Sharon Ferris-Choat and Taylor Edwards cleared Australian Border Force formalities and slipped lines from the CYCA dock at 3pm AEDT, pointing Vixen Racing north-east toward Opua with unusual company alongside. Globe 40 race organisers had extended an invitation for the New Zealand Class40 to accompany their fleet as it departed Sydney for Stage 4, a long haul across the Pacific to Valparaíso. For a team that had just closed the book on a difficult Rolex Sydney Hobart, the send-off carried a very different energy.
The Rolex Sydney Hobart had ended in retirement for Vixen Racing after a crew injury forced the team's hand. The departure from Sydney served a dual purpose, putting that disappointment behind them while beginning the passage home to New Zealand. The Globe 40 fleet provided good company for the opening hours of the leg, and the terms were straightforward: stay clear of the start, hold to leeward, and enjoy the occasion.
The first night made no concessions. Squalls moved through after dark and the swell built steadily, the Pacific wasting little time in reasserting its scale. Ferris-Choat was direct about the experience. "It was absolutely fantastic to play with the other Class 40s," she said. "It was a night of squalls and swell, and we were very grateful when the sun came up."
Vixen Racing is well suited to exactly this kind of offshore work. The Verdier-designed Class40 has been rebuilt comprehensively, with a refaired and strengthened hull and a fully checked keel installation. It is a hull built to be driven hard in open water and to give honest feedback when conditions press against its limits.
With the Globe 40 fleet continuing its eastward arc toward Chile, Vixen Racing has set a course for New Zealand, sailing double-handed with Ferris-Choat and Edwards aboard. The passage forms a key part of the team's qualification campaign for the SSANZ Round North Island Race 2026, and the boat is expected home in time for the 2026 Bay of Islands Sailing Week.
The Sydney Hobart ended without ceremony. The departure alongside the Globe 40 fleet offered something more fitting, and Vixen Racing is homeward bound.
