Issue date
By Sydney to Auckland
Bryon Ehrhart's Lucky from the USA has taken line honours in Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club's 1250 nautical mile Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race (S2A) this morning, obliterating the record set by Geoff Hill’s Antipodes (HKG).
Lucky, crewed by some of the best yachtsmen on the planet, including a handful of Kiwi sailors led by Brad Butterworth, stopped the clock at 9.20.27.26am AEDT (just after 11.27am New Zealand time) finishing the race in 2d 20h 27 minutes 7 seconds.
The grand prix racing yacht took 2d 7hr 10m 50s off the 5 days, 3 hours, 37 minutes, 57 seconds record set by the Santa Cruz 72 Antipodes in 2023's inaugural race, after averaging close to 19 knots throughout the race and exceeding 20 knots across the Tasman.
Ehrhart and the crew, which also included Aussie sailors, sailed a textbook race in mainly downwind and reaching conditions.
Ehrhart, from Chicago, said from his yacht docked at Royal Akarana Yacht Club: "The forecast worked out to suit our boat best, which helps win events like this. I couldn't ask for a better forecast and thank you for it."
On the hardest part, he responded: "I think we just had a good race, I didn't think it was anything as hard as those boats behind us. I'm sorry for them. We stayed ahead of the front and there was good camaraderie on board. We had a lower level of fixable breakages too."
On conditions across the S2A course, Ehrhart, said: "This race had a lot of hard reaching in it and I hope we get more of that in the Sydney-Hobart. I think this race was good training for that. These boats have been worked reasonably often, so you can sort out things that happen in each race and get them recovered."
"I want to praise both yacht clubs for putting on this special race and for such a special experience for Lucky. And I want to say thank you for what the two clubs do before and after the race - these things are always important."
And the first thing Ehrhart wants to do having finished the race?
"I've already changed into dry clothing - that was my first thing to do. Once we clear customs, I'm hoping to get some place a bit warmer and have a beer or glass of wine with the crew," he said.
Despite her many feats, the US businessman does not regard Lucky as his best boat.
"I've had lots of good sailing boats. I've loved them all. This race is a special moment for this yacht."
Apart from Ehrhart and Butterworth, Lucky’s crew consisted of Kiwis Dean Phipps, Jonathan Clough, Jono Rankine and Scott Beavis; Aussies Rodney Daniel, Will McCarthy and Liam Woulfe; Juan Vila and Antonio Cuervas Mons of Spain; Jerry Kirby, Brian Giorgio, Daniel Morris and Shawn O'Neill (USA); Britain's Sam Mason and Stuart Wilson; and Brazilian Joca Signorini.
Lucky’s line honours and race record victories in this race add to her other achievements in 2025 - monohull line honours in the RORC Transatlantic Race in a new record time of 7d 20h 34m 41s (beating Comanche’s 2022 record by 1h 25m), and monohull line honours in the Caribbean 600 and Barn Door Trophy as first monohull to finish the Transpac Race.
Antipodes and Mick Martin’s 2023 overall winner Frantic are the next expected finishers, but are still over 500 nautical miles away.
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