Frantic and Antipodes have finished the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race (S2A), with Bryon Ehrhart’s Lucky declared the overall winner by the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC). Lucky also secured line honours and set a new race record, achieving a triple crown for the US entry.
Michael Martin’s TP52, Frantic, was the second boat to cross the finish line, arriving at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club at 11:26:50pm AEDT, completing the race in a time of 5 days 10 hours 26 minutes 50 seconds. Frantic previously won the inaugural race in 2023 and this time secured second overall.
Antipodes finished shortly after at 3:06:07 this morning, with a total time of 5 days 14 hours 6 minutes 7 seconds, which was 11 hours behind their record from 2023.
Michael Martin reflected on his race experience aboard Frantic, noting the variety of conditions faced each day. He mentioned the challenging winds on the second night, which shifted dramatically, complicating steering amidst rough seas. The third night provided some thrilling downhill sailing, despite losing multiple spinnakers. Martin expressed excitement about the adventure of the race and the beautiful sailing conditions towards the finish.
Geoff Hill, owner of Antipodes, acknowledged the cold conditions at the finish but was pleased with the crew’s performance, managing to sail at 7-8 knots with the breeze available. Hill described the challenges faced, including storm cells that significantly slowed their progress at times, yet remained optimistic about the race’s reputation and the camaraderie shared among the crew, which included experienced sailors participating for the love of the sport.
As of 11am this morning, Wings (NSW), owned by Ian Edwards, was in third place overall and leading ORCi, averaging 6 knots and 161 nautical miles from the Auckland finish line. The crew was in high spirits, enjoying home-cooked meals and the sight of Cape Reinga lighthouse as they approached the North Cape.
Alan Hill’s Cooloola (NSW) was also nearing the finish, averaging 6 knots with 193 nautical miles remaining and an expected arrival time in Auckland just before midday on Saturday, coinciding with the official presentation ceremony at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club.
The Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race commenced at 1pm from Watsons Bay on Sydney Harbour and is co-hosted by RPAYC and New Zealand’s RAYC.
Enthusiasts can follow the fleet’s every move via the Yellow Brick tracker at: https://pro.yb.tl/S2AOR25 or download the Yellow Brick app.
For all information on the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race, please visit: www.sydneytoauckland.com
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