The 2025–26 Doyle Sails Gold Cup Series has wasted no time announcing itself. Two early-season races, the Marine Deals Spring Regatta on 20 September and the Roy McDell Memorial on 4 October, gave Auckland's keelboat fleet exactly the competitive workout they needed before New Zealand's premier offshore passage race, the PIC Coastal Classic, which got underway on 24 October. The Gold Cup's opening legs have long served as the ideal shakedown ahead of the Coastal, and this year proved no different.
*Race 1: Marine Deals Spring Regatta*
Richmond Yacht Club hosted the opener in lively 15- to 20-knot south-westerlies, a proper shake-down after winter. Vaughn Clark's Alegre, a 2012 Soto 40, took the PHS corrected-time win in 5 hours 32 minutes 36 seconds, finishing roughly 5 minutes clear of Quintin Fowler's Rum Bucket, a 2018 More 55, with Nigel Hendy's Nirvana, a 2012 Dufour 45e, rounding out the podium in third.
Graham Matthews' Equilibrium, a 2011 Botin Carkeek 55, was first across the line with an elapsed time of 5 hours 35 minutes 24 seconds, only to find the handicap calculations less generous, eventually placing fifth. Further down the fleet, Rowan Smith's Carpe Diem, an Elliott 1060, and Peter Cunningham's Ticketty Boo, a J 112e, turned heads with performances that showed slick crew work can still put larger boats to shame.
Among the multihulls, Coen Ursam's Freedom 8.5 came through ahead of Steve Dunlop's 2006 Attitude, picking up where last season's division M rivalry left off.
*Race 2: Roy McDell Memorial*
Hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, the second race drew the standings closer together. Equilibrium backed up its line-honours pace from the opener, sharing top billing at the head of the elapsed-time standings with Alegre, the pair swapping seconds at mark after mark.
On handicap, Nirvana leads the PHRF Division after a first and a fifth, giving Hendy's crew a narrow advantage over Carpe Diem and Equilibrium. David Wade's Liquid Luck, an E-30, has worked its way into genuine title contention through back-to-back top-five finishes, a run that will have other crews taking notice.
Two races in, the message is plain: reliability will define this season. The series drops its worst score, meaning crews who stay off the Did Not Compete list stand to benefit most as the points accumulate.
*PIC Coastal Classic crossover*
The 2025 PIC Coastal Classic, starting on 24 October, saw many familiar Gold Cup names carry their form into the offshore passage race, a timely demonstration of how effective the series is as preparation for longer offshore campaigns.
Corrected-time honours went to Matt Krogstad's Starmaker, a 1986 Farr 1020 from Bucklands Beach Yacht Club, which completed the course in 19 hours 26 minutes 46 seconds overall. Gold Cup regulars also featured prominently, with Luke Judge's Wasted Away, a 1992 Ross 930, finishing fifth on corrected time and Simon Manning's Kaizen, a 2003 Farr 36 OD, rounding out the top ten in tenth place.
Further back, Mike Elley's 1993 Nosaka came home in 31st. Three places later, Nigel Hendy's Nirvana arrived in 34th on PHRF corrected time, followed by Bob Still's Mustang Sally in 35th, and Matthew Cashmore's Love A Luck in 42nd on PHRF corrected.
The most notable development was the retirement of Equilibrium. Despite showing strong early pace, Matthews' crew withdrew before completing the northward course. Given the team's record of bouncing back quickly, few doubt they will arrive at November's Bean Rock Race with something to prove.
*Patterns emerging from 2024–2025*
A look back at last season puts the current standings into context. Equilibrium was the dominant force on elapsed time throughout 2024–2025, while Kaizen edged Alegre on countback to claim the PHRF title. The multihull division belonged to Craig Haslip's Hooters, who is expected to return to the fleet mid-series.
The opening two races of the new season suggest those same contests are set to resume, though with fresh storylines added. Liquid Luck and Carpe Diem have both raised their level, Nirvana is again demonstrating the value of handicap consistency, and Freedom 8.5 may soon find Hooters applying pressure when the returning champion rejoins the multihull division.
*Next up: Bean Rock Race*
The fleet's next assignment is the Bean Rock Race on 1 November. Starting and finishing off Ōrākei Wharf, the course takes in Rangitoto Beacon, Mahurangi's Saddle Island and Whangaparāoa's Eastern Navy Buoy, covering up to 48 nautical miles of Hauraki Gulf racing before a midnight time limit. Conditions typical of the Gulf at this time of year point toward light to moderate north-easterlies and the kind of tactical gybing puzzle that rewards patience and sharp navigation over raw horsepower.
*Momentum building*
With October drawing to a close, the Doyle Sails Gold Cup Series has made a compelling case for why it remains the benchmark for Auckland's offshore keelboat racing. Heavy hitters like Equilibrium bring pace and professionalism at the front of the fleet, while the mid-fleet intensity generated by Alegre, Nirvana and Carpe Diem ensures the competition never feels one-dimensional.
For those crews returning from the PIC Coastal Classic, attention now turns fully to the Doyle Sails Gold Cup as the main event rather than the warm-up act. Three races remain on the calendar: the Bean Rock Race in November, the Percy Jones Memorial in December, and the Balokovic Cup overnighter in February. The series lead is there for the taking.
The early margins have been tight, the racing has been sharp, and the depth of the fleet suggests Auckland's keelboat scene is in fine health heading into the heart of the season.
