Crews competing on Leg 2 of the 2026 Doyle Sails Round North Island Two Handed Yacht Race are well into their second day at sea, pushing south through demanding Tasman Sea conditions. By Tuesday evening the fleet showed no sign of respite, with sailors contending with strong winds, confused swells, and the cumulative toll of limited sleep.
Conditions have been harsh enough that competitors have reached for words like "lumpy" and "bumpy" to describe what they have faced along the North Island's west coast. A 1am update from Lori Ormandy aboard Perfect Storm, the Stomp 38, captured the mood of the fleet: exhausted crews drawing on guts, determination, resilience, and a powerful sense of shared strength to keep pushing south.
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Across the Tasman, the fleet has fanned out into a wide tactical spread. The First 40.7 Higher Ground, sailed by John Seely and Matthew Wilson, is the closest to land at roughly 35 nautical miles offshore, while at the opposite extreme the Beneteau First 45 Catnip, crewed by Geoff Thorn and Katie Mathison, is the furthest west at 131 nautical miles out. The bulk of the fleet sits between those two positions, clustered around 119 nautical miles offshore.
At the front of the fleet, race leadership continues to swap hands. The Elliott 50 Explore Racing, co-skippered by William Goodfellow and Jesse Turner, has moved back into first place on elapsed time, holding a slender five-nautical-mile advantage over the Thompson 1150 Motorboat III, sailed by Damon Jolliffe and Josh Tucker. The Verdier 40 Vixen Racing, campaigned by Sharon Ferris-Choat and Taylor Edwards, occupies third place a further eight nautical miles behind.
Not all crews have been able to continue. The Beneteau First 40.7 Kokomea, co-skippered by Geoff Faulkner and Stu Morgan, has withdrawn from the race with 305 nautical miles remaining on the course. The boat is making for New Plymouth, and the crew confirmed that all is well onboard.
On corrected time, the smaller boats are putting in a compelling performance. Division 3 entries currently dominate the overall PHRF standings, with Niksen, the Dehler 30OD sailed by Logan Fraser and Marc Michel, holding the top position. Two Sunfast 3300s sit close behind: Ragnar, skippered by Brett Elliott and James Glidden, and Indis, skippered by Andrew Benton and Andrew Hall. The margin separating Niksen from Ragnar is estimated at just four minutes on corrected time.
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Within Division 1 PHRF, Motorboat III continues to lead ahead of Vixen Racing and Perfect Storm, the Stomp 38 of Ken and Lori Ormandy. Division 2 has seen a change at the top, with the Elliott 10.50 Motorboat 2, crewed by Alan Quere and Vincent Trinquet, reclaiming the handicap lead from Äkonga. In Division 4, the Ross 930 Start Me Up, skippered by Harri Wren and Peron Pearse, has opened a narrow four-minute gap over fellow Ross 930 Hotdogger, crewed by Nigel Bish and Sinisa 'Sin' Grujicic.
PredictWind forecasts point to winds ranging from 8 to 25 knots through the evening, with gusts still reaching 30 knots. Some easing is expected later in the night as the fleet continues its run south toward Cook Strait and the race finish in Queen Charlotte Sound.
