A slow start to Day 2 while crews waited patiently for the breeze to fill. Steinlager hoisted a shade cloth, and its crew threw themselves into the water to cool off. Soon afterwards the northerly breeze kicked in providing conditions worthy of sailing from between Waiheke Island and Motutapu Island around Rakino Island.
Pacific Cup Class
On Day 2 the Pacific Cup Class started out first, at 14:25 under ToT - Custom scoring, , featuring three key turning points that required careful tactical execution. The smaller yachts flourished, leveraging their manoeuvrability to gain an edge over their larger competitors.
Line Honours:
Hikurere
continued her dominance, securing first place with an elapsed time of 1 hour, 8 minutes. Behind her,
Lion New Zealand
and
Steinlager
engaged in a tense fight for second place, with
Lion New Zealand
finishing in 1 hour, 11 minutes, just one minute ahead of
Steinlager
.
Kinetic
and
Innismara
followed closely behind.
Corrected Time Standings:
Hikurere
held her top spot with a corrected time of 1 hour, 6 minutes.
Lion New Zealand
followed at 1 hour, 7 minutes, while
Innismara
moved up to third place with a corrected time of 1 hour, 8 minutes.
Steinlager
and
Kinetic
rounded out the standings, separated by just 15 seconds.
Overall Standings After Day 2 – Pacific Cup Class:
Hikurere
has firmly secured her lead with a flawless 3-point score, having won all three races.
Lion New Zealand
remains consistent in second place with 6 points, while
Innismara
holds third with 9 points.
Steinlager
sits in fourth with 12 points, and
Kinetic
, despite strong efforts, is in fifth place with 15 points. The placings have been consistent across all three races (so far), so tomorrow's racing could hold some upsets.
Millennium Cup Class
The Millennium Cup class Race 3 began at 14:42 under PCS - Constructed Course scoring; the Millennium Cup fleet followed the same course as the Pacific Cup Class. Yet again, smaller yachts thrived in today’s conditions.
Line Honours:
Sharlou
was first to cross the finish line, completing the race in just 53 minutes. Behind her, a tight duel saw
Sassafras
claim second place with an elapsed time of 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 29 seconds—just edging out
Kawil
, who finished a mere 29 seconds later.
Janice of Wyoming
followed a couple of minutes later, with Sea Eagle rounding out the fleet. However, corrected times painted a different picture.
Kawil
emerged victorious on handicap with an adjusted time of 46 minutes, overtaking
Sassafras
(48 minutes).
Sharlou
’s raw speed secured her a corrected time of 53 minutes and 9 seconds, just ahead of
Janice of Wyoming
(53 minutes and 53 seconds) and
Sea Eagle
(53 minutes and 58 seconds). The difference between fourth and fifth? A mere five seconds.
Overall Standings After Day 2 – Millennium Cup Class:
Kawil
now leads the fleet with 5 points, thanks to her consistent performances across three races (finishing 3rd, 1st, and 1st).
Sassafras
remains in striking distance with 7 points (2nd, 3rd, and 2nd), while
Sea Eagle
follows closely with 8 points (1st, 2nd, and 5th).
Sharlou
sits in fourth place with 11 points (4th, 4th, and 3rd), and
Janice of Wyoming
rounds out the class at 14 points (5th, 5th, and 4th). With at least one race scheduled for tomorrow, the battle for podium positions is far from over.
Looking Ahead to Day 3
With at least one, possibly two, races scheduled for tomorrow, the Millennium Cup class remains wide open.
Kawil
has positioned herself as the favourite, but
Sassafras
and
Sea Eagle
are still in contention. For the Pacific Cup class, the results are more settled, with
Hikurere’s
flawless performance likely ensuring her place at the top.
As the competition intensifies, the final stretch of the 2025 New Zealand Millennium Cup promises excitement, strategy, and the best of superyacht racing in the Hauraki Gulf. Stay tuned for more action as the regatta continues.
