The third leg of the 2026 Doyle Sails Round North Island Two Handed Yacht Race is entering its final phase, with Explore Racing firmly in control on line honours as the fleet converges on Napier after a fast and tactical 220 nautical mile leg from Queen Charlotte Sound.
As I write (7am), William Goodfellow and Jesse Turner aboard the Elliott 50 Explore Racing remained the clear leaders as they approached Cape Kidnappers. The dramatic sandstone headland, famously named by Captain James Cook in 1769 following an attempted abduction of one of his crew, marks the final turning point before the finish in Hawke Bay. The leading duo are expected to cross the line off the Port of Napier around 10:21am.
Behind them, the fight for the remaining podium positions on line honours has tightened into a compelling duel. Vixen Racing, sailed by Sharon Ferris Choat and Taylor Edwards, and Motorboat III, sailed by Damon Joliffe and Josh Tucker, are running bow to bow on the tracker. Current projections suggest Motorboat III may finish only three minutes behind Vixen Racing, setting up an exciting final sprint toward the finish.
On overall PHRF, Motorboat III currently holds the advantage, with Vixen Racing only four minutes behind on corrected time. Despite leading the race on the water, Explore Racing is presently projected to sit third on Division 1 PHRF.
Further back in the fleet, Whichway has built a strong position in Division 2, holding a lead of nearly four hours over Motorboat 2 on corrected time.
Division 3 continues to deliver one of the tightest contests of the race. Ragnar holds the division lead, while a dramatic position change has seen Kick overtake Niksen for second. The two boats are separated by little more than one minute on corrected time, leaving the division result far from settled.
In Division 4, the Farr 1020 L’Avanti maintains a slender advantage over the Elliott 10.66 Carpe Diem. Less than an hour ago the pair were separated by under a minute on corrected time, though that gap has now stretched to just under three minutes.
Weather conditions approaching Napier remain relatively stable. Light cloud has replaced the city’s usual crisp blue skies, with locals expecting rain later in the day. Offshore, the leading boats are sailing in around 13 knots of breeze with 1.8 metre swells at roughly eight second intervals, conditions expected to remain consistent through the morning as the fleet completes Leg 3.
