The Bean Rock Race lives up to its reputation as one of the Gulf's great thinking-sailor contests. Starting off Ōrākei Wharf and stretching out to Rangitoto Beacon, Saddle Island, and the Eastern Navy Buoy before the run home, Race 3 of the 2025–2026 Doyle Sails Gold Cup Series on 1 November rewarded clean sail changes, smart lane choices, and patient crew work as much as raw boat speed. The race delivered a timely shake-up at the top of the leaderboard, splitting neatly into two stories depending on which handicap system you follow.
Bean Rock Race: Alegre answers back
After Equilibrium had built strong early-series form, Alegre landed a convincing counterpunch. Vaughn Clark's Soto 40 claimed the win on corrected time in seven hours and thirty-one minutes, while Graham Matthews' Botin Carkeek 55 Equilibrium had to settle for second despite leading on elapsed time. David Wade's E 30 S Liquid Luck completed the podium in third, continuing what is becoming one of the more consistent runs of the series.
Carrera 3 and Fulcrum both delivered their best performances of the campaign to round out the top five. Nirvana and Flying Boat banked useful points further back. Less fortunate were Kaizen, Carpe Diem, and Champosa VII, all of whom retired, a blow to their title ambitions with no drop score yet available to absorb the damage.
Series standings after Bean Rock
Three races are now complete and the drop-score provision has not yet kicked in. Just two points separate the top of the ORC leaderboard.
| Rank | Boat | Skipper | Type | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Equilibrium | Graham Matthews | Botin Carkeek 55 | 5 |
| 2 | Alegre | Vaughn Clark | Soto 40 | 7 |
| 3 | Liquid Luck | David Wade | E 30 S | 13 |
| 4 | Nirvana | Nigel Hendy | Dufour 45e | 17 |
| 5 | Flying Boat | Chris Beaumont | Young 11 | 24 |
Bean Rock Race: Liquid Luck is in fine form
On PHRF handicap, the Bean Rock Race belonged to Liquid Luck. David Wade's Sandspit-based E 30 S sailed a precise and disciplined race, keeping clean lanes through Rangitoto Channel and making well-timed sail selections on the long reach north to claim first place on corrected time. Against a fleet containing far larger boats, the 30-footer handled the light Gulf breeze with a tidiness that continues to pay dividends.
John Meadowcroft's Carrera 3 pushed hard to finish second, recording her best result of the series to date. Marcel Vroege's Ross 35 Apparition rounded out the top three with a confident performance, holding pace with bigger boats for the bulk of the race. Chris Beaumont's Young 11 Flying Boat finished fourth, and Alegre, while not replicating her ORC dominance, took fifth, which is still enough to maintain pressure on the handicap leaders. Nigel Hendy's Dufour 45e Nirvana threaded through the mid-fleet to secure a result that is proving quietly valuable in the overall standings.
Series standings after Bean Rock
Three races are complete and no drop score has been applied yet. Two boats share the top of the PHRF leaderboard at 12 points apiece, sitting three points clear of the next challenger. The margins are tight enough that every race from here carries real weight.
| Rank | Boat | Skipper | Type | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liquid Luck | David Wade | E 30 S | 12 |
| 2 | Nirvana | Nigel Hendy | Dufour 45e | 12 |
| 3 | Alegre | Vaughn Clark | Soto 40 | 15 |
| 4 | Apparition | Marcel Vroege | Ross 35 | 17 |
| 5 | Equilibrium | Graham Matthews | Botin Carkeek 55 | 18 |
Liquid Luck has shown a knack for extracting big results against quicker rivals through precise, small-boat execution, and Nirvana's combination of comfort and pace keeps her firmly in the picture. Alegre's Bean Rock double, one win under each scoring system, is a pointed reminder that she is fully capable of threatening for the handicap crown if conditions remain light and tactical.
What comes next for the 2025–2026 Doyle Sails Gold Cup Series
The series calendar now points toward the Percy Jones Memorial on 6 December, followed by the Balokovic Cup overnighter on 20 February. Both events suit boats that arrive well prepared, with crews that can sustain focus across longer legs and manage the tactical demands that come with them. Equilibrium brings waterline length and pace to those conditions, Alegre brings accuracy and calm decision-making, and Liquid Luck remains well placed to capitalise on any stumble from either of them.
Before the Percy Jones, however, comes the Doyle Sails Cavalli Islands Race on 28 November, where Equilibrium is set to compete. Whether that bold commitment ahead of a key series race proves a stroke of confidence or an unnecessary risk remains to be seen. The Hauraki Gulf title fight is very much alive.
