John Seely and Matthew Wilson co-own Higher Ground, and between them they bring considerable offshore experience to any campaign they take on. Their most recent joint venture was the 2026 Doyle Sails Round North Island Two Handed Race, a 1,210-nautical-mile passage that demanded both endurance and sound seamanship. It was the first time the pair had tackled that event together, and Seely is candid about how it went: "There were definitely areas for improvement, but we got round, didn't have any arguments, and had a good time." By most measures, that is a race worth having.
Getting Higher Ground to the startline of the Round North Island was far from simple. The preparation stretched across eight months and took in a full rig-out, a complete re-rig, renewed Category 2 safety gear, and new electronics. Seely is based in Queenstown, which meant travelling to Auckland every weekend throughout that period to put in the necessary hours on the boat.
The lead-up to the Three Kings has been a different story altogether. Nothing on Higher Ground failed or needed replacing during the Round North Island, so after routine maintenance the boat is ready to race again without any of the upheaval that preceded the earlier campaign.
Seely will head to the startline with a crew of four. Among them is Nigel Bish, a highly experienced short-handed campaigner who took the Ross 930 Hotdogger to first on line and handicap in Division 4 of the 2026 Round North Island Race. Ryan McCready joins the crew having raced the Ross 914 Physical Favours in that same event, finishing fifth on line and handicap in Division 3. Completing the four is Luke Tucker, son of Josh Tucker, who brings solid sailing ability in his own right.
Seely considers having four people aboard a genuine advantage. Higher Ground was built for a full complement, and that number of hands opens up a broader range of sail choices while giving the crew the confidence to make changes whenever conditions demand it. Watch rotations will run on a rolling three-to-four hour schedule, with flexibility to adjust as the race develops. McCready and Tucker, as the youngest of the four, will take up positions forward. "The younger you are the further forward on the boat you sit," Seely says with a grin. Both bring energy, enthusiasm, and a clear appetite to learn.
At the time of speaking, the forecast was shaping up for a fast run north. "That would be the dream," Seely said.
Route planning will centre on PredictWind, with updates pulled each time a fresh forecast becomes available. Seely takes a pragmatic view of weather modelling, knowing that no single model tells the whole story. The real discipline lies in tracking which forecast aligns most closely with actual conditions as the race unfolds.
For Seely, this will be a first Three Kings, and he believes the same is true for most of his crew. Nigel Bish came close to completing the course in 2024 aboard Hotdogger but was unable to finish.
Higher Ground may not be the biggest boat on the startline, but she carries a crew with serious offshore miles to their names, a hull already proven on one of New Zealand's most demanding offshore circuits, and a skipper who regards thorough preparation as the foundation on which everything else is built.
The gun fires at 11am Thursday.
