The 2025 Bay of Islands Sailing Week came to a thrilling conclusion on its third and final day, with a mix of light to moderate northerly winds and a half-metre northeast swell providing sailors with both challenges and opportunities. The event saw competitors from a wide variety of boats and divisions push their limits, with some securing their spots atop the podium, while others experienced the agony of near misses. From the high-speed duels in the Open Division A to the tight racing in the Young 88s, the final day was a fitting end to a week of fierce competition on the water.
Analysis of the day’s racing
Open Division A
It was a day of dominance and near misses for the top contenders in the Open Division A, with Sassinate, a Melges 40, skippered by Mikayla Plaw, cementing its place as the division’s standout performer. In Races 7 and 8, Menace (also a Melges 40, skippered by Howard Spencer) made an impressive mark, finishing first with a narrow lead over Sassinate. However, Sassinate struck back in Race 9, showing an ability to hold its position. With an almost flawless record (6 wins) across all races, Sassinate secured victory with 10 Series points. The consistency of Menace and Clockwork (a Shaw 12, skippered by Steve Mair) highlighted the competitive nature of the division, but Sassinate’s superior handling in various conditions, from windward-leeward races to Bay races, was ultimately the deciding factor.
Congratulations to Mikayla Plaw who must surely be in for a win of a Yachting New Zealand SheSails NZ top female helm trophy?
Open Division – Young 88
The racing in the Young 88 division was marked by razor-thin margins, with Young Magic (skippered by Matthew Mason) emerging as the day’s victor. The division’s final day saw some of the closest finishes of the event, with War Machine and Heartlight fighting tooth and nail for second place in Race’s 8 and 9. In Race 9, Young Magic’s one-second margin of victory was an exciting test of Mason’s skill, while his consistency across the series (7 wins from 9 races) ensured Young Magic‘s dominance. It was clear that tactical manoeuvring and adaptability to the variable conditions were key to success, with Young Magic demonstrating a clear edge over the competition.
Open Division – Flying Fifteen
A significant shift occurred in the Flying Fifteen division with Ffettucini, skippered by Ben Lowe, surging to the top of the leaderboard after three strong winning finishes of the day. The close races, often decided by seconds, highlighted the high level of competition in this class. Ffettucini‘s three victories on the final day secured its spot at the top of the division, with Ffrenetic (skippered by Murray Gilbert) and The GodFfather (skippered by Sally Garrett) rounding out the top three.
Open Division – Sportsboat
In the Sportsboat Division, it was the battle of the Shaw 7s, with Angry Dragon (Tom and Richard Kiff) dominating the day’s proceedings. Finishing first in each of the three races, Angry Dragon displayed superior speed and tactical expertise in the challenging wind conditions. Daisy Duke (Matt Gottard) followed closely behind achieving second race finishes in each race of the day, but Angry Dragon’s consistency across the races secured its overall win. Third overall was Orange Peeler, skippered by Grant McInnes, who battled closely with Helter Skelter, skippered by Phil Bishop.
Division A (Island Racing)
Division A saw fierce competition, but it was the consistency of Wired, skippered by Rob Bassett and Brett Russell in their Tp52 Bakewell/White, that shone brightest. The Tp52 took first place in Race 3, securing the overall series win with three straight victories. With a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 43 seconds, Wired crossed the finish line ahead of V5 (an Alan Andrews Tp52 skippered by Brian Petersen) and Equilibrium (a Marten 55/Botin Cark skippered by Graham Matthews), whose performances in the series saw them in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
Despite the dominance of Wired, the competition remained tight, especially between V5 and Equilibrium, both of which had moments of brilliance but couldn’t match the sheer speed of the winning boat. In the EHC and PHRF rankings, it was Rehab, a Shaw 35 skippered by Mike Sanderson, that performed consistently across all races, securing top spots in both categories.
Of note, Fez skippered by Casey Bellingham achieved 10th Line Honours, 7th on EHC Handicap, and 7th on PHRF Handicap.
Division B (Island Racing)
In Division B, the smaller boats made their mark. Tongue Twister, a Lambert/Beau 28 skippered by Brian Hutching, dominated with a clean sweep of race wins, finishing the third race in 1 hour, 43 minutes, and 38 seconds. Despite this, the battle for today’s second place was fiercely contested. Sham Pain (a Mg Whitbread 30 skippered by John Kensington) outperformed Blackout (a Ross 9.14 skippered by Kevin Peet) in the EHC rankings, though it fell behind in Line Honours, showing how strategy and consistency are often more important than outright speed in longer regatta events.
Division C (Island Racing)
The smallest boats in the island racing divisions, like Ben Sinton’s C U Later (a Ross 8m), battled closely with Philip Hart’s Deep Purple (Shaw 750t) throughout the series. On the final day, Deep Purple took the win in Race 3, and with it, the overall series title. However, C U Later and Paul King’s Nautilass (Beneteau First 36) were only a hair behind (the three boats all won one race each), tied in points, showing just how competitive Division C can be.
While Deep Purple dominated on the water, the real story was the tight race for second place in both the series and PHRF. Hotdogger, a Ross 930 skippered by Sinisa Grujicic, showed exceptional handling to maintain its position in the top rankings despite not finishing at the very top in Line Honours.
Division D (Island Racing)
In Division D, it was a showdown between two Chico 40 boats: Mako II and Manga II. Despite their similarities, it was The Racoon, a Shaw 550 skippered by Buddha Smith, that emerged victorious in both the final race and the overall series. However, the competition remained close throughout the day, with Mako II finishing just behind The Racoon in the final race and taking second overall.
The series results highlighted the need for balance of speed and tactics in this division, with The Racoon capitalising on consistency in each race.
In the competition between the three 12-metre Chico 40s Royal New Zealand Navy entries managed by Hamish Ivy⏤Mako II, Manga II, and Paea II⏤Mako II achieved second on the overall Line Honours board, closely followed by Manga II in third, with Paea II further down.
Non-Spinnaker Division (Island Racing)
In the Non-Spinnaker Division, the race for first was tightly contested between Anthony Browne’s Zindabar, Kyle Bryant’s Longfellow, and Kevin Stone’s Golden Pond (a Hanse 400e). With a winning time of 1 hour, 37 minutes, and 57 seconds, Zindabar (an Elliott 1850) took the win in the final race, clinching the series victory. However, it was Golden Pond (Hanse 400e) that shone in the EHC rankings, maintaining strong tactical decisions without the added complexity of spinnakers.
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The 2025 Bay of Islands Sailing Week proved once again that while speed is crucial, it is the combination of consistency, strategy, and adaptability that ultimately wins the day. Whether in the larger, faster boats of Division A or the nimble and tactical vessels in Island Racing’s Division B, and Island Racing’s Non-Spinnaker, every race had its own drama.
Congratulations to every single skipper and crew who participated in this event, one of New Zealand’s epic sailing competitions, with a growing history and reputation.
