Testing conditions shaped the sailing divisions at the 2026 Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta, with attrition and margins telling. All up 15 boats competed, with 3 not completing the race. Both races settled into hard-fought contests. The over 9.5-metre race was tight. At both ends of the spectrum, clear winners emerged, but the stories sat in the gaps, where closely matched boats were separated by seconds after correction and where conditions favoured length, pace, and clean execution over raw potential.
Up to 9.5 metres
Seven boats under 9.5 metres lined up for the 2026 Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta. However, with five entries either not starting or failing to finish, the conditions took a clear toll on the fleet.
Carrera 3 delivered a decisive performance, winning both line honours and the race on handicap. When the fastest boat also wins on handicap, it sets a clear benchmark for the rest of the fleet.
Behind her, the race compressed tightly. Perfect Alibi, Panama Jack, Scarlet Fever, and Hot Property formed a closely matched group, covered by just over nine minutes on corrected time. The fight between Scarlet Fever and Hot Property was particularly tight, separated by a single second after correction, highlighting how evenly matched those designs were on the day.
At 7.9 metres, Motorboat dropped away from this group, losing over eleven minutes on corrected time to Hot Property. Chico Too, raced single-handed since 2001, finished last on corrected time. A mission in the context of the conditions.
Overall, the handicaps worked well across the midfield, while conditions clearly favoured the faster, longer boats at the front.
| Boat | Handicap place | Corrected time | Line honours place | Elapsed time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrera 3 | 1 | 1:40:41 | 1 | 2:00:35 |
| Perfect Alibi | 2 | 1:47:06 | 2 | 2:22:36 |
| Panama Jack | 3 | 1:51:23 | 3 | 2:29:31 |
| Scarlet Fever | 4 | 1:56:29 | 4 | 2:31:28 |
| Hot Property | 5 | 1:56:30 | 5 | 2:31:42 |
| Motorboat | 6 | 2:07:48 | 6 | 2:53:38 |
| Chico Too | 7 | 2:21:56 | 7 | 3:35:23 |
Beyond 9.5 metres
Another Duchess set the pace from the outset, delivering a commanding performance to win both line honours and the race on handicap. Skippered by Evan Davies, the Davidson 55 finished first on the water in 1 hour 31 minutes 15 seconds and corrected out just 44 seconds ahead of the fleet, a strong result given her high handicap of 1.008.
Behind her, the battle was tight. Nigel Hendy’s Nirvana, the Dufour 45e, crossed the line just under twenty minutes later on elapsed to stay in second and firmly in contention after correction, finishing less than a minute behind Another Duchess on corrected time. Ticketty Boo, Peter Cunningham’s J Boat J112 E, followed just over a minute and a half later, sailing a clean and consistent race to secure third on handicap.
Flojo, the 1940 Elliott 44 skippered by Gary Vogels, rounded out the results. While fourth on corrected time, she remained competitive throughout, finishing just over three minutes behind the winner after handicap was applied. This was a close race given the rough conditions.
Overall, the results reflect a well-balanced fleet. The larger Davidson converted pace into a deserved win, while the remaining boats were tightly grouped, with margins decided more by execution than outright speed.
| Boat | Handicap place | Corrected time | Line honours place | Elapsed time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Another Duchess | 1 | 1:31:59 | 1 | 1:31:15 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 1:32:47 | 2 | 1:50:20 |
| Ticketty Boo | 3 | 1:34:22 | 4 | 1:57:14 |
| Flojo | 4 | 1:35:18 | 3 | 1:53:03 |
