Racing group B returned to the course for Race 4 under noticeably cleaner conditions than the day before. With no rain and a steady breeze sitting between 16 and 20 knots, the fleet settled quickly once underway.
The 10.35am start saw all twelve boats away cleanly. The outcome again highlighted the depth of competition within the group and the fine margins separating the fleet.
Daisy Duke sets the pace
On line honours, Daisy Duke once again demonstrated her pace. Matt Gottard’s Shaw 7 crossed the line in 1 hour 12 minutes 34 seconds, securing the win on the water and reinforcing her ability to lead the fleet in moderate breeze.
Behind her, the fight was tight. Blackout and Men at Work 3 finished just 17 seconds apart, with Akatea close behind. From second through fifth, the elapsed times were covered by a little over three minutes, pointing to a closely matched midfield despite Daisy Duke making a clear statement at the front.
Further back, the fleet remained connected, with no single boat falling away significantly. While the gaps were wider than the rain-soaked races earlier in the regatta, the overall spread remained competitive.
| Result | Boat Name | Skipper | Elapsed Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daisy Duke | Matt Gottard | 01:12:34 | 1 |
| 2 | Blackout | Kevin Peet | 01:18:17 | 2 |
| 3 | Men at Work 3 | Hans Wehmeyer | 01:18:34 | 3 |
| 4 | Akatea | Mark Malpass | 01:19:29 | 4 |
| 5 | Mustang Sally | Bob Still | 01:21:27 | 5 |
| 6 | Margaritaville | Finn Topzand | 01:26:22 | 6 |
| 7 | Snatch | Hana Hielkema | 01:28:28 | 7 |
| 8 | Chain Reaction | Graeme Lucas | 01:29:09 | 8 |
| 9 | Apparition | Marcel Vroege | 01:30:20 | 9 |
| 10 | Physical Favours | Ryan McCready | 01:30:54 | 10 |
| 11 | The Farm | Mike Bennett | 01:34:11 | 11 |
| 12 | Radix | Paul Rudling | 01:34:48 | 12 |
Men at Work 3 tell a different story under handicap
As has been the case throughout Racing group B, the corrected results reshuffled the order.
Under EHC, Men at Work 3 took the win, converting a solid third on the water into first on corrected time. Blackout followed closely in second, with Akatea completing the podium. The margins were slim, with the top three separated by just over two minutes.
Daisy Duke’s line honours performance did not translate under handicap, dropping her into the middle of the fleet once ratings were applied.
| Result | Boat Name | Skipper | Collapsed Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Men at Work 3 | Hans Wehmeyer | 01:04:49 | 1 |
| 2 | Blackout | Kevin Peet | 01:05:08 | 2 |
| 3 | Akatea | Mark Malpass | 01:07:05 | 3 |
| 4 | Mustang Sally | Bob Still | 01:07:12 | 4 |
| 5 | Margaritaville | Finn Topzand | 01:10:23 | 5 |
| 6 | Chain Reaction | Graeme Lucas | 01:11:35 | 6 |
| 7 | Apparition | Marcel Vroege | 01:11:43 | 7 |
| 8 | Daisy Duke | Matt Gottard | 01:12:56 | 8 |
| 9 | Physical Favours | Ryan McCready | 01:13:00 | 9 |
| 10 | Snatch | Hana Hielkema | 01:13:47 | 10 |
| 11 | The Farm | Mike Bennett | 01:14:24 | 11 |
| 12 | Radix | Paul Rudling | 01:16:02 | 12 |
PHRF reinforced the same pattern. Men at Work 3 again claimed the win, with Blackout second and Mustang Sally moving into third. Across both handicap systems, the order at the front remained consistent.
| Result | Boat Name | Skipper | Collapsed Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Men at Work 3 | Hans Wehmeyer | 01:04:16 | 1 |
| 2 | Blackout | Kevin Peet | 01:05:27 | 2 |
| 3 | Mustang Sally | Bob Still | 01:08:15 | 3 |
| 4 | Chain Reaction | Graeme Lucas | 01:12:02 | 4 |
| 5 | Apparition | Marcel Vroege | 01:12:16 | 5 |
| 6 | Physical Favours | Ryan McCready | 01:13:27 | 6 |
| 7 | Margaritaville | Finn Topzand | 01:14:27 | 7 |
| 8 | Radix | Paul Rudling | 01:18:01 | 8 |
A fleet finding its shape
Race 4 continued to define the character of Racing group B. Daisy Duke remains the reference point on raw speed. Men at Work 3 continues to convert efficiency into corrected-time success. Blackout remains firmly in contention across all scoring systems.
With the weather expected to remain settled, the gaps are likely to tighten further tomorrow making for very watchable final races.
