Issue date
Welcome to our live coverage of the 2025 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland from Torbay Sailing Club.
You can read all about this year's event by clicking here.
Live results:
Course B: iQFOiL 7.3, iQFOiL 8, Kitefoil.
That's a wrap!
It's a win in the last race of the day for Veerle ten Have to move to within four points of leader Stella Bilger in the iQFOil 7.3 fleet, while Eli Liefting has extended his lead over Josh Armit to two points in the 8m with his third victory of the day.
That wraps up our live coverage of day 1. Join us again tomorrow.
Eli back on top in 8m fleet
Eli Liefting is back on top of the iQFOiL 8m fleet after holding off Josh Armit's challenge for the second time in three races. At the same time, Stella Bilger has just won her third-straight race to extend her lead over Aimee Bright and Veerle ten Have in the 7.3m to five points.
2 from 2 for Bilger in IQs
Stella Bilger remains the early pacesetter in the iQFOiL 7.3m fleet with a second race win, with Veerle ten Have now in second.
In the 8m, Josh Armit has displaced Eli Liefting at the top of the leaderboard with both sailors notching up a race win so far.
Yachting New Zealand Olympic coach Mark Howard during a post-race debrief with the ILCA 7 squad.
Early wins for Liefting, Bilger
After a delay, the two iQFOiL fleets have just finished their first course race of the regatta - with Eli Liefting pipping Josh Armit and Blake Hinsley in the 8m, and Stella Bilger finishing ahead of Aimee Bright and Veerle ten Have in the 7.3.
The iQFOiL fleets are underway after a delay in racing. Photo / Kirsten Moratz
Skiffs wrap up
A last-race bullet has kept Will Leech and Will Mason within reach of 29er fleet leaders Nelsen Meacham and Tim Howse. The Wills are three points adrift after four races, with Peer Kruse and Leo Brown third. Meanwhile, a second in the final race has pushed Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley up to fourth.
In the 49er, Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush have extended their lead to eight points following their third win of the day. Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan, the only crew to beat Menzies and Rush today, are second, followed by Francesco Kayrouz and Hamish McLaren, who finished the day with a 2-3.
Erica Dawson and Molly Meech continued their dominance in the 49erFX with a fourth win in as many races.
Saunders with narrow lead; Ferrissey holds on
Tom Saunders has saved his best result for the last race of the day - winning race 3 to lead overall in the ILCA 7 competition. He leads Singapore's Ryan Lo by one point, with Dylan Forsyth.
The battle for the ILCA 6 crown is set for a thriller between Naiomi Ferrissey and Greta Pilkington. Ferrissey leads by two points despite Pilkington winning the last two races. Arran Begic is in third.
Meanwhile, in the 420 competition, it's three from three for Tessa Clinton and Amelia Higson. They are already seven points ahead of second-placed Aani and Ellie Tapper, with Cam Brown and Oli Stone third.
49er: Second bullet puts Menzies, Rush in pole position
A second win in three races today has seen Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush reclaim the 49er lead from Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan.
The latter finished sixth in race 3 to fall five points behind the leaders, with Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn only two points adrift in third.
Also on Course C, Erica Dawson and Molly Meech have now won three consecutive races in the 49erFX fleet; as have Nelsen Meacham and Tim Howse in the 29er.
Lo and behold - Ryan into first
Ryan Lo is the new ILCA 7 leader after winning race 2 to bump Kiwi duo George Gautrey and Tom Saunders down a spot. Gautrey (fourth in race 2) and Saunders (third) are both on five points - one behind the Singaporean - with Dylan Forsyth fourth overall.
Here comes Greta!
Greta Pilkington has claimed the honours in race 2 of the ILCA 6, to move to third overall on seven points. Naiomi Ferrissey and Arran Begic are tied on four points, with Ferrissey third in race 2 and Begic finishing just behind Pilkington.
Kitefoil: Walton-Keim ends day 1 on top
Lukas Walton-Keim and Toby Wigglesworth have continued trading race wins but it's the Paris 2024 Olympian who ends on top of the leaderboard after day 1 of the kitefoiling event.
Walton-Keim leads Wigglesworth by a solitary point, with Lochy Naismith ahead of fourth-placed Lucy Bilger by the same margin.
Hawkeye...
Yachting New Zealand safety and technical officer Cris Brodie keeping a close eye on proceedings on the Course B finish boat. Photo / Kirsten Moratz
Lead change for 49ers
The second races have been completed on Course C.
Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan move into first in the 49er with their first race win, equal on points with Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush who were third in their second outing. Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn have moved up to third overall.
Erica Dawson and Molly Meech have made it two from two to lead by three points in the 49erFX, while there is also no change at the top of the 29er. Nelsen Meacham and Tim Howse have claimed their second bullet but Will Leech and Will Mason are now in second with Peer Kruse and Leo Brown dropping to third. The best-placed female crew is Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley in seventh.
Early upsets in ILCA 6, 7
Some early surprises in both ILCA fleets, where Olympians Tom Saunders and Greta Pilkington were beaten in the first races of the ILCA 7 and ILCA 6, respectively.
Saunders has finished behind George Gautrey, with Singapore's Ryan Lo third in the ILCA 7; while Pilkington is sixth in the ILCA 6. Naiomi Ferrissey won the first race with Aran Begic and Jack Hollands rounding out the top three.
Clinton, Higson take out first 420 race
To Course A now, where it's a perfect start for Tessa Clinton and Amelia Higson in the 420. They've finished top of the six-boat fleet after Cam Brown and Oli Stone picked up a UFD.
49er: Menzies and Rush draw first blood
Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush have won the first race of the much-anticipated 49er competition. Teruaki Shimakura and Shintaro Kamisonoda were second with Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan third. This year's national champions, Campbell Stanton and Will Shapland, meanwhile, have started with an 8...
In the 29er fleet, Nelsen Meacham and Tim Howse have taken out race 1, with Peer Kruse and Leo Brown hot on their heels. Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley were the first female team, in sixth.
Strong start for Olympic duo
Erica Dawson and Molly Meech have taken out the opening race of the 49erFX event. Dawson, who won bronze with Micah Wilkinson in the Nacra 17 at Paris 2024, has joined Meech (a silver medallist from Rio 2016) in the women's skiff for this event.
Nicola and Rebecca Hume finished second, and Erin and Isla Kee third.
LWK regains kitefoil lead
Lukas Walton-Keim has won his second race to overtake Toby Wigglesworth (fourth in race 3) at the top of the kitefoil leaderboard. Lucy Bilger locked in her best result so far today with a second, while Lochy Naismith gets a third-straight third place.
Wigglesworth hits back
Toby Wigglesworth has won race 2 in the kitefoil competition to take the overall lead. Lukas Walton-Keim was second, with Lochy Naismith third and Lucy Bilger fourth.
First results are in
Fresh from claiming the NZ national kitefoil title at FOIL Bay of Islands at the weekend, Lukas Walton-Keim has won the first race in the kitefoil fleet. Toby Wigglesworth was second, followed by Lochy Naismith and Lucy Bilger.
And they're off...
The breeze has picked up to between 7 and 8 knots and all courses are now underway:
Course A: ILCA6, ILCA 7, 420.
Course B: iQFOiL 7.3, iQFOiL 8, Kitefoil.
Course C: 29er, 49er, 49erFX.
The kitefoilers are underway on Course B. Photo / Kirsten Moratz
Meet the fleet
The sailor briefing has been completed. Here are the fleets:
49er: Sam Bacon/Blake McGlashan, Mattias Coutts/Oscar Gunn, Brayden Hamilton/Monty Alderson, Francesco Kayrouz/Hamish McLaren, Sean Kensington/Rowan Kensington, Seb Menzies/George Lee Rush, Akira Sakai/Russell Aylsworth, Teruaki Shimakura/Shintaro Kamisonoda, Campbell Stanton/Will Shapland, Levi Jenkins/Marcel van der Voort.
49erFX: Erica Dawson/Molly Meech, Nicola Hume/Rebecca Hume, Erin Kee/Isla Kee.
29er: Robert Abel-Pattison/Blake Jeffery, Blake Batten/Merrick Sanderson, Ewan Brazle/Toby Clarke, Callum Hyde/Marlon Porteous, Harry Jameson/Lochie Faulknor, Bella Jenkins/Jess Handley, Peer Kruse/Leo Brown, Will Leech/Will Mason, Nelsen Meacham/Tim Howse, Zenon Nicholas/Charlie Sorrell, Callum Noyer/Marcus Hilder, Kate Rasmussen/Rose Dickey, Hugo Smith/Louis Quere.
ILCA 6: Adam Mark, Arran Begic, Beau Utting, Chloe Turner, Dave Johnson, Eddie Dewhirst, George Turner, George Lane, Greta Pilkington, Gretel Satterthwaite, Hayden Chisholm, Jack Hollands, Liam Dimock, Lukas Johnson, Luke Shaw, Miro Luxford, Naiomi Ferrissey, Noah Shirley, Sam Clarke, Sebastian Corso-Fenelon, Toby Dunn, Tom Pilkington.
ILCA 7: Caleb Armit, Dylan Forsyth, George Pilkington, George Gautrey, Max Faulkner, Ryan Lo, Tom Saunders, Zach Stibbe.
420: Cam Brown/Oli Stone, Tessa Clinton/Amelia Higson, Nico Holmes/Finn Holmes, Thomas Jurczyluk/Oli Wyeth, Abraham Lanaquera/Kiera Sinton, Aani Tapper/Ellie Tapper.
Kitefoil: Lochy Naismith, Lucy Bilger, Lukas Walton-Keim, Toby Wigglesworth.
iQFOiL (8m): Blake Hinsley, Charlie Solly, Eli Liefting, Finn Davies, Josh Tuck, Josh Armit, Liam Parker, Nick Thomas, Vlad Misescu.
iQFOiL (7.3m): Aimee Bright, Brianna Orams, Daniella Wooldridge, Elbe White, Juliette Babey, Margarita Konstantinova, Stella Bilger, Veerle ten Have, Gabrielle Dalton-Wilson.
The countdown is on
Torbay Sailing Club is a hive of activity with just over two hours to go to the start of racing. Registration is closed and the race management briefing is underway. PRO Ian Clouston and the rest of the team - every international race officer in New Zealand is at Torbay today - expect glamour conditions all weekend.
PRO Ian Clouston has a race management team with plenty of international experience for the regatta.
Glamour conditions are expected for day 1 of the event.
