Ten boats started the Brothers Island Race on Saturday, with Mike Dunlop's modified Elliott 10.50 Rascal Racing establishing an immediate lead as conditions improved through Wellington Harbour.
Rascal Racing rounds North Brothers Island
Just over four hours into the Brothers Island Race 2026, Rascal Racing rounds North Brothers Island.
North Brothers Island
At noon, four and a half hours into the race, Rascal Racing is closing on North Brother Island and will soon round for home. White Wave leads the pursuit at a displayed 9.8 knots, compared with the leader’s 6.9 knots. Behind them, Gucci and Amnesty head Pork Chop, with Catnip and Masterpiece further back across Cook Strait. Sliver carries a grey tracker status, preventing a reliable comparison with its earlier position. Blue Jacaranda follows further southeast, while ZigZag Fullstop is outside the screenshot.
Cook Strait
Rascal Racing led the fleet into Cook Strait. Just after 11am Rascal Racing was furthest advanced on the outward passage toward Brothers Island, with White Wave next. Pork Chop and Sliver formed the next pair, followed by Amnesty and then Gucci. Catnip and ZigZag Fullstop were close together, with Masterpiece and Blue Jacaranda further back.
Steeple Rock
Through Steeple Rock, Catnip, Pork Chop and Amnesty were locked together, their different tracks making a clear order difficult to establish. Gucci still led Masterpiece and ZigZag Fullstop, but the harbour entrance brought another reshuffle. Rascal Racing remained out front, with Sliver now between the leader and White Wave. Amnesty headed the next group, while ZigZag Fullstop had slipped ahead of Gucci, followed by Catnip and Pork Chop.
Point Halswell
Rascal Racing set the pace past Point Halswell, Māhanga Bay, Steeple Rock and the harbour entrance. White Wave led the pursuit at Point Halswell, Māhanga Bay and Steeple Rock, while the contest behind kept shifting. At Point Halswell, Catnip held third, followed by Pork Chop, Amnesty, Gucci, Masterpiece and ZigZag Fullstop. By Māhanga Bay, Amnesty had edged ahead of Pork Chop, leaving the leading three unchanged.
The start of the 2026 Brothers Island Race
The fleet of new entries and returning boats began the approximately 67 nautical mile course in overcast, calm conditions at the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club start line off Clyde Quay. By the time the boats reached Cook Strait, sunshine had broken through and wind strength had increased.
The race follows a rare (for Wellington) return-leg format, rounding Barrett Reef Buoy to starboard, The Brothers to starboard, then Barrett Reef Buoy to port before finishing back at RPNYC. Organisers describe the event as one of the most challenging day races crews can undertake, citing the combination of Cook Strait tides, rips and weather. Awash Rock south of The Brothers and south coast craypots are hazards, with obstruction lines at Point Jerningham, Steeple Rock and Thoms Rock.
| Boat name | Sail number | Make and model | Owner | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rascal Racing | 9844 | Elliott 10.50 modified | Mike Dunlop | Not confirmed |
| Gucci | 6654 | Warwick 10.5 | Brent C Dewhurst | Not confirmed |
| White Wave | 9506 | Jeanneau, model not confirmed | Fletcher Stevenson | Not confirmed |
| Pork Chop | 619 | Elliott 10.5 | Barry Carruth | RPNYC* |
| Amnesty | 4580 | Farr 11.6 | Ingrid Harder | Not confirmed |
| ZigZag Fullstop | 8512 | Elliott 8.5 | Not confirmed | RPNYC* |
| Masterpiece | 8090 | Beale 13.5 | Steve Gaskin | Not confirmed |
| Blue Jacaranda | CCWS01 | Bénéteau, Bruce Farr design; model not confirmed | Dean Derwin | Not confirmed |
| Catnip | 10141 | Bénéteau First 45 | Geoff Thorn | Not confirmed |
| Sliver | 4974 | Davidson 37 | Joshua Groom and Merewyn Groom | LBYC* |
Owners are listed in the Yachting New Zealand register and are not necessarily the race skippers. *Club affiliations come from previous published race results and have not been confirmed for this event. RPNYC: Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club. LBYC: Lowry Bay Yacht Club.
Forecast conditions for the exposed strait crossing showed northeasterlies at 11 to 16 knots early, building to northerlies of 12 to 18 knots through the afternoon and strengthening to 18 to 24 knots. Crews faced a persistent 1.5 to 1.7 metre southerly swell through daylight hours.
The Brothers Island Race opens RPNYC's 2026/27 Barton Marine offshore series, the seven-event championship season continuing through to April.
