Koa, the TP52 owned by Andy Kearnan and co-skippered by he and Mark Griffith, has taken line honours in the 2025 Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race that started off Barrenjoey Headland on Friday at 1pm.
Koa finished the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s annual east coast classic at 11.21.46pm this evening, in the time of 1 day, 10hrs 21mins 46secs. It was well outside the record time set by Peter Harburg’s super maxi, Black Jack, of 17hrs 10mins 31secs in 2022, but Koa’s crew sailed an exemplary race.
Koa also currently holds top spot for overall honours and will be hard to beat. Behind her, six yachts are battling for a podium finish, the order changing throughout the race so far. Shortly after midnight, Richard Hudson’s modified Farr 45, Pretty Woman, had assumed second place overall, overtaking Geoff Hill’s Santa Cruz 72, Antipodes, from Hong Kong.
Anarchy (Grant Pocklington), Sticky (Richard Harris), last year’s line honours victor, XS Moment (Ray Hudson) and Khaleesi (Sandy Farquharson) are also in the picture with the first two-handed entry, Verite, sitting eighth overall.
The J/99, Verite (Paul Beath/Teresa Michell), has led the Two-Handed division since early on, but Edward Curry-Hyde/Lincoln Dews on Toucan, a Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300, have kept them honest throughout and there is little between them in the 39th running of the 226 nautical mile race. Lake Macquarie yacht, Q (Mike Shelley/Ian Gilkes) is holding third place.
There are three multihulls racing. The Dara Johnston skippered Slingshot has led the trio on the water since the start. The Gunboat 68 had approximately 25 nautical miles to reach the finish at midnight. She will finish well outside the multihull record of the ORMA 60, Rex (Dale Mitchell), of 17h 3m, set in 2023.
However, it is Darren Drew’s Wind Cheetah that holds top spot in OMR from Stephen Barton’s J’Ouvert.
The fleet is sailing close to the coast, different to yesterday and earlier today when many opted to take digs offshore.
At 8.00am Saturday morning, the fleet was spread between those hugging the coast and boats either side of the rhumbline course.
Koa was leading the 32-boat fleet, clipping along at 9.5 knots having covered 112 nautical miles since yesterday’s 1pm start. She was sailing offshore, east of the rhumbline. Hot on her transom was Sticky (Richard Harris).
Giving chase was Slingshot, 7nm in arrears and Antipodes, a further 2 miles behind. Then came three overall contenders: Anarchy, sailing east of the rhumbline, while Khaleesi and Pretty Woman were hugging the coast.
Behind them, the battle was on in the IRC Two-Handed division. Verite had the bit between teeth, leading overall. She was being chased by Toucan (Edward Curry-Hyde/Lincoln Dews) which led Verite by 2 miles on the water. There are seven two-handed entries, six of them vying for IRC honours.
Last on line is Western Morning. Mark Ayto and Anto Sweetapple. The S&S 34 is some 18 miles behind their nearest competitors.
It is a very different race to last year when just three boats finished in extremely light and patchy air.
Six yachts have retired due to time pressures. Popeye, Avalanche and Wots Next are headed home to Sydney, while Inner Circle and Stampede are heading home to Lake Macquarie. Trouble & Strife from Queensland is motoring on to Coffs Harbour.
Follow competing yachts on the race tracker at: https://cf.yb.tl/pittwater2025
For all information, including entry list please go to: www.pittwatertocoffs.com.au
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Di Pearson/RPAYC media
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