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Double or Nothing: Voltstar Yeah Baby goes All-In on Offshore Route and Wins Double-Handed Line Honours

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  • 28 Jul, 2025 10:10:00 PM
Double or Nothing: Voltstar Yeah Baby goes All-In on Offshore Route and Wins Double-Handed Line Honours

Double or Nothing: Voltstar Yeah Baby goes All-In on Offshore Route and Wins Double-Handed Line Honours

Italian duo Massimiliano “Max” Fonzo and Matteo Brignoli called their race strategy spot on during their first-ever double‑handed ocean outing and claimed Line Honours in the Double Handed Division aboard the Akilaria RC2 Voltstar Yeah Baby, last year’s Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race Overall Winners (Crewed).

The Start

“We began toward the back of the fleet,” explained Brignoli, “but had clear wind as we exited the Harbour, which was exactly what we needed, tacking a boat with two people takes a lot of coordination.”

Managing a two-person start took all their focus, but once outside the Heads, they executed their offshore race strategy seamlessly.

 

Voltstar Yeah Baby leaving Sydney Harbour.  Image: CYCA/Ashley Dart

Offshore Tactics Pay Dividends

The team made the call to head offshore early. With the forecast indicating a shift from the northeasterly breeze at the start to a westerly later in the race, they committed to the offshore route, trusting the wind would eventually swing in their favour.

“We weren’t focused on going upwind as we left Sydney Harbour, we were moving away from the fleet, almost directly east, but it was the right decision for our boat and for speed,” they explained.

They crossed the current almost immediately and found themselves on the far side of the EAC soon after.

“That was our first goal, get across the current quickly. Once we were through, we picked up a positive flow, which we knew would give us a strong strategic advantage later in the race.” 

 

Rough Conditions, Cold Nights

“We smashed through a rough first night, it was messy, wet, and there wasn’t much sleep for anyone. But that wasn’t unique to us,” Brignoli said. Despite the discomfort, the pair kept the boat moving fast, heading directly offshore.

By day two, the wind had eased, and Voltstar Yeah Baby remained one of the most easterly-positioned yachts in the fleet. “We started to wonder, if the breeze doesn’t shift west, we’re going to have our work cut out to catch the rest of the fleet, who’ve been sailing up the coast since the start.”

Then, the shift came, just as they’d planned.

They pushed hard in the freshening breeze. “We used our jib top and genoa staysail combination quite a lot,” Brignoli explained. After a series of sail changes and multiple reefs in and out of the mainsail, Brignoli ducked below for a quick rest.

“I was down there for five seconds and then – bang! Fonzo shouted that the tackline had snapped. We pulled the jib top down from the cockpit, and as soon as we wrestled it onto the deck, we got the staysail and jib working again and kept pushing.”

 

Voltstar Yeah Baby arriving in Gold Coast.   Image: CYCA | Ashley Dart

Final Stretch & Race Reflection

“We approached Byron Bay quite close to shore, and once we reached Point Danger, we sailed into a massive wind hole, we were quite literally stuck for two hours,” Brignoli recalled.

As Daguet 2 crept past closer inshore, Voltstar Yeah Baby sat just 500 metres behind the breeze line but couldn’t close the gap.

They eventually crossed the finish line at Main Beach on the Gold Coast just as daylight faded, an incredible sight and finish to their first offshore race together.

“It’s our first double-handed race and our first ocean event,” said Brignoli. “Sailing with Max was fantastic, I’ve learned so much. Our crew strategy and planning really paid off on this course. The goal from here is clear: to race hard every offshore race through to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.”

 

 

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