The 2025 Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race set off beneath a generous blue sky and a teasing spring breeze. At precisely 1 pm AEDT (3 pm NZDT) on 11 October, the starting signal rang out across Sydney Harbour and the fleet surged forward in a burst of white spray and carbon. Within moments, Lucky, the Juan K-designed 27-metre maxi formerly known as Rambler 88, was pulling clear of the pack. By 1:12 pm she had rounded the Heads and set a course toward Pittwater, her lead across the Tasman growing with every passing minute.
The American entry's presence on the start line had been anything but certain. Owner Bryon Ehrhart and his crew, among them Brad Butterworth, New Zealand yachting 'royalty', had scrambled to make it after engine trouble delayed their delivery voyage from New Zealand. Lucky arrived in Sydney less than 24 hours before the gun, with Ehrhart himself touching down that same day. "Thankfully I'm here and the boat's here," he said before the start. "An engine problem caused the delay, but we're ready to go."
With Butterworth calling tactics and a crew stacked with offshore experience, Lucky wasted no time pressing her advantage. By 10 am NZ time on Sunday she had put nearly 290 nautical miles under her keel and was maintaining a Velocity Made Good (VMG) of around 14½ knots. That pace put the race record of 5 days, 3 hours, 37 minutes, set by Antipodes in 2023, firmly in her sights.
Battles behind the leader
While Lucky disappeared toward the horizon, the rest of the fleet had its own contests to settle. Antipodes, Geoff Hill's Santa Cruz 72 and the reigning line-honours champion, led the pursuit through the night. Just behind her, Mick Martin's TP52 Frantic, the handicap champion, kept the pressure on, matching pace and forcing tactical choices with every wind shift.
By dawn, the official race update captured the scene perfectly:
“GOOD MORNING FROM THE TASMAN! AS LUCKY STEAMS AHEAD, A GREAT BATTLE IS OCCURRING BETWEEN ANTIPODES AND FRANTIC WITH FRANTIC HOT ON THE STERN. WINGS AND COOLOOLA ARE IN CLOSE QUARTERS WITH EACH OTHER. CREWS ENJOYED A GOOD OVERNIGHT SAIL AND ARE UP ON DECK FOR A HOT BREAKFAST AND STUNNING SUNRISES AS THEY EDGE CLOSER TO AUCKLAND.”
The tone across the fleet was upbeat. Clear skies and mild conditions gave every crew a chance to ease into the rhythm of offshore life, with watch rotations, systems checks, and the restorative ritual of morning coffee all accounted for.
A shanty from Frantic
Long miles across open water demand a certain spirit, and Frantic's crew delivered theirs with style. Their Sunday media report included an original sea shanty, offered to the Tasman in the spirit of the occasion:
"THERE ONCE WAS A BOAT CALLED FRANTIC; WHO DREAMED TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC. BUT THE SKIPPER HAD A PITCH – 'LET'S SAIL THE BLOODY DITCH!' AND THAT'S HOW WE ENDED UP ON THIS ANTIC."
A small moment, but one that said plenty about offshore camaraderie. Even while covering 1,200 miles of open ocean at full stretch, there is always room for a laugh.
Life aboard the smaller yachts
Further back in the fleet, Ian Edwards' Dehler 46 Wings and Alan Hill's Swan 48 Cooloola were tracking each other closely. Both boats reported good food, light winds, and plenty of banter. Cooloola's team had brought pre-prepared hot meals, including chicken pasta, roast dinners, and green curry, while Wings kept a close eye on the high-pressure ridge forecast to arrive mid-week.
"It's a proper bluewater race," boat captain Tom Vincent had said earlier. "We've got a comfortable boat, a great menu, and a good mix of age and experience, and a bit of youthful stupidity to keep things lively."
The weather window and what's next
Meteorologist Roger 'Clouds' Badham predicted a north-westerly flow across the Tasman lasting through Monday, followed by a front crossing the North Island on Tuesday. For the fleet, that means a transition from downwind running into fresher headwinds as they close on New Zealand, a true offshore test before the final sprint into Okahu Bay.
At the pace she was carrying, Lucky appeared on track to reach Auckland in the early hours of Wednesday morning, well within the window for the PIC Coastal Classic. Antipodes and Frantic were expected roughly a day behind her, with Wings and Cooloola anticipated later in the week.
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By Sunday morning the fleet had found its rhythm. Meals were on schedule, watches were rotating smoothly, and navigation lights burned steadily across calm seas. The stretch of water between Sydney and Auckland may carry the casual nickname "the Ditch", but for these sailors it represents something more: a passage between two worlds, with Australian sunshine fading astern and New Zealand skies drawing closer ahead.
Whether the goal is line honours or simply the satisfaction of an ocean crossed, every crew in the 2025 Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race is now fully committed to the Tasman, bound together by breeze, banter, and, thanks to Frantic, a shanty that might just become part of the lore of this race.
