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Rolling Updates | Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

Home 2026 Rolling Updates | Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

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The story below contains timely and chronological updates from our fleet. Where longer stories are available they will be linked below as well.

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Saturday 25 July, 2100hrs (8 hours of racing)


Eight hours in and the wind is tracking the forecast: mild to moderate westerly to southwesterly, trending further southwest through the evening and pushing the fleet up the New South Wales coast at a steady pace

The front of the fleet is tightly grouped. Koa and Gusto lead the charge, both TP52s doing thirteen to fifteen knots, almost certainly sporting reaching sails or two sail reaching in beautiful night sailing conditions.  Close behind are fellow TP52s V5, Smuggler and Frantic, with Antipodes, the biggest boat in the fleet, sailing right amongst them.

Koa currently leads Line Honours, IRC overall, IRC Division Zero and Corinthian IRC with a full crew of non-professional sailors.

After its picture perfect start Smuggler has lost the lead after a tactical call to head inshore out of Sydney Harbour, eventuating with the boat slowing down while the offshore TP52s sailed away.  She has since regrouped with her fellow 52s further offshore.

In the 40 foot division, Minerva skippered Ed Cox has progressed furthest north, followed by Back 2 Black, skippered by race sponsor Sean Langman and Ambition breathing down their necks skippered by the Dare father-son duo.

Edward Cox's Ker 40 Minerva

Furthest progressed double-hander is Elizabeth Tucker’s First Light, a Class 40 in its element in these reaching conditions.  Mistral sits about a mile to her southwest, back to chase the overall honours trophy after finishing second in 2024.

Overnight, southwest winds should hold, strength depending on how far in or offshore boats sit. Breeze holds through the night, easing gradually from early morning, strongest longest for boats furthest north.  Fast progress overnight should pay off big once the breeze starts dying further back.

One retirement: Bushranger, a MAT 1220 skippered by Michael Fountain, withdrawn with electrical issues. Crew safe, returning to its home berth.

 

Images by: CYCA | Andrea Francolini