & Brett Bassett / Russell | 01:11:40 | 1 |
| 2 | Equilibrium | Graham Matthews | 01:15:13 | 2 |
| 3 | Explore Racing | William Goodfellow | 01:23:10 | 3 |
| 4 | Georgia One | John Muir | 01:28:08 | 4 |
Handicap racing flips the order
Where yesterday saw Georgia One capitalise under handicap, today belonged to Equilibrium. On EHC, Graham Matthews’ Marten 55 took the win with a corrected time of 1 hour 16 minutes 03 seconds.
Wired dropped to second, its raw speed offset by a heavier handicap. Despite finishing first on the water, Wired’s corrected time of 1 hour 20 minutes 46 seconds left it 4 minutes 43 seconds adrift of Equilibrium.
Georgia One slotted into third on corrected time, just 1 minute 44 seconds behind Wired, while Explore Racing finished a little further behind in fourth. Second through fourth were tightly grouped, separated by under five minutes on EHC.
| Result | Boat Name | Skipper | Cor’d Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Equilibrium | Graham Matthews | 01:16:03 | 1 |
| 2 | Wired | Rob & Brett Bassett / Russell | 01:20:46 | 2 |
| 3 | Georgia One | John Muir | 01:22:30 | 3 |
| 4 | Explore Racing | William Goodfellow | 01:25:35 | 4 |
PHRF told the same story, with Equilibrium again taking the win. Its corrected time of 1 hour 16 minutes 39 seconds placed it comfortably ahead of Wired, which corrected to 1 hour 18 minutes 50 seconds. Georgia One followed in third, with Explore Racing rounding out the order. The times were more spread out here, but none of the fleet fell away.
| Result | Boat Name | Skipper | Cor’d Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Equilibrium | Graham Matthews | 01:16:39 | 1 |
| 2 | Wired | Rob & Brett Bassett / Russell | 01:18:50 | 2 |
| 3 | Georgia One | John Muir | 01:20:07 | 3 |
| 4 | Explore Racing | William Goodfellow | 01:25:35 | 4 |
The consistency across both handicap systems is significant. Unlike yesterday, where Georgia One topped both tables, today’s results clearly belong to Equilibrium, and the order remained constant across EHC and PHRF.
Comparing yesterday and today
Yesterday’s Race 2 provided a clear reference point. In heavy rain and longer elapsed times, Wired was able to stretch the fleet, while Georgia One clawed time back through the handicap. In cleaner conditions today, with no rain and 16 to 20 knots of breeze, the racing was faster and more settled, which shifted the balance toward the larger, heavier rated Equilibrium.
Equilibrium improved from third on the water yesterday to second today, and from fourth on corrected time to first. That is a substantial turnaround.
Wired remains the fastest boat in the fleet, but its advantage has narrowed. Georgia One continues to punch above its length under handicap, while Explore Racing remains competitive but still searching for the final gains that convert pace into corrected results.
Patterns starting to form
Two offshore races in, Racing group A is beginning to show its shape. Wired owns line honours. Equilibrium is emerging as the most reliable handicap performer. Georgia One remains a constant threat, and one I’d be watching with racing to come tomorrow. Explore Racing is close enough to disrupt any order, and that makes this regatta exciting to follow.
With Vixen absent today and likely to return tomorrow, those margins will play a key role in the final outcome. With more settled weather forecast, the gaps are expected to tighten again, with podium places on the line and crews keen to press every advantage.
