Quiet conditions and a southerly that took its time arriving defined this year's 119-nautical-mile passage to Russell. By the time the 2025 PIC Coastal Classic's awards ceremony concluded, the race had settled comfortably into the category of editions remembered for patience and tactical nous rather than record times. Crews from around the country gathered to mark a contest that, despite its light-air frustrations, delivered compelling racing across the fleet.
Organised by the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club (NZMYC) and supported by PIC Insurance Brokers, the race started on Friday morning under spring skies that suggested better conditions than those that followed. A week out, forecasters had spoken confidently of 14-knot winds. What crews actually encountered was considerably more demanding.
Lucky, Bryon Ehrhart's 27-metre Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed maxi, took line honours in 17 hours 22 minutes 55 seconds. The Chicago-based yacht had made the most of the faint southerly that filtered through after 1 a.m., driving past Cape Brett at better than 10 knots. Coming off success at the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race, Lucky was well prepared for a tactical contest.
Jim Murray's Callisto arrived nearly three hours later, completing the course in 20 hours 13 minutes to finish second across the line. The Pac52's showing further cemented her standing as one of the most competitive yachts of her class racing anywhere in the world. Harry Dodson and Tony Bosnyak's Mayhem, a TP52 with an established reputation on New Zealand's offshore circuit, came home third at 06:33.01 hrs, just 19 minutes after Callisto.
Fourth overall was Evan Davies' Another Duchess, a 1998 Davidson 55 that had made the trip from Australia only days before the start. Skippered by Davies, she crossed at 07:19.40 hrs. Rob Bassett and Brett Russell's Wired finished fifth at 07:20.39 hrs, and fewer than five minutes later Mikayla Plaw's Sassinate came home at 07:25:14 hrs, taking both sixth overall and first in Division 1B.
Through the morning, a steady stream of boats made their way to Russell's waterfront: William Goodfellow's Explore Racing, Steve Mair's Clockwork, Vaughn Clarke's Alegre, Chris Hornell's Blue Dude, Graham Catley's CAT+ION, Mike Sanderson's Rehab, Wild Card, and Laurent Lhermitte's Ultraviolet, each welcomed ashore after more than 20 hours at sea.
The marquee was buzzing well before prize giving began. In the Rally Division, Wildcard was first on the water, while SV Thistle, a family-sailed Lambert 52, picked up the Division 8 trophy as the only entry in that fleet.
In the multihull classes, Hooters swept Division 7, winning both line and handicap and adding the Open 8.5 line honours for good measure. Aventador claimed Division 6 on handicap and took home the Duncan Stewart Rose Bowl as first multihull overall.
Among the monohull fleets, Another Duchess translated her on-the-water speed into handicap success, topping the Doyle Sails Division 1A standings on corrected time. Lucky had the line well covered, Explore Racing finished second on handicap, and Mayhem was third.
In PredictWind Division 1B, Blue Dude prevailed on handicap after a strong performance across the full course. Sassinate had been quickest to the finish, with Kaizen second on corrected time and Rehab close behind in third.
Niksen read the conditions shrewdly to take Mount Gay Rum Division 2 on handicap. Force Eleven crossed the line first and backed that up with second on handicap, showing both pace and tactical discipline, while Blackout rounded out the top three.
Legacy was the dominant force in PIC Insurance Brokers Division 3, sweeping line and handicap honours. First Priority finished second and C'est La Vie third, in one of the most evenly matched divisions of the race.
In Burnard International Division 4, Starmaker led on handicap while Wasted Away charged home first and also secured second on corrected time. Lavanti came through steadily for third on handicap.
B&G Division 5 had its own stories to tell. Paddy Wagon sailed a composed race north to claim first on handicap. T-Rex was fastest on the water and also took third on corrected time, while Young Mischief showed consistent form throughout to finish second on handicap.
The Team Trophy went to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's Team 5, comprising First Priority, Juniper, and Sassinate. Among the special awards, the Cockleshell Trophy for smallest boat to finish went to ExMachina, the 7.8-metre yacht that crossed just before the 2 p.m. cutoff. The Cookson Trophy for first IRC boat was awarded to Sevante, and the Te Hau Ao Wairaka Trophy for first wahine skipper on handicap went to Justine Bellingham of Fez.
The Classics Trophy was presented to Innismara, and Star Maker collected both the Sands Two-Handed Trophy and the Jackson Electrical PHRF Overall Trophy. Young Mischief took the Russell Boating Club Trophy as first Bay of Islands monohull home.
To close the ceremony, Lucky received the Duke of Marlborough Cup for overall line honours and the John Vincent Memorial Trophy as first overseas entry. CAT+ION lifted the Alexander Flynn Trophy for first multihull to finish, rounding off a rich spread of results across a diverse fleet.
As sailors stowed their gear and traded stories of drifting off Kawau and chasing the dawn off Cape Brett, the mood was one of settled contentment. It had been a long, light-breeze Coastal Classic, not the sort that rewrites the record books, but exactly the sort that explains why the annual passage north holds such an enduring place in New Zealand sailing.
Congratulations to all the winners.
Cup and trophy winners
Lucky - Duke of Marlborough Cup for the first boat to finish - First monohull to finish - First overseas boat to finish
CAT+ION - First multihull to finish
Te Hau Ai Wairaka Trophy - Traditionally awarded to an all-women crew, this year it recognised her as the first wahine skipper to cross the line on handicap: Justine Bellingham, Fez.
Handicap awards - First PHRF (all monohull divisions): Starmaker - First IRC: Savante - First multihull: Aventador - First classic: Innismarra
Two-handed SSANZ trophy: - Winner, first on handicap: Starmaker - Second on handicap: Lavanti - Third on handicap: Hotdogger
The Young 88 Trophy - First with line honours: Paddy Wagon
Russell Trophy (to first Bay of Islands entry on handicap) - First on handicap: Young Mischief
Cockleshell Trophy (to smallest boat to finish) - The 7.8-metre ExMachina, which crossed the line just before the 2 p.m. race cutoff
Club Team (first club on handicap, based on first three scores) - RNZYS: First Priority, Juniper, Savante
DIVISION RESULTS
Doyle Sails Division 1A - First on handicap: Another Duchess - First on line honours: Lucky - Second on handicap: Explore Racing - Third on handicap: Mayhem
PredictWind Division 1B - First on handicap: Blue Dude - First on line honours: Sassinate - Second on handicap: Kaizen - Third on handicap: Rehab
Mount Gay Rum Division 2 - First on handicap: Niksen - First on line honours: Force Eleven - Second on handicap: Force Eleven - Third on handicap: Blackout
PIC Insurance Brokers Division 3 - First on handicap: Legacy - First on line honours: Legacy - Second on handicap: First Priority - Third on handicap: C'est La Vie
Burnard International Division 4 - First on handicap: Starmaker - First on line honours: Wasted Away - Second on handicap: Wasted Away - Third on handicap: Lavanti
B&G Division 5 - First on handicap: Paddy Wagon - First on line honours: T-Rex - Second on handicap: Young Mischief - Third on handicap: T-Rex
NZMYC Division 6 (bigger, heavier multihulls) - First on handicap: Aventador - First on line honours: Cat+Ion - Second on handicap: Cat+Ion - Third on handicap: Ultraviolet
Division 7 (smaller, lighter multihulls) - First on handicap: Hooters - First on line honours: Hooters - Second on handicap: Lucifer - Third on handicap: Attitude
Burnsco Division 8 (no extras) - SV Thistle
Open 8.5 - First on line honours: Hooters
Charlie Bravo Co. Rally Division - First on line honours: Wild Card
