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Race Updates - 2026 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore - Tollgate Islands Race

Home 2026 Race Updates - 2026 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore - Tollgate Islands Race

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Read on for chronological updates about the fleet

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Sunday 18 October - 2100 hours (52 hours after the start)

The third day of the Tollgate Islands Race has tested competitors’ patience, with light and shifting breezes making it difficult for the remaining fleet to maintain momentum along the NSW coast.

Jules Hall’s Disko Trooper continues to lead the IRC Double Handed fleet, while Kanreki has secured the top spot in IRC Division 2 after crossing the finish line shortly after 1700 hours this evening, completing the race in just over 48 hours.

Five yachts have crossed the finish line since this morning’s update: Vixen Racing, Minerva, Kanreki, Llama II and PRCM Employment Hero.

MWF Kayle and Inner Circle have retired from the race due to time constraints. 

Sunday 18 October - 0800 hours (39 hours after the start)

As the second night concluded, three more yachts have crossed the finish line behind Line Honours winner Moneypenny: Sebastian Bohm’s TP52 Smuggler, Sebastian Hultin’s Porco Rosso and Walter Carpenter’s Caol Ila.
This morning, Sean Langman’s GP42 crossed the finish line at 0751 hours, with the remaining fleet continuing its journey back up the coast to Sydney.
Former BWPS champion Smuggler is looking well placed to claim the overall win, potentially securing her first major title of the season.
In the IRC Double Handed fleet, Jules Hall’s Disko Trooper continues to hold the lead, with just 57 nautical miles remaining. Rival J/99 Verite is keeping the pressure on in second, sitting just 0.1 nautical miles further north.
Light winds proved challenging overnight as the breeze gradually shifted west and eventually shut down. Conditions are expected to remain unsettled as the wind completes a full rotation before settling back into the northeast later this evening.
Charles Cupit's Wots Next retired overnight after mainsheet damage. All crew are safe.

Saturday 17 October - 2030 hours (27.5 hours after the start)

The R/P69 Moneypenny crossed the finish line to claim Line Honours at 20:20 hours after 1 Day 3 Hours 20 Minutes and 15 seconds of racing. The TP52 Smuggler is projected to finish in two hours time. Twenty three yachts are left at sea.

Saturday 17 October - 1800 hours (25 hours after the start)

Twenty-five hours into the Tollgate Islands Race, all 24 yachts remain at sea as the fleet continues its journey back up the coast to Sydney.
After a slow rounding of Tollgate Islands, Moneypenny has picked up the pace and is now averaging 9.4 knots, with just 24 nautical miles remaining to the finish as she passes the Royal National Park.
The TP52 Smuggler is now ahead of Flinders Islet averaging 8.8 knots. She remains at the top of the standings with an almost three-hour lead on corrected time.
In Division 2, Llama II and Kanreki are holding firm on first and second respectively, with both yachts racing just offshore to the south of Jervis Bay.
The Double Handed fleet remains tightly contested, with pointscore leader Disko Trooper now at the top of the leaderboard, closely followed by fellow J/99s Jupiter and Verite.
Meanwhile, the Sun Fast 3200 Atraxia was the last yacht to round Tollgate Islands, completing the mark rounding after 22 hours of racing.

Saturday 17 October - 1230 hours (19.5 hours after the start)

The bulk of the fleet is closing in on Tollgate Islands in fading breeze, as the sun climbs overhead to mark the halfway point of Day 2 in the ACSBWPS Tollgate Islands Race.

Twelve yachts have now rounded the island, accounting for half of the now 24-boat fleet. Aboard Steve Watson’s J/130 Ragtime, the crew are keeping spirits high despite the frustratingly light conditions, fuelling up with breakfast rolls as they continue their race south.

In the Double Handed fleet, Paul Beath’s J/99 Verite continues to lead the charge, becoming the first two-handed crew to round the halfway mark. She leads IRC Double Handed and currently sits second in IRC Division 2.

At the front of the fleet, Moneypenny maintains her Line Honours lead with just 80 nautical miles remaining to the finish. Hot on her heels, Sebastian Bohm’s TP52 Smuggler is chasing down the leader while currently topping the overall standings across all divisions.

Will the smaller yachts be able to make up for the light conditions around the island? Or will the bigger yachts maintain their advantage on their race back up the coast?

Saturday 17 October - 0800 hours (15 hours after the start)

The breeze eased through the night and slowed the fleet and while the north-easterly is expected to build through today, it is forecast to ease again tonight.

Rob Appleyard’s R/P69 Moneypenny has rounded the Tollgate Islands and is heading back to Sydney with 112nm to go. The WA crew averaged around 8 knots overnight, down from 13 in the first six hours. She has found pressure again and was making 12.3 knots 16nm south of Ulladulla.

Smuggler remains second on the water, 10nm astern the Line Honours leader, just east of Batemans Bay. Behind her, Porco Rosso, Back 2 Black and Caol Ila rounded the islands within 0.3nm of each other.

On handicap, the night brought a shake-up. Back 2 Black, which led IRC Overall at 2300hrs (the last race update), has dropped out of the top places. At the time of writing, Jon Linton’s Dehler 46 Llama II now leads both IRC and PHS Overall. She was still heading south at 8.8 knots, 13nm east of Batemans Bay. The J/99 Verite, sailed double-handed by Paul Beath, is second in both, and Kanreki is third.

Michael Rowe and Ben Martin’s Kanreki has been one of the overnight standouts. She leads both IRC Corinthian and Wild Rose IRC, ahead of Vixen Racing and Ragtime. In the morning she was making 9.3 knots, among the fastest boats still heading for the turning point back north.

In the Double Handed divisions, Verite has taken the lead from Toucan on both IRC and PHS. Pointscore leader Disko Trooper is third, still recovering ground after her individual recall at the start.

Rohan Kerr’s double-handed Magic has retired after a crew illness. Twenty-four boats are still racing.

Friday 16 October - 2300 hours (6 hours after the start)

Six hours into the Tollgate Islands Race, Rob Appleyard’s WA crew continues to lead the fleet down the coast, averaging 13.1 knots with 180 nautical miles remaining, just off Jervis Bay.

Ten nautical miles behind the leader, former Blue Water Pointscore champion Smuggler heads the next pack. Just two nautical miles further astern, Sean Langman’s G/P42 Back 2 Black is holding her own among the larger yachts. Despite being 10 feet shorter in length overall, Back 2 Black currently leads IRC Overall.

In IRC Division 2, David Tregier's Sunfast 3300 Origami makes her BWPS debut, leading the division. Close behind, Edward Curry-Hyde’s double-handed Toucan, also a Sun Fast 3300, is less than half a nautical mile away in the battle for second. Felicity Nelson and Alex Seja’s Sydney 36 Supernova rounds out the top three, sailing further offshore.

Toucan leds the IRC Double Handed fleet with current Pointscore leader Disko Trooper close behind. The J/99 has made up significant ground following an individual recall at the start earlier this evening.

On PHS, the Dehler 46 Llama II remains firmly in contention, sitting second overall and leading PHS Division 2.

Friday 16 October - 1900 hours (2 hours after the start)

Race 3 of the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore kicked off this evening at 1700 hours on Sydney Harbour in a building easterly breeze.

The yachts lined up on the start line off Point Piper, with a 10-12 knot easterly on Sydney Harbour setting the scene for a competitive race. The 25-strong fleet was eager to get off the line, with current pointscore leader Disko Trooper (DH) and Wot's Next both over the line at the start signal.

The R/P69 Moneypenny Sailing was first out the heads at 1715 hours, leading the charge into open water, shortly followed by the TP52 Smuggler Racing Team and Caol Ila from Middle Harbour Yacht Club. The J/99 Verite was the first Double Hander out the heads.

All yachts exited and were heading south to Bateman's Bay by 1730 hours.

Vixen Racing.    Image: CYCA | Ashley Dart