As it happened: 2026 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland at Torbay Sailing Club, Day 3

Sat 31 Jan 2026

That's a wrap for Day 3

That concludes our live updates of Day 3, and what an action-packed day it was! Please join us tomorrow for what promises to be a dramatic finale tomorrow with the 2026 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland winners to be crowned by late afternoon.

Men's iQFOiL on knife-edge

The iQFOiL 8m fleet is set for a thrilling conclusion tomorrow. Australian windsurfer Rory Meehan has captured the lead from Kiwi Josh Armit by winning five consecutive races today, after Armit won the first four. The pair are currently tied on points, with Meehan ahead on countback at the moment, setting up a dramatic final day of competition.

iQFOiL: Bright ends day ahead in 7.3m

A black flag in the final race of the day has seen Aimee Bright storm out to a 6-point lead in the iQFOiL 7.3m fleet. Her two closest competitors, Maya Gysler (Norway) and Stella Bilger, were both disqualified from the race but remain second and third overall. Before that race, Gysler had significantly closed the gap to Bright by claiming two wins on Day 3, making for a tight leaderboard heading into tomorrow’s final day.

ILCA 6: Pilkington pushes on as internationals lead

Greta Pilkington has climbed another spot to third on the ILCA 6 leaderboard, following up her bullet in Race 7 with a second-place finish in Race 8. She’s moved ahead of her brother Tom but still trails Erika Reineke in second by 12 points, and fleet leader Maud Jayet by 13.

Bright leads Gysler after 7 races in 7.3m

In the 7.3m competition, Aimee Bright (pictured) and Maya Gysler each secured a race win to stay in the top two spots. Bright, who had a strong opening day, has continued her good form on Day 2. She leads Gysler by 2 points, with fellow Kiwi Stella Bilger now in third after Veerle ten Have's DNC in Race 7.

iQFOiL: Meehan claws two back in 8m

Josh Armit has been beaten for the first time in the regatta. New Zealand’s top male windfoiler finished second to Australian Rory Meehan in races 6 and 7 of the iQFOiL 8m fleet, after winning the first five races. He leads Meehan by 4 points, with Eli Liefting in third after a 3rd place finish in Race 6.

Kiwis have one hand on 49er crown

The 49er title is Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush’s to lose. The European champions (pictured) will start the fourth and final day tomorrow 17.5 points ahead of their nearest rivals, after winning the final race of Day 3 for their fifth bullet of the event. Otto Henry and Shaun Connor of Australia are now second overall, having overtaken US team Nevin Snow and Ian Macdiarmid.

49erFX wraps for the day

Nicola and Rebecca Hume finished Day 3 5 points clear at the top of the 49erFX standings. Victory in Race 11 - their eighth win - puts them comfortably ahead of Darcy Robbins and Eva Attwood in second. Erin and Isla Kee are third, 12 points behind the Aussies in second.

iQFOiL: Bilger bags first W

Stella Bilger (pictured) is on the scoreboard in the iQFOiL 7.3m, winning the first (slalom) race of the day. After a subdued start to her competition yesterday, the under-23 world champion beat Veerle ten Have and Maya Gysler to the line, moving into fourth overall. Aimee Bright remains on top, ahead of ten Have on countback, with Gysler in third.

ILCA 6: Greta gets first race win

Greta Pilkington (pictured) has claimed her first race win, shaking up the leaderboard in the ILCA 6 fleet. While still fourth overall, she's now breathing down the neck of her younger brother, Tom, who posted a 13 in Race 7. Erika Reineke continues to lead the fleet, holding a 2-point advantage over Swiss Olympic sailor Maud Jayet.

29er: Meacham and Stone stay in the race

Nelsen Meacham and Oli Stone (pictured) have kept their title hopes alive heading into tomorrow’s final day of racing by winning Race 11 to close out Day 3. They crossed the finish line ahead of Mia Austin and Zara Marks, and Will Leech and Will Mason, moving to within 10 points of the leaders. Austin and Marks hold the overall lead, followed by Blake Batten and Hugo Smith, and Leech and Mason.

49er: Menzies, Lee Rush bounce straight back

Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush have bounced back from a disappointing result in Race 9 to win Race 10, reminding the rest of the fleet that they remain the 49er team to beat at Torbay. Their fourth race win extends their lead to 9.5 points, with no change to the rest of the podium spots.

Armit off to a flyer in men's iQFOiL

Windfoiler Josh Armit (pictured) has started Day 3 as he finished Day 2 - with a commanding race win. The Kiwi Olympian took out the first race in the iQFOiL 8m fleet today following four consecutive wins yesterday. He leads Australia's Rory Meehan and Grae Morris by 5 and 11 points, respectively, with countryman Eli Liefting in fourth.

49erFX: Kiwis, Aussies trade wins

The top two 49erFX teams have traded race wins late in Day 3. Darcy Robbins and Eva Attwood (Australia) secured a rare win against Nicola and Rebecca Hume (pictured) in Race 9, but the Auckland sisters responded with victory in Race 10 — their seventh of the regatta. They now lead by 4 points overall.

ILCA 7: Beckett finishes Day 3 on top; Saunders back

In the ILCA 7, Mickey Beckett (pictured) is starting to pull away from George Gautrey after winning his first race of Day 3, marking his third of the regatta. The European champion now leads Gautrey by 3 points after nine races. Gautrey finished second in what is likely to be the final race of the day, while Tom Saunders, in his first competitive action since surgery, secured scores of 2, 4, and 3 today.

ILCA 6: Nothing to choose between top 3

The competition is heating up in the ILCA 6, where Maud Jayet has just won Race 6, followed by Tom Pilkington and Erika Reineke. Reineke leads overall with 10 points, while Jayet and Pilkington are tied on 11. Greta Pilkington sits in fourth, 14 points behind.

49er: Coutts, Gunn into fifth as Aussies win Race 9

49er leaders Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush have lost some ground after a ninth-place finish in Race 9. They now lead Americans Nevin Snow and Ian Macdiarmid by 4.5 points. Otto Henry and Shaun Connor won the race — their second success at Torbay this week — to move into third. Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn (pictured) finished second, their best result since the opening race, propelling them into fifth overall.

Wells, Handley finish strong as 420s wrap for the day

Zofia Wells and Charlotte Handley have completed a perfect day on the water, winning all three 420 races to position themselves perfectly for the title on the final day tomorrow. They are 3 points ahead of Amber Hughes and Phoebe Willis, who posted scores of 2, 2 and 3, and maintain a comfortable lead over third-placed Nathan Soper and Hamish Brown.

Tight at the top of 29er fleet

Only 11 points separate the top six teams in the 29er fleet after 10 races. After narrowly missing out on a top-three spot in the latest race, Australians Mia Austin and Zara Marks lead by 2 points over Blake Batten and Hugo Smith, who continue their impressive run with another second-place finish. A race win has moved Will Leech and Will Mason (pictured) up to third overall, with Matteo Barker and Leo Brown 2 points ahead of Nelsen Meacham and Oli Stone, and Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley, who are both locked on 39 points.

ILCA 7: Armit stakes his claim

After Zach Stibbe won the first race of the day, the second race in the star-studded ILCA 7 went to another rising Kiwi star, Caleb Armit. Armit (pictured) secured his first win of the regatta, edging out fleet leader Mickey Beckett and George Gautrey. He is third overall, 8 points behind Gautrey, who trails Beckett by 2 points.

ILCA 6: Reineke top in day's first race

The ILCA 6 fleet has just completed its first race of the day, with Olympians Erika Reineke (USA) and Maud Jayet (Switzerland) finishing first and second, respectively, and Kiwi Tom Pilkington in third. After five races, Reineke leads Pilkington (second) and Jayet (third) overall, followed by Greta Pilkington and Filippo Bassano (Italy).

420: Flawless start for leading team

It’s two from two today for Zofia Wells and Charlotte Handley, keeping them at the top of the 420 fleet. Amber Hughes and Phoebe Willis, second in Race 7, are also second overall, just a point behind the leaders. Finloe Gaites and Tehya Harris are now level on points with Hamish Brown and Nathan Soper in third.

Kitefoil: Walton-Keim gets first bullet

Lukas Walton-Keim has saved his best for last, winning the final race of the day in the kitefoil fleet. It’s his first race win of the competition and breaks a streak of six straight wins by Germany’s Jan Voester, who finished third. Voester leads by 4 points over Jannis Maus, with Walton-Keim in third overall. Jessie Kampman, Breiana Whitehead, and Ellie Aldridge are the leading female sailors.

Kensingtons claim 49er opener

Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush remain firmly in control of the 49er competition after finishing third in the first race of Day 3. With three race wins across the first two days, they lead by 7.5 points over the US team of Nevin Snow and Ian Macdiarmid. Australia’s Otto Henry and Shaun Connor are third, followed by Switzerland’s Sebastian Schneiter and Arno De Planta, and Kiwi brothers Sean and Rowan Kensington (pictured), who will be thrilled with their first win of the event against more experienced rivals.

Humes still top in 49erFX

Staying on Course A, the Hume sisters, Nicola and Rebecca, have just won their sixth race from eight. They now lead the 49erFX competition by 4 points over Darcy Robbins and Eva Attwood (Australia, pictured), with another sibling pair, Erin and Isla Kee, in third.

29er: Aussies claim fourth win

Mia Austin and Zara Marks have tightened their grip on the 29er fleet with a win in Race 9, their fourth of the regatta. The young Aussie pair are now 4 points ahead of Blake Batten and Hugo Smith, who continued their impressive form in the light air with a second-place finish after consecutive bullets. Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley have moved into third, followed by Nelsen Meacham and Oli Stone.

No stopping runaway German

Two more race wins for Jan Voester mean he’s now claimed the last six in the kitefoil competition. The German leads by 5 points over countryman Jannis Maus, with Lukas Walton-Keim in third, despite picking up a UFD in Race 9. In the women’s fleet, Jessie Kampman has suffered a one-point penalty but still leads comfortably, with Breiana Whitehead overtaking Ellie Aldridge for second.

ILCA 7: Win for Stibbe; Beckett takes lead

A big result for young Zach Stibbe (pictured) in the ILCA 7 fleet! The Dunedinite secured his first bullet of the event, winning the first race of the day. This puts him in fifth overall in the 13-boat fleet. Tom Saunders finished second in that race, marking his first competition since returning from surgery. Britain's Mickey Beckett placed third, taking the overall lead and bumping Kiwi George Gautrey (sixth) down to second. Caleb Armit remains in third overall.

Good news for IQs and wingfoilers!

While the breeze is still marginal, the D flag will be raised in 15 minutes - at 12.45 pm - for the iQFOiL 7.3m and 8m fleets, as well as for the wingfoilers.

29er: Batten, Smith continue charge

Blake Batten and Hugo Smith (pictured) have won their second consecutive race - the first of the day - continuing their push on the 29er leaderboard. They are now just 1 point behind Will Leech and Will Mason, who finished fourth, and 3 points behind overnight leaders Mia Austen and Zara Marks from Australia. Nelsen Meacham and Oli Stone are in fourth, while Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley (fifth overall) and Greta Hutton and Amelia Higson (12th overall) complete the female podium spots.

Kitefoil: Voester does the double

The kitefoilers are also up and running, despite the marginal conditions. German leader Jan Voester (pictured) has won both races this morning, making it four bullets in a row and extending his lead over fellow countryman Jannis Maus to 3 points. Maus finished second and third in races 6 and 7, while Kiwi Lukas Walton-Keim secured fourth and second place finishes to solidify his hold on third. There’s no change to the women’s leaderboard, with the Netherlands' Jessie Kampman leading as the top female and sitting eighth overall, followed by Ellie Aldridge (Great Britain) and Australian Breiana Whitehead.

Wells and Handley start well in 420s

We have our first race results from Day 3, with Zofia Wells and Charlotte Handley (pictured) regaining the lead in the 420 fleet. They finished first in Race 6, edging out Amber Hughes and Phoebe Willis in both the race and the overall leaderboard. It’s been a real ding-dong battle between these two teams throughout the regatta, and they’re now level on points, with only this last result separating them. Hamish Brown and Nathan Soper remain in third, now 7 points behind the leaders.

Day 3 live: Most fleets about to start

Welcome to our live coverage of Day 3 from Torbay Sailing Club, where conditions are looking light again — around 5 to 6 knots.

The iQFOiLers and wingfoilers have a two-hour stand-down, waiting for the breeze to pick up, but all other fleets are out on course and raring to go.

A quick reminder of the overnight standings, where there has been another reshuffle of the leaderboard in the ILCA 6 fleet, with Tom Pilkington now in the lead:

29er
1. Mia Austen/Zara Marks (Australia)
2. Will Leech/Will Mason (NZ)
3. Bella Jenkins/Jess Handley (NZ)
4. Nelsen Meacham/Oli Stone (NZ)
5. Blake Batten/Hugo Smith (NZ)
9. Tessa Clinton/Zenon Nicholas (NZ)
12. Greta Hutton/Amelia Higson (NZ)

49er
1. Seb Menzies/George Lee Rush (NZ)
2. Nevin Snow/Ian Macdiarmid (USA)
3. Otto Henry/Shaun Connor (Australia)

49erFX
1. Nicola Hume/Rebecca Hume
2. Darcy Robbins/Eva Attwood (Australia)
3. Erin Kee/Isla Kee (NZ)

ILCA 6
1. Tom Pilkington (NZ)
2. Erika Reineke (USA)
3. Maud Jayet (Switzerland)
4. Greta Pilkington (NZ)
5. George Turner (NZ)
6. Filippo Bassano (Italy)

ILCA 7
1. George Gautrey (NZ)
2. Michael Beckett (GBR)
3. George Pilkington (NZ)

420
1. Amber Hughes/Phoebe Willis (NZ)
2. Zofia Wells/Charlotte Handley (NZ)
3. Hamish Brown/Nathan Soper (NZ)

Kitefoil
1. Jan Voester (Germany)
2. Jannis Maus (Germany)
3. Lukas Walton-Keim (NZ)
8. Jessie Kampman (Netherlands)
9. Ellie Aldridge (GBR)
10. Breiana Whitehead (Australia)

iQFOiL 7.3m
1. Aimee Bright (NZ)
2. Veerle ten Have (NZ)
3. Maya Gysler (Norway)

iQFOiL 8m
1. Josh Armit (NZ)
2. Rory Meehan (NZ)
3. Grae Morris (Aus)

Wingfoil
1. Adam Mark (NZ)
2. Charlie Solly (NZ)
3. Liam Parker (NZ)