Yachts will finish today! And all going to plan, the first to cross the finish line is set to be Steve Mair’s Clockwork team, who are currently boosting along at 14.5 knots off Tutukaka.
Looking at their speed and distance to go, they could actually flip the initial thinking of the race record being safe on it’s head!
Still too close to call, but if Clockwork finish roughly before 1345 today, they could set a new record. This is making the 2026 RNZYS Three Kings Offshore Race even more exciting than ever.
Here is a summary of the reports received.
Saturday AM Update – 0700 hrs
Clockwork were fully in race mode, “absolutely sending it home,” with not much left to go and a finish later in the day firmly in sight. If they keep boosting how they are, Clockwork should finish early afternoon.
That sense of speed was echoed across the leading group.
Equilibrium reported a fantastic night under A2 and full main, briefly touching 19 knots, and consistently holding 12–14 knots. More importantly, they were locked in a close battle with Mr Kite II, turning the run home into a proper match race offshore. With breeze continuing to build, they were already planning sail changes to stay in control for the final push.
Mr Kite II, true to form, kept it short and sharp -“coming in hot” -a pretty accurate summary of the pace at the front of the fleet.
Motorboat III summed it up perfectly with another glamour evening offshore, blasting south under kite in a steadily building breeze. It was one of those rare offshore moments where everything lines up because they had pressure, angle, and pace. With Cape Brett already looming, the focus was pushing hard all the way home, with expectations of even more breeze and a proper send into Auckland.
Further back, the fleet was still feeling the full range of conditions the race had delivered.
Higher Ground described a night of contrasts with a rough and physical trip up to the Kings, followed by a beautiful, fast run south. Spirits were high, and attention had already turned to the simple offshore pleasures, with breakfast stew on the way and the promise of more downwind sailing ahead.
For some, it hadn’t been quite so smooth.
Carpe Diem endured a tough night, bashing upwind before finally making the turn south. Now heading home, the mood had lifted as they joined the rest of the fleet on the downwind leg.
Reminder: their YB Tracker is still being manually updated via AIS after battery failure, so their track is not in real time.
Akonga had one of the more eventful nights in the fleet. Just miles from the Three Kings, a failure in the roller furler system dropped their J1 to the deck, forcing them to round under full main and storm jib. It was a challenging moment at a critical point of the race, but the crew handled it well. With sunrise came a reset and the A2 is now up, repairs are on the list, and are on the run home.
Race Feels
Overnight: Fast, exhilarating, and loads of fun for most
Saturday morning: Full send mode, boats pushing hard for home
Overall leader on Line: Clockwork (Steve Mair)
PHFR Leaderboard as at 0700 hours, Saturday 18th April
- Clockwork (Steve Mair)
- Motorboat III (Damon & Jacqui Jolliffe)
- Kite II (Nathan Williams)
- Equilibrium (Graham Matthews)
- Higher Ground (John Seeley)
- Carpe Diem (Rowan Smith)
- Akonga (Nick Roberts)
