Fourteen boats are entered for today's Bean Rock Race, with Equilibrium leading the championship and heavy rain adding to the challenges facing crews on the Hauraki Gulf.
Heavy rain swept through central Auckland early this morning, just hours before the Doyle Sails Gold Cup fleet was due to head out for the Bean Rock Race. More rain is forecast, and with thunderstorms also possible, crews could face a difficult start to the day.
Royal Akarana Yacht Club hosts today's race, Saturday 7 November, the third round of the five race series. Graham Matthews' Botin Carkeek 55 Equilibrium arrives with two line honours victories already to its name, having won the Gold Cup division of the Richmond Yacht Club's Spring Regatta in September and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's Roy McDell Memorial in October. Matthews' crew also won Roy McDell on PHRF.
See the Doyle Sails Gold Cup 2026 Series points to date.
Fourteen boats entered for today's Bean Rock Race
Today's entry list includes 13 monohulls and one multihull, with all three leading PHRF contenders back for another race.
Nigel Hendy's Nirvana follows Equilibrium on six points and Quintin Fowler's Rum Bucket on seven. Steve Mair's Clockwork is fourth on 11 points, having missed Roy McDell after winning the opening Spring Regatta on handicap.
John Meadowcroft's McConaghy MC31 Carrera 3 and Luke Judge's Ross 930 Wasted Away are also entered. Both were among the smaller yachts that made things interesting at Roy McDell, where just two minutes and 17 seconds separated second through fifth on corrected time. Carrera 3 finished only 33 seconds behind Nirvana.
The rest of the entry list includes Tonto, Whitebait, Questa, INDIS, Flying Boat, Fulcrum, Visage and the multihull Levity.
| Boat name | Make and model | Sail number | Skipper name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonto | Farr 1220 | 6653 | Mack Storey |
| Whitebait | White 12 | 8347 | Tony Morgan |
| Questa | Beneteau Sense 55ft | 9358 | Alastair McAuley |
| INDIS | Sun Fast 3300 | 9877 | Andrew Benton |
| Flying Boat | Young 11 | 6095 | Chris Beaumont |
| Clockwork | Shaw 12 | 110011 | Steve Mair |
| Levity | Multihull | 7778 | Mike Mackey |
| Carrera 3 | MC31 | 31007 | John Clarke Meadowcroft |
| Wasted Away | Ross 930 | 8032 | Luke Judge |
| Fulcrum | Dibley 40 | 98096 | Derek Grul |
| Nirvana | Dufour 45e | K9270 | Nigel Hendy |
| Rum Bucket | More 55 | NZL9674 | Quintin Fowler |
| Visage | BW 38 | R2004 | Jonathan J Gravit |
| Equilibrium | Botin Carkeek 55 | NZL9380 | Graham Matthews |
Rain and poor visibility could complicate today's racing
After a very wet night in Auckland, the weather could have quite a say in today's Bean Rock Race. More heavy rain is possible around the start, and poor visibility could make life awkward for crews heading out of the harbour.
The wind itself shouldn't be much of a concern. Northerlies of 8 to 17 knots are forecast, with gusts up to 23 knots, while seas could reach around 0.9 metres near Whangaparāoa.
Of greater concern is the possibility of thunderstorms. MetService has a Severe Thunderstorm Watch in place until noon, with the risk of torrential downpours, sudden squalls and lightning. Those are much less predictable conditions, particularly with yachts spread across the Gulf.
The weather should settle somewhat during the afternoon, although easing winds could leave some of the fleet facing a slower trip home.
For now, the scheduled start remains 10am for multihulls and 10.05am for monohulls. With the thunderstorm watch covering the morning, the race committee will have some decisions to make before sending everyone on their way.
A long day around the Hauraki Gulf
The published full course runs from near Ōrākei Wharf north towards Saddle Island, near Mahurangi, before returning to Auckland. It's approximately 44 nautical miles, although shorter courses are available if conditions warrant a change.
Two full course options take the fleet around the same marks in opposite directions. Rangitoto Beacon, Orarapa Island, also known as Haystack, Saddle Island and the Eastern Navy Buoy near Whangaparāoa are all on the route.
For those following from shore, we're also trying out a tracker that should make it easier to see how the fleet is getting on. It's the same tracker we used for last weekend's Fitzroy Bay Race, and we're keen to see how it works over the longer Bean Rock course.
Last year's results offer encouragement for smaller boats
Vaughn Clark's Soto 40 Alegre took line honours in last year's Bean Rock Race, completing the course in 7:31:15. Equilibrium followed 17 minutes and 44 seconds later, with David Wade's E 30 S Liquid Luck third across the line.
On PHRF, however, Liquid Luck came out on top with a corrected time of 6:53:12. Carrera 3 finished second, ten minutes and 47 seconds behind, while Marcel Vroege's Ross 35 Apparition took third.
With three races needed to constitute the Gold Cup series, today's Bean Rock Race could bring the championship past that threshold. No discard is available until all five races have been completed, so the points collected today will remain important as the fleet heads towards the Percy Jones Memorial in December and the Balokovic Cup in February.
