Sean Langman’s Back 2 Black has won the IRC Overall crown in the 384 nautical mile 2026 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race.
“This has to be the warmest edition of the race, and I don’t remember a race where the night was so warm and the day was so glorious,” Langman said. “A glorious finish, sunshine, running conditions, what more can you ask for.”
Back 2 Black faced challenges early. “We had a tough day the first day, we didn’t seem to be able to get out of our own way, sitting last for a while,” Langman noted. However, the GP42 proved well suited to competing against boats ten feet longer and the double-handers. “These boats are pretty light, they change gears well, and downwind, they hold their time.”
Langman credited various team members, including Belinda Tayler for her first navigational duties, and he dedicated the win to his late father, who called Southport home.
Disko Trooper secured second overall on IRC, dominating several categories including IRC Div 3 and Double-Handed IRC. Co-skippers Jules Hall and Alex Knight faced a near disaster five hours from the finish when a wave tangled their mainsheet around the tiller. “You can’t go offshore and be highly competitive, pushing the limits, and not have something go wrong. You just have to get on with it,” Hall said.
The pair described the sailing conditions as “absolute champagne sailing, bright moon, whales, dolphins, it was absolutely spectacular.”
Chris and Lockie Dare’s Ambition completed the Overall podium in third, highlighting a strong season with their new boat. Chris Dare praised the tight racing against Back 2 Black, stating, “It was super tight racing. They managed to get away off the coast, and at one point it was just hard to peg them back.”
Earlier, Smuggler took Line Honours on Monday morning. Skipper Tim Davis explained their initial strategy backfired, leaving them seven miles behind their main competitors. However, they turned the deficit into a significant lead. “Being the lead boat, you don’t have anyone else to follow as a good indicator, so we found a lot of the holes on the course.”
For tactician Steve McConaghy, this victory carried special significance. “I’ve been trying for nearly 40 years to win this on Line Honours, and finally got there,” he said.
Between a long-awaited Line Honours win, Back 2 Black’s overall victory, and Disko Trooper’s impressive performance, this year’s Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race showcased exceptional competition.
Next up in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore is the 88nm Flinders Islet Race on Saturday 26 September, leading towards the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on Boxing Day.
Results
- IRC: (1) Back 2 Black, (2) Disko Trooper (DH), (3) Ambition
- IRC Div 0: (1) Smuggler, (2) Koa, (3) Gusto
- IRC Div 1: (1) Back 2 Black, (2) Ambition, (3) Minerva
- IRC Div 2: (1) KD1, (2) Kanreki, (3) Mistral (DH)
- IRC Div 3: (1) Disko Trooper (DH), (2) Supernova, (3) Saltwater Wine
- PHS: (1) Tribeca Wild Thing, (2) Troubadour, (3) Mako
- Corinthian IRC: (1) Disko Trooper, (2) Kanreki, (3) Koa
- Corinthian PHS: (1) Disko Trooper (DH), (2) Kanreki, (3) Ragtime
- Double-Handed IRC: (1) Disko Trooper, (2) Mistral, (3) Blue Planet
- Double-Handed PHS: (1) Disko Trooper, (2) Employment Hero Alliance, (3) Veloce
- Line Honours: (1) Smuggler, (2) Koa, (3) Gusto
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