Racing Group A, listed as the Division 1 big boats on the series entry list, is contested by just five entries. Despite the small numbers, the fleet covers a broad range of designs and sizes, spanning from 40 to 55 feet and creating a compact but varied lineup.
The fleet
At the top end is Equilibrium, Graham Matthews’ Marten 55 Botin Carkeek 55. Close behind on length is Wired, the 52-foot TP52 sailed by Rob Bassett and Brett Russell. Completing the larger end of the fleet is Explore Racing, William Goodfellow’s Elliott 50 SS. These three formed a clear fifty-foot-plus grouping.
Below them in the lower fourth-foot range sits Georgia One, John Muir’s Farr 43, followed by the smallest boat in the Racing A fleet, Vixen Racing, Sharon Ferris-Choat’s Verdier 40.
Wired, clearly in control on Line
On line honours, Wired delivered a controlled and convincing win. The TP52 finished 10 minutes 21 seconds ahead of Explore Racing, then the fleet spread progressively.
Explore Racing beat Equilibrium by 5 minutes 25 seconds, while Equilibrium edged Georgia One by just 38 seconds. Georgia One, in turn, finished 15 minutes 39 seconds ahead of Vixen Racing. From second to fourth, the elapsed gap was just over six minutes, showing genuine competition behind the leader despite Wired’s clear control up front.
| Result | Boat name | Skipper | Elapsed time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wired | Rob & Brett Bassett / Russell | 01:36:39 | 1 |
| 2 | Explore Racing | William Goodfellow | 01:47:00 | 2 |
| 3 | Equilibrium | Graham Matthews | 01:52:25 | 3 |
| 4 | Georgia One | John Muir | 01:53:03 | 4 |
| 5 | Vixen Racing | Sharon Ferris-Choat | 02:08:42 | 5 |
Georgia One makes its mark on Handicap
Handicap racing reshaped the outcome. Under EHC, Georgia One jumped from fourth on the water to first on corrected time, winning by 4 minutes 41 seconds over Wired. That result erased Wired’s 16 minute 24 second line honours advantage and turned it into a corrected-time deficit, a swing of more than 21 minutes. Explore Racing and Equilibrium remained closely matched, with Vixen Racing trailing slightly further back.
| Result | Bot name | Skipper | Cor’d time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia One | John Muir | 01:44:14 | 1 |
| 2 | Wired | Rob & Brett Bassett / Russell | 01:48:55 | 2 |
| 3 | Explore Racing | William Goodfellow | 01:50:45 | 3 |
| 4 | Equilibrium | Graham Matthews | 01:55:14 | 4 |
| 5 | Vixen Racing | Sharon Ferris-Choat | 01:58:32 | 5 |
PHRF confirmed the EHC picture. Georgia One again takes the win, this time by 3 minutes 33 seconds over Wired. The finishing order stayed identical across both handicap systems.
| Result | Bot name | Skipper | Cor’d time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia One | John Muir | 01:42:46 | 1 |
| 2 | Wired | Rob & Brett Bassett / Russell | 01:46:19 | 2 |
| 3 | Explore Racing | William Goodfellow | 01:50:06 | 3 |
| 4 | Equilibrium | Graham Matthews | 01:54:33 | 4 |
| 5 | Vixen Racing | Sharon Ferris-Choat | 01:57:07 | 5 |
Wired was clearly the fastest boat on the water, while Georgia One proved the most efficient given the ratings. This sets the challenge for tomorrow’s races.
Written By Boating NZ