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SSANZ Debrief: Young 88s Rise to the Challenge in Brutal Race 2

Published Mon 27 Jul 2026

SSANZ Debrief: Young 88s Rise to the Challenge in Brutal Race 2

If Race 1 was all about champagne sailing, Race 2 was “survival mode” at the opposite end of the spectrum. With forecasts predicting 25–35 knot south-westerlies, several crews opted to stay ashore. Those who braved the start were met with a relentless 6-leg course across the Hauraki Gulf.

Course: Start at Northern Leading – Passage Rock (Port) – Rangitoto (Starboard) – Torbay Racing Buoy (Port) – Bean Rock (Port) – Bean Rock Racing Buoy (Starboard) – Finish

The Downwind Sprint & Tactical Split

The race got underway with a fast downwind spinnaker run towards Passage Rock in a solid 18–25 knots. Skitzo, War Machine and Flash Gordon wasted no time asserting themselves at the front of the fleet, trading the lead as they powered across the back

paddock.

After rounding Passage Rock, the fleet hardened up for the long beat back towards Browns Island and Motuihe. This was where the race really began to unfold tactically.

Fleet split:

The Left Flank: Crews that committed to the left-hand side of the course towards Maraetai appeared to find a favourable lift while escaping the worst of the breeze in the middle of the Gulf. The better angle allowed them to make valuable gains on the fleet heading back towards Browns Island.
The Right Flank: Babe, War Machine and Satellite found themselves locked in a three-way battle on the right-hand side of the course. They bore the brunt of the strongest south-westerly gusts, with winds exceeding 30 knots at times. The heavy breeze and sea state prevented them from laying Motuihe, forcing extra tacks that proved both physically demanding and costly.

Equipment Damage & High Drama

The conditions continued to punish both boats and crews throughout the afternoon. War Machine was eventually forced to retire after a jib halyard failure, while Heartlight's race ended after sustaining damage to its mainsail.

"We got hit by one sudden big bullet... straight onto our side, and it wouldn't recover. It felt like the keel had fallen off and we were going over. Had to climb down the now vertical cockpit to release the jib sheet. A new experience."- Mike - War Machine

Relief & Resilience

By the time the fleet rounded Rangitoto, Skitzo maintained a narrow lead ahead of Smokey, Babe, and Satellite. Cracking sheets provided a brief moment of relief, but rounding Torbay provided the first real opportunity to take stock of the fleet. With Flash Gordon having retired earlier, Babe found themselves in third place, closely pursued by a relentless Satellite.

Satellite had overcome their own drama earlier when trying to shorten sail:

"We attempted to change down to our vintage #3, which we shredded before it was even hoisted! So back to the #2 we went. Wasn’t the best manoeuvre."

Despite the setback, Satellite pressed on to become one of only four finishers. Another crew epitomising the day’s resilience was Vagabond. Crossing the start line 23 minutes late after engine troubles, they clawed back ground before gear failures—a snapped reefing line, failed mainsheet shackle, and a boom vang issue—finally brought their heroic effort to a halt.

The Final Stretch & Results

As the remaining four boats rounded Bean Rock, the wind finally eased, offering a welcome chance to catch a breath and sail into the finish line.

Out front, Skitzo put on a masterclass in heavy-air management to take line honours:

"We had a few lie-downs at 35 knots with water coming over the cockpit coaming and sliding sideways for quite some distance."

Official Results

Line Honours: Skitzo
2nd on line and 1st Corrected Time: Smokey (sailing brilliantly above handicap)
3rd Line: Babe
4th Line / Finisher: Satellite

Debrief

Back at the docks, tools and pack-down took priority over immediate celebrations. War stories and banter flooded the Young 88 WhatsApp group as crews shared their near-misses and gear mishaps, united by the shared achievement of surviving the day.

A huge thank you to the SSANZ volunteers and race management team for running a safe, professional event in exceptionally challenging conditions. Race 2 will be remembered for the outstanding seamanship and resilience displayed across the entire fleet.

Bring on Race 3!

By Gaving Haslip - Babe

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Selection of onboard videos:

Intro from War Machine