Yacht Race Fleet Set to Arrive in Waikawa Marina Tomorrow
2026 Doyle Sails Round North Island Race. Leg 1 Start. Saturday 28th February. Photo: Suellen Hurling / Live Sail Die
The fleet competing in the Doyle Sails Round North Island Yacht Race 2026 is currently charging south towards Waikawa Marina. Following the leg 2 restart from Mangonui — and with favourable conditions on the west coast — the leading boats are projected to reach Waikawa from Thursday, 5 March 2026.
The Round North Island Two‑Handed Yacht Race is one of New Zealand’s premier offshore sailing events, originally conceived in 1977 as a challenge backed by Sir Peter Blake. Today, it is run by the Shorthanded Sailing Association of New Zealand (SSANZ) and remains a demanding test of seamanship, endurance, and teamwork. The course spans approximately 1,210 nautical miles, sailed anti‑clockwise over four major legs:
- Auckland → Mangonui (154 nm)
- Mangonui → Waikawa / Queen Charlotte Sound (~475 nm)
- Waikawa → Napier (~215 nm)
- Napier → Auckland (~366 nm)
Each leg begins only once the majority of the fleet has finished the previous one, ensuring safe and well‑managed racing.
The 2026 fleet features a diverse range of 26 yachts — from high‑performance designs such as the Elliott 50 Explore Racing to classic and modern New Zealand designs from Ross, Davidson, Farr and others. So far, the race has one retirement – Akonga (Dehler 41 – Nick Roberts & Max Livingston), who snapped their steering cable during leg one.
The Waikawa stopover marks a major milestone in the race’s longest and most challenging leg, a 475‑nautical‑mile passage from Mangonui to Queen Charlotte Sound. With arrivals expected around the clock, Waikawa Marina and Waikawa Boating Club will soon become the centre of race activity.
Photo credit: Suellen Hurling / Live Sail Die
Current Race Status (as of 3 March 2026)
Racing got underway on 28 February 2026 with a dynamic and windy start out of Auckland, forcing competitors upwind before settling into fast reaching conditions up the east coast.
Leg 2, the longest and most technically demanding stage of the race, began from Mangonui at 0900 on 3 March, with the early start helping the fleet make the most of conditions around Cape Reinga before the west‑coast stretch.
For ongoing updates and live tracking, follow SSANZ here:
SSANZ – Short Handed Sailing Association of New Zealand
This page also includes a link to the YB Race Tracker.
With the race’s toughest leg nearing completion, excitement is building as Waikawa Marina and Waikawa Boating Club prepares to welcome the fleet. The stopover promises high energy, shared stories, and the unique camaraderie of New Zealand’s offshore sailing community — all set against the stunning backdrop of Queen Charlotte Sound.
