Three divisions, three very different battles, and with the weather only just starting to play ball, Bay of Islands Sailing Week moves deeper into the regatta. The fleets are beginning to take shape, but the scoreboards still leave room to move.
Tomorrow is the final day of sailing, with a couple of races remaining for each division. With the opening day lost to unraceable conditions, there is little margin for error. So where does the fleet sit on the series scoreboard?
Racing A
Racing A is beginning to take shape at Bay of Islands Sailing Week, with three races now on the board following one race on Day 2 and two races on Day 3. While the points remain tight on handicap, clear patterns are emerging at the front of the fleet.
On line honours, Wired has set the benchmark. The TP52 sailed by Rob Bassett and Brett Russell has been flawless, winning every race outright. In rain, pressure, and unsettled conditions, Wired has controlled the fleet from the front, converting raw speed into three straight wins and a commanding lead on elapsed time.
Behind them, Equilibrium continues to apply pressure. Graham Matthews’ Marten 55 has delivered consistent finishes near the front, staying close enough to capitalise whenever conditions compress the fleet. That consistency has paid off on handicap, with Equilibrium leading both EHC and PHRF after three races. Clean sailing and smart positioning have turned solid line honours results into corrected time gains.
Georgia One has emerged as a genuine contender. John Muir’s Farr 43 claimed a key handicap win in Race 2 and now sits second on EHC and third on PHRF. Sailing cleanly to her numbers, Georgia One remains firmly in touch as the regatta unfolds.
Explore Racing, William Goodfellow’s Elliott 50, has been steady rather than spectacular. Regular top four finishes keep her third on line honours and competitive on handicap, though she will need a standout result to close the gap at the top.
For Vixen Racing, the results mask a tougher story. Sharon Ferris-Choat’s Verdier 40 was forced to sit out Races 3 and 4 due to a broken winch, leaving the team with limited opportunity to recover.
With one day of racing still to come and conditions continuing to improve, there is still much to prove, particularly at the front end of the handicap scoreboards.
Racing B
Racing B continues to deliver some of the closest racing of the regatta, with line honours, EHC, and PHRF all telling slightly different stories after five races.
By the end of today’s racing, Daisy Duke remains the clear on water pace setter. Matt Gottard’s Shaw 7 has won every race outright, discarding a non start in today’s last race to hold a narrow lead on line honours. The small boat continues to punch well above its length, quick off the line and difficult to reel in once settled. Blackout, Kevin Peet’s Ross 9.14, sits second overall on the water after another series built on consistency, rarely finishing far from the front.
Blackout has to be the key contender for overall handicap, sitting in first on EHC standings and second placed on PHRF. Apparition lies second on EHC and third on PHRF. That battle will be close, but for now Men at Work 3Hans Wehmeyer’s Thompson 850, leads the PHF standings equal on 5 points with Blackout. Daisy Duke and Chain Reaction are tied at 10 points on third and fourth on EHC. Although Daisy Duke did not start today’s final race. Just one point behind sits Men at Work 3, fifth on EHC.
Under PHRF, with Men at Work 3 and Blackout sharing five points, Apparition, Mustang Sally, and Chain Reaction are locked in a tight chase group with one point separating the three.
Further back, Radix, Physical Favours, Margaritaville, The Farm, and Snatch have all shown flashes of pace.
With racing still to come tomorrow and conditions continuing to improve yet still testing boats and crews, Racing B remains wide open on handicap. Daisy Duke has controlled the tempo on the water to date but today’s non-start might spell another tomorrow. Snatch and Men at Work 3 also retired from the last race; with Men at Work 3 currently leading on PHF a non-start tomorrow might spell disaster for her hopes of winning.
Racing C
On line honours, Nautilass has stamped real authority on the division. Paul King’s Beneteau First 36 sits clear at the top after three straight wins to lead convincingly. Young Magic, sailed by Giovanni Belgrano, remains firmly in touch, while Ilex is rarely far from the front and holds third overall.
Behind them, the order tightens quickly. The Racoon is one point ahead of Fifth Dimension and Heartlight; both continue to trade places for most of the races, neither able to break clear of the other for long. Cotton Bud has been steady, while Opportunity, The Bondi Tram, Farr South, and Platupus are all racing steadily.
The handicap scorecard tells a different story. On EHC, Opportunity leads, edging out Young Magic, with Nautilass now third. PHRF tells a different story again, where Young Magic has been flawless, unbeaten on corrected time, ahead of Ilex and Nautilass. Young Magic carries handicap momentum into the last day of racing, and if she continues at her current speed could take out both handicap scorecards.
There is also a story that sits beyond the numbers. Race Week’s eighty-plus year veteran of Bay of Islands Sailing Week, Cees Romeyn, sailing Nexus with his daughter and grand-daughter is choosing to take the races day by day and expects to sail tomorrow. Having competed in Race 4, he can already say he has made his 23rd edition of Sailing Week.
One final day of racing
Across all divisions the pattern is clear. Front runners have emerged, but while some look untouchable, others will be fully aware that nothing is locked in. One poor decision or equipment failure remains enough to undo days of solid work.
