The racing tugboat fleet brought colour and deep throaty industrial character to the fore, yet after more than half an hour of hard charging across a blustery Waitematā, the 2026 Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta Tugboat Harbour Race was decided by a single second.
At the sharp end, the world’s first full sized electric ship handling tug, Sparky lived up to her bold blue and green livery, slipping through the chop with quiet confidence to claim the handicap win in 27 minutes 07 seconds corrected. One second later came Capricorn Alpha, industrial grey, purposeful, and relentless, her corrected time of 27 minutes 08 seconds leaving the result hanging on a heartbeat. Hauraki completed the podium at 28 minutes 13 seconds corrected, her dark working colours and broad shoulders reflecting the harbour muscle she was built to deliver.
On line honours, personality gave way to raw presence. Hauraki stamped her authority early and held it to the finish, crossing first in 33 minutes 52 seconds. At 25 metres long and 11 metres wide, with close to 70 tonnes of bollard pull, she looked every bit the modern port workhorse powering through conditions that discouraged others from even starting.
Close behind, Capricorn Alpha followed in 34 minutes 21 seconds, just 29 seconds behind. Built in 2011, the 26 metre tug carries a 164 tonne deadweight and the quiet confidence of a vessel using over 1600 horsepower to heavy lifts and hard days. Pacific Way, just 14 cm longer with 1200 horsepower, completed the line honours podium in 34 minutes 25 seconds, only four seconds further back, keeping the front of the race tightly bunched.
From there, the harbour began to stretch the fleet. Turihaua, a 22 metre 1977 Azimuth tractor tug with twin 625 horsepower engines, finished fifth on handicap, steady and dependable. Iona M, broad and solid at 23.95 metres long and 9.54 metres wide, followed, ahead of Christine Mary, her black hull and orange-red superstructure unmistakable against the grey water.
At the back, history arrived under steam. The dark blue William C. Daldy, proud with her bright yellow funnel, completed the course in 53 minutes 43 seconds. Built in 1935 and coal-fired, and still capable of 17 tonnes of bollard pull, she reminded everyone that endurance and character have their own kind of speed.
Completion times ranged from 36 to 54 minutes. The win came down to one second. Electric innovation, modern diesel power, and coal-fired grit shared the same harbour, each with its own colour, sound, and personality. That contrast is exactly why the tugboat race remains one of the Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta’s most watchable and enduring spectacles.
Results
| Boat | Handicap place | Corrected time | Line honours place | Elapsed time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparky | 1 | 0:27:07 | 4 | 0:36:56 |
| Capricorn Alpha | 2 | 0:27:08 | 2 | 0:34:21 |
| Hauraki | 3 | 0:28:13 | 1 | 0:33:52 |
| Pacific Way | 4 | 0:29:19 | 3 | 0:34:25 |
| Turihaua | 5 | 0:30:25 | 7 | 0:42:15 |
| Iona M | 6 | 0:31:16 | 5 | 0:40:05 |
| Christine Mary | 7 | 0:35:14 | 6 | 0:42:06 |
| LHK | 8 | 0:39:58 | 8 | 0:45:25 |
| William C Daldy | 9 | 0:42:00 | 9 | 0:53:43 |
