First Kiwi entry as new sponsor announced for Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race
by Di Pearson/Sydney to Auckland media 29 May 17:49 NZST
11 October 2025
Royal Akarana Yacht Club © Royal Akarana Yacht Club
Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) takes pleasure in announcing Harken Australia and New Zealand as naming rights sponsor for the Sydney to Auckland Yacht Race (S2A) and that the first New Zealand entry has been accepted for the challenging 1250 nautical mile race across the Tasman Sea.
"We are delighted to welcome Harken Australia & New Zealand as the key sponsor of our race. The company has long supported sailing and is well known to us at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club having generously sponsored the Harken International Youth Match Racing Regatta for over 25 years. Their continued commitment to our sport is greatly appreciated," RPAYC Commodore, Rob McClelland said.
"We believe in the race," Grant Pellew, Managing Director Harken Australia & New Zealand responded. "Harken looks after boats from small Optis up to superyachts, so it fits our profile. It also fits in nicely because we have an office near the Alfreds and one near the finish line in Auckland.
"For me, personally, I see it as an event that will grow over time. I saw an opportunity to get involved, take up the sponsorship and help grow the event over the years," Pellew ended.
Commenting on V5's entry, Commodore McClelland said, "We welcome our first New Zealand entry. Brian (Petersen) is already well known to us and we look forward to seeing him again and witnessing V5's arrival to Brian's home port in Auckland at the end of the race, which is co-hosted by the Royal Akarana Yacht Club in New Zealand."
So far 10 entries representing Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia (NSW, Queensland, Vic) have been received, including Commodore McClelland's First Picasso, a Jeanneau 57.
"The race has already attracted double the number to that of the inaugural event. With more yachts expected to join the fleet, it promises to be an excellent trans-Tasman challenge," the Commodore said.
Petersen has booked a massive sailing program with his latest yacht, V5. It's nothing new for the Kiwi though. He has racked up countless ocean miles over a lot of years.
The S2A is a box he was to tick in 2023's inaugural race, but life decided otherwise. Petersen's previous yacht, Ran Tan II, suffered keel failure on delivery to the Transpac Race in 2019 and Covid meant the postponement of the RPAYC's biannual race in 2021.
It is a second chance for Petersen in the second edition of the S2A, which starts at 1pm on 11 October on Sydney Harbour: "We were going over for the first race, but the delivery across the Tasman went pear-shaped," he shares.
"But we (Petersen and his wife Keiko) flew to Sydney to watch the start of the race and we went to the Club (RPAYC) where we were looked after well. I caught up with Rob (McClelland) again in New Zealand after the finish and then we met again in Barcelona at the America's Cup.
"The race seems like a logical thing to do. There are no big ocean races out of New Zealand this year, so we will do it," Petersen said. "I'm looking forward to the start and getting out into deep blue again and stretching our legs."
Petersen has put together a mix of long and short ocean races and a couple of regattas, starting when he and his team deliver V5, the very first version of a TP52 designed by Alan Andrews in 2001, to New Caledonia for the Groupama Race starting 15 June.
After that, it's on to Sydney for the Noakes Sydney Gold Cast race in late July, followed by the Gold Coast to Mackay Race, 74 Islands Distillery Airlie Beach Race Week, Hamilton Island Race Week, the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race and ending with the Rolex Sydney Hobart.
It's a lot of ocean miles, but Petersen has been there and done it time and again.
"Doing all the racing I've done; it's still hard work. Paperwork, putting together a team, jumping through all the different hoops. But I enjoy sailing, the camaraderie and meeting new people," Petersen says.
As to competition in the S2A, Petersen says, "It will be interesting to see how we go against Antipodes (the Santa Cruz 72 design from Hong Kong set the record of 5 days, 3hrs 37mins 57secs). We should be faster than Frantic (the TP52 won the inaugural race) because of our canting keel."
The overall race winner's name will join Frantic's on the historic Lipton Cup. The hallmarked sterling silver trophy is valued at $90,000.
Petersen says, "I'm most looking forward to getting away from the shackles of everyday life, getting away from land, being on the water again and stretching our legs. And having a beer, a good steak and a red wine at the end.
"Hopefully, it will be like the first race and a blast across the Tasman. The trickiest part will be getting around the Cape Reinga tides. It's the most northernmost point sailing across from Sydney. And whether the tide is with you or against you, you need to keep your eyes open. Theoretically, it should be easier for us, because we sail around it quite often.
"It's a bit special knowing we're the first New Zealand entry," Petersen said. "I know there'll be a lot of people watching us in the race. I just hope we keep it all together and finish."
For all information, including entry and Notice of Race, please visit: www.sydneytoauckland.com.