Fifteen two-handed crews departed from just off Westhaven under a full moon, the 2026 Spartafit SSANZ Anzac Enduro delivering precisely the conditions the forecast had promised and bringing the offshore season to a close across ANZAC Weekend.
The starting gun fired early on Friday evening, each division assigned a course suited to its class. Longhaul boats drew the most demanding route, a 60-nautical-mile passage north past the Whangaparaoa Navy buoy, around the Cow and Calf Islands, then south via Pakatoa and Frenchmans Cap before finishing at Chamberlains Bay on Ponui Island. The Shorthaul fleet worked a course taking in Waiheke, Pakatoa, and Frenchmans Cap, while Cruising competitors had a 23-nautical-mile circuit touching Browns Island and Passage Rock. Niksen's Team Michel captured the mood neatly, describing what greeted them out on the Gulf as "glamour sailing conditions."
The Longhaul division played out as a contest between the gun and the calculator. The BBW 37 General Lee reached the finish first, yet it was the Dehler 30OD Niksen that took the division prize, recording a corrected time of 6 hours 58 minutes 9 seconds under PHRF handicap. Further back, the battle for the lower placings was razor-thin, the Azuree 46 Kaymai edging out the Ross 930 Start Me Up by just 12 seconds on corrected time after both crews had been racing for more than nine hours.
Young 88s swept the Shorthaul division from start to finish. Flash Gordon crossed ahead of fellow Young 88 Satellite to deliver a one-two for the class, with Flash Gordon collecting both line honours and the handicap prize on a corrected time of 3 hours 19 minutes 49 seconds. The Hanse 385 About Time II completed the top three.
The Cruising division went to MOTORBOAT II, the boat quickest on elapsed time and first on handicap, crossing the line a little after 8:30 on Friday evening. Carpe Diem and Aeolian followed to fill the podium, with Total Recall wrapping up the division just over an hour after the leader had finished.
Anzac Day arrived clear and bright, and with the racing done, prizegiving moved ashore at Chamberlains Bay. Niksen's crew had one final verdict on the weekend, declaring it had also produced "an even better post race BBQ," rounding out a full offshore season on a high note.
Results
