McKenzie Brothers Crowned 2026 NSW Hobie Wave Grand Prix Champions
Twenty-four entries. Eight mostly identical Hobie Waves. One championship.
Twelve months ago, the Hobie Wave Grand Prix racing format was an experiment. Take eight of the simple Hobie catamarans, bring together some of the country’s best sailors alongside juniors, rookies, families and weekend warriors, rotate them through identical boats, then wipe the slate clean and send the best eight into a four-race Finals Series.
It worked – so in 2026, they did it all again.
The stage was set for the 2026 WaveGP at Vincentia Sailing Club on Jervis Bay, with two days of nor’east sea breezes – known locally as Baliya – forecast for the weekend.
Racing was designed to be short and sharp, with boat changes taking place on the beach directly in front of spectators.
Running under the same format as the inaugural event, 24 individuals and teams were divided into eight groups, competing in Round Robin fleet racing. Each round consisted of three heats, with a cumulative points system awarding 10 points for first, nine for second, down to three points for eighth or DNF.
For the first time, racing was also livestreamed from Vincentia Sailing Club on Totally Immersed TV, with thousands tuning in across the weekend.
Saturday
Sailors across Jervis Bay woke on Saturday to a westerly blowing across the bay, but it gradually faded as the first signs of the nor’easter began to arrive.
Following the 11.30am briefing, competitors received their personalised race schedules before racing got underway.
As the breeze strengthened throughout the afternoon, so did the developing swell. The short racecourse left little room for error and tested both boat handling and tactical skills.
Twelve races were completed on the opening day, giving every sailor four opportunities to build their points tally.
Seven different competitors recorded race wins.
Courtney Smith led the way, finishing Saturday with three victories and sitting on top of the leaderboard on countback. Bridget Bolewski was close behind with two wins, while Darren Schmidt also made his mark in his first WaveGP appearance.
Andrew and Matthew McKenzie shared an entry but sailed their races individually. After Matthew endured a difficult opening race, Andrew responded with a win in the second heat before the brothers added another victory during their fourth rotation.
Kerry Waterhouse recorded a win and two seconds, while Harry West & The Fish remained firmly in contention with a victory and three third-place finishes.
One of Saturday’s standout performances came from Sophie Bates. In her first race at the helm of a catamaran, Bates claimed a victory and backed it up throughout the afternoon to finish the day comfortably inside the crucial Top 8.
With 12 races completed and plenty of points still available, nothing had been decided as the fleet headed ashore.
Super Sunday
Sunday morning brought another nor’easter, with three more rounds of fleet racing scheduled before the Finals Series at 1pm.
Bates picked up where she left off, opening Super Sunday with back-to-back wins during an impressive debut weekend.
Bridget Bolewski was equally strong, winning the first and third rotations of the morning, while Adrian Mills secured his first victory of the series in the opening heat.
Marc Hooper followed with a win in the second rotation, while Fionnbarr Sweeney and Alex West & The Dog finished their fleet-racing campaigns with victories during the seventh and final rotation.
After seven rotations and 21 races, it was time to determine the Top 8.
Harry West & The Fish finished the Round Robin stage on top with 64 points. Bridget Bolewski and Kerry Waterhouse were tied on 63, with Bolewski taking second on countback.
Courtney Smith was fourth on 59 points, followed by Sophie Bates on 57. Andrew & Matthew McKenzie secured sixth with 55, while Darren Schmidt and Marc Hooper were tied on 54, Schmidt taking seventh on countback.
That appeared to settle the finalists – but there was more to come.
Following the early withdrawal of Kerry Waterhouse & Hot Rod Waterhouse, another position became available.
Jackson Bolewski sat ninth on 53 points. With Bridget already qualified and Jackson just outside the cut, Bridget elected to forfeit her individual Finals position and team up with Jackson.
That opened another place, allowing tenth-placed Henry & Grantly Pellew, on 50 points, into the Finals Series.
The Finals Series
By the time the Finals began at 1pm, the nor’easter had filled in across Moona Moona.
More importantly, everything achieved during the previous 21 races was wiped from the scoreboard.
Four races. Eight Waves. One championship.
Darren Schmidt made the perfect start, winning the opening Final ahead of Andrew McKenzie and Courtney Smith.
Smith hit back in the second race with a victory of her own, with Sophie Bates just two boat lengths behind in second and Matthew McKenzie bringing the family entry home in third.
Schmidt struck again in Heat Three to record his second win of the Finals Series. Bates continued her consistent run with another second, while Andrew McKenzie finished third.
Heading into the fourth and final race, Schmidt held the championship lead. Matthew & Andrew McKenzie were second, with Bates in third.
It all came down to one race.
Matthew McKenzie produced when it mattered most. After a dominant start, he took the lead and never surrendered it, controlling the final race from start to finish.
Smith recovered from a seventh in the previous heat to cross the line second, while Marc Hooper produced his best result of the Finals with third.
When the points were calculated, Matthew & Andrew McKenzie had done enough.
The McKenzie brothers were crowned the 2026 NSW Hobie Wave Grand Prix Champions, finishing on 35 points – just one point ahead of Darren Schmidt on 34.
After 25 races across two days, the championship had come down to the final heat.
Courtney Smith completed the overall podium on 31 points after her second place in the deciding race.
Divisional Honours
Smith’s strong weekend also earned her the Women’s division title, finishing two points ahead of Sophie Bates, with Bridget Bolewski completing the Women’s podium.
Harry West took the Junior division following his partnership with The Fish, with the pair going on to finish sixth in the Finals Series.
Jackson Bolewski claimed second Junior and seventh in the Finals on 18 points, while Henry Pellew finished third Junior and completed the Finals field with 16 points.
The Family division went to Bridget & Jackson Bolewski, ahead of Henry & Grantly Pellew (Grantly Pellew reckons it was the best kids regatta on the east coast. Chances for a WaveGP in Pittwater are looking a bit more likely..).
Sophie Bates capped an impressive first weekend as a catamaran skipper by being named the 2026 WaveGP Rookie of the Year. Bates won multiple races and regularly mixed it with some of the fleet’s most experienced Hobie sailors.
Oliver Lundh took runner-up honours in the rookie division in his first catamaran regatta.
Young local Joel Hodder, the youngest solo sailor in the fleet, was awarded the event’s Bottoms Up Award.
Where To Next?
What began 12 months ago as an experiment has quickly developed into something much bigger.
Twenty-four entries. Eight mostly identical Hobie Waves. Juniors competing against seasoned campaigners. First-time catamaran sailors winning races. Families racing together. Spectators lining the beach and, for the first time, thousands watching the action live from home.
The WaveGP Championships will return to Jervis Bay at the same time next year, but there are already ambitions to take the concept beyond the Bay.
That expansion may already have begun.
The first WaveGP Championships in the USA will be held this weekend, with Jervis Bay local Bridget Raftery representing Team Australia.
From eight Hobie Waves on the shores of Moona Moona to an emerging international format, the WaveGP story appears to be only just getting started.
For more details, read the full Match Report.
#HobieWave #SailingChampionships #Vincentia #HobieRacing #ANHCA
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