Racing group C headed out for Race 4 in favourable conditions, with dry skies and a steady breeze giving the fleet a more consistent rhythm than the previous day. Although the course configuration differed from earlier rounds, the division again showed how tightly contested it becomes once handicap calculations come into play.
The fleet got away cleanly at 10.40am, with Paul King's Nautilass moving to the front early and holding that advantage through to the finish.
On elapsed time, Nautilass delivered a composed and efficient race to claim line honours, stopping the clock at 1 hour 26 minutes 16 seconds. Young Magic crossed just under three minutes later, with Ilex a further two and a half minutes back. The fleet remained well connected behind the leading trio, Heartlight, Fifth Dimension, and Cotton Bud filling fourth through sixth and finishing within just over four minutes of one another. No significant gaps formed further back, with the boats staying engaged through to the finish despite the longer elapsed times involved.
| Result | Boat Name | Skipper | Elapsed Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nautilass | Paul King | 01:26:16 | 1 |
| 2 | Young Magic | Giovanni Belgrano | 01:29:04 | 2 |
| 3 | Ilex | Sefton Powrie | 01:31:33 | 3 |
| 4 | Heartlight | Roger Sims / Rhys Cole | 01:32:12 | 4 |
| 5 | Fifth Dimension | Ian Moore | 01:35:29 | 5 |
| 6 | Cotton Bud | Doug France | 01:36:22 | 6 |
| 7 | The Bondi Tram | Spencer Poborsa Cox | 01:43:46 | 7 |
| 8 | Opportunity | Dave Campbell | 01:44:10 | 8 |
| 9 | Farr South | Ian Templeman | 01:45:42 | 9 |
| 10 | Platupus | Bill Clifton | 01:49:19 | 10 |
| 11 | The Racoon | Paul Smith | 01:52:07 | 11 |
| 12 | Nexus | Cees Romeyn | 02:06:07 | 12 |
The handicap results reshaped the order decisively. Under EHC, Young Magic converted a second place on the water into outright victory on corrected time. Heartlight moved up to second, while Nautilass fell to third despite leading the fleet home on elapsed time. The top four under EHC were covered by just over three minutes, reflecting how little separated the front of the fleet once ratings were applied. Thirty seconds divided Cotton Bud and Fifth Dimension, a reminder that the pressure throughout the group remains real.
| Result | Boat Name | Skipper | Corrected Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Young Magic | Giovanni Belgrano | 01:04:56 | 1 |
| 2 | Heartlight | Roger Sims / Rhys Cole | 01:06:06 | 2 |
| 3 | Nautilass | Paul King | 01:07:38 | 3 |
| 4 | Ilex | Sefton Powrie | 01:08:01 | 4 |
| 5 | Cotton Bud | Doug France | 01:09:17 | 5 |
| 6 | Fifth Dimension | Ian Moore | 01:09:48 | 6 |
| 7 | Farr South | Ian Templeman | 01:11:08 | 7 |
| 8 | Opportunity | Dave Campbell | 01:11:21 | 8 |
| 9 | The Bondi Tram | Spencer Poborsa Cox | 01:12:57 | 9 |
| 10 | Platupus | Bill Clifton | 01:18:03 | 10 |
| 11 | Nexus | Cees Romeyn | 01:22:44 | 11 |
| 12 | The Racoon | Paul Smith | 01:23:52 | 12 |
PHRF produced a consistent story at the top, with Young Magic taking the win again. Ilex climbed into second under this system, while Nautilass held on in third. The differences between the two handicap systems pointed to varying strengths across the fleet, though the thread connecting both results was the consistency of Young Magic's performance relative to her rating.
| Result | Boat Name | Skipper | Corrected Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Young Magic | Giovanni Belgrano | 01:05:12 | 1 |
| 2 | Ilex | Sefton Powrie | 01:09:29 | 2 |
| 3 | Nautilass | Paul King | 01:10:18 | 3 |
| 4 | Fifth Dimension | Ian Moore | 01:13:54 | 4 |
| 5 | The Bondi Tram | Spencer Poborsa Cox | 01:15:39 | 5 |
| 6 | Nexus | Cees Romeyn | 01:23:52 | 6 |
Race 4 confirmed a pattern that has become familiar in Racing group C. Nautilass remains the benchmark on the water, but Young Magic continues to extract maximum value once corrected time is applied.
With settled conditions holding and the series moving forward, the margins across the group are narrowing. In Racing group C, there is little room to give time away.
