2026 Sail Port Stephens Commodores Cup Passage Series
Reports by Mark Rothfield
2026 Sail Port Stephens Commodores Cup declared ‘best ever’
After five days of competitive but fun racing on the spectacular waterway of Port Stephens and its offshore islands, the final results are in and the divisional winners are celebrating.
Port Stephens turned on its best weather ©Promocean Media
The wind gods bestowed a parting favour on the record fleet, summoning a 15-knot southerly breeze that quickly sent Divisions 1 and 2 to their course in Salamander Bay while Divisions 3, 4 and Non-Spinnaker sailed a more traditional course into the western reaches of the huge bay.
For the crew of Jambo, Stephanie Cook and Rob Carr’s Summit King 40, it was a matter of ensuring they avoided any major dramas and kept tabs on their nearest rivals in the series point score. They did so and thereby clinched the Division 1 PHS crown for 2026.
“We often use the old saying about roosters to feather dusters,” Cook laughed. “So we were very conscious of that. We’ve only had the boat for two years but we have tweaked it to get where it is. The difference here was we didn’t have any major stuff-ups and no equipment broke.”
Concealed Weapon Div 2 winner ©Promocean Media
Jambo Div 1 winners ©Promocean Media
Lunacy Div 3 winners ©Promocean Media
Windwood Div 4 winner ©Promocean Media
Co-owner and husband Rob Carr acknowledged Stephanie’s helming prowess, guiding Jambo around a crowded and tactically challenging racecourse.
“She did a great job. I think we’ve sailed here 10 times but this year’s been the best,” Carr said. “The [race] organisation and the communication has been extremely good. We’ll be back.”
Julian Bell’s consistently well-sailed Beneteau First 50 51st Project secured second in Division 1, with Banter – a Beneteau First 45 from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club – third on a countback from two other boats, reflecting how tight the racing was.
Local knowledge and experience can prove the decider at Sail Port Stephens and Barry Kelly and his crew on Concealed Weapon have been sailing his Archambault M34 for over a decade.
“We knew it could go a few ways today so we just decided to sail the boat as hard as we could,” Kelly said after securing Division 2 honours. “You never know what you’re going to get weather-wise but it’s been absolutely glorious and great racing.”
Another Fiasco, Tim Savage’s Jutson 43 from the Cronulla Sailing Club, earned a well-deserved second in Division 2, while Sail Port Stephens regular Animal Farm added another podium result to its collection.
In Division 3, Chris McSorley and his crew aboard his Hanse 445 Lunacy notched-up an extremely consistent performance across both the light and stronger breezes to take home the silverware from Mach 1, David Cartmer’s Bavaria 38 Match, and Kelsea Blue, Adrian Williams’ C&C 115.
Six years ago Max Wood convinced the owner of a neglected Compass 38 to relinquish the venerable 1976 design for the modest sum of $5000. He spent much of the pandemic restoring it himself, replacing the rigging and the interior.
Last night he celebrated Windwood’s convincing Division 4 victory with his clearly elated crew from the Wangi Amateur Sailing Club on Lake Macquarie.
“It’s unbelievable. I think we’re about the second oldest boat in the fleet,” Wood confessed. “Five days of sailing, beautiful weather, great place. We have a large overlapping headsail and it worked well. But they [the crew] want me to buy new sails now.”
Putting the win in perspective, Windwood’s result was up against 27 other well-sailed boats including Charles Daniels’ Hanse 371 Eureka which was second, and Keith Masters’ Bavaria 40 Windmaiden in third.
The Non-Spinnaker Division was another win for the true believers, with Sandy Hume and his crew aboard his Catalina 320 Windfalls holding-off the challenge by two Bavarias – Paul Baston’s Namadgi 3 and Jo Gomboso’s Konan the Barbarian.
“We’re very grateful we managed to squeeze a victory,” said Hume of Windfalls’ half-point margin. “We have a great crew, everybody’s learnt a bit, learnt from each other … It’s our first Sail Port Stephens and it won’t be our last.
“The atmosphere, the social part, is terrific but we’ve had quite early nights because we’ve been knackered.”
Hume did stay a little later than usual to celebrate the long overdue win with family and supporters, joining the large crowd that gathered at the Regatta Village at d’Albora Marina Nelson Bay.
The quality of the courses, weather, racing and bonhomie of this year’s Commodores Cup Passage Series make it a stand-out, according to Sail Port Stephens stalwart Peter Lewis who has 19 regattas to his name.
“Definitely the best ever,” Lewis declared. “I’ll be back next year. The accommodation is already booked.
“Even though we came mid-fleet we had a fantastic time. We struggle a bit in the light weather, the weight of the chandelier, the champagne, the fridges and our costumes, of course,” he added, referring to the uber chic traditional beret and cape favoured by the Ca Va crew at functions.
From humble beginnings in 2007 the regatta has evolved into one of the premium events on the Australian keelboat calendar.
“I think it has been our best edition,” agreed founding Regatta Director Paul O’Rourke. “The weather has just been outstanding every day. We’ve been able to get a mix of inshore and offshore courses, the beer garden here at d’Albora Nelson Bay, the Street Party the Port Stephens Council put on – it’s all been great.”
For those contemplating heading to Port Stephens for the regatta’s 20th anniversary, O’Rourke has promised an even bigger and better event with the spirit of inclusiveness SPS is now famous for. Dates are 12-17 April 2027.
Sail Port Stephens is supported by the NSW Government tourism agency Destination NSW and Port Stephens Council.
Glamour sailing served on a Sail Port Stephens platter
Day 4 at 2026 Sail Port Stephens turned out to be a template for what makes this regatta such a popular choice for sailors up and down the East Coast of Australia.
By start time the forecast west-south-westerly had filled in, and under an azure blue sky the five divisions comprising this year’s record fleet of more than 120 boats contesting the Commodores Cup Passage Series were jostling for the best lane from the start off Nelson Bay breakwall out to Little Island.
Kanreki
Llama II
Scuffy and Another Fiasco
Run to the Port Stephens heads
Windfalls
Congestion and tidal surge resulted in a slew of boats over the line in Division 1. The subsequent general recall and reset saw the boats that opted for a more northerly track out of the heads reaping the rewards, among them 2023 Division 1 champions Llama II, Jon Linton’s well-credentialled Dehler 46 from Middle Harbour Yacht Club.
The Llama crew, who had been a tad despondent after several lacklustre performances earlier in the week, found their groove and wound-up the big performance cruiser in the stronger 10-12 knot breeze.
“It was somewhat of a relief to do well when we finally got some breeze today,” Linton acknowledged. “The sailing conditions were vintage champagne all round the course.
“Our big (bright yellow) Llama symmetric worked really well on the two downwind legs, which really contributed to the win. We are looking forward to even more wind tomorrow.”
Michael Rowe and Ben Martin’s Cookson 12 Kanreki were second on PHS, notching their first podium for the regatta, while Joe de Kock’s Dehler 44 KD4 just held out the CNB 60 Journey for third place.
In Division 2 Another Fiasco from the Cronulla Sailing Club found the 16.5 nautical mile course to its liking, winning on corrected time by over a minute.
“Our success can be attributed to great team communication, a little luck and an open idea to explore different course options,” Fiasco Owner Tim Savage summed up.
“We’ve had a very enjoyable week,” he reported. “Last year Stephen ‘Blackie’ Blackman was seriously injured in Race 1, our very first race. It was particularly good to have him back this week and to achieve 1st place PHS with him on-board.”
There was literally nothing between second and third, with Lee Hawksley’s Grand Soleil 40 Andiamo tying on corrected time with Animal Farm, David Rowe’s Foundation 36 from the Gosford Sailing Club.
In Division 3 Lunacy, Chris McSorley’s Hanse 445 enjoyed the stronger breeze, finishing ahead of smaller rivals Jazz Bar, an Adams 10, and the Bavaria 38 Match Mach 1.
In Division 4 Richard Fleck’s Beneteau Oceanis 37 Scuffy received the top honours after a penalty was applied to Slac-N-off.
In the Non-Spinnaker Division Sandy Hume and his crew on Windfalls have logged three wins from the past three races – an extraordinary performance in any regatta.
Tomorrow gusty conditions with strong south-south-westerlies up to 18 knots are forecast, providing the potential for triumph or disaster on the final day of racing.
Sail Port Stephens is supported by the NSW Government tourism agency Destination NSW and Port Stephens Council.
Sampling island delights on Day 3 at Sail Port Stephens
After two days of spectacular racing on the bay of Port Stephens, crews in the record fleet participating in the 2026 Commodores Cup Passage Series were eager to tackle the longer and equally scenic racecourses around the magnificent offshore islands.
So there was near unanimous approval when Principal Race Officer Dennis Thompson nominated Course 1, stretching 16.5 nautical miles, for Wednesday’s Race 3. Many hoped for an opportunity to claw back some distance on the divisional pointscore leaders.
Banter
Kelsea Blue
Midnight Promise
Silver Lining
Windfalls crew
The first leg from Nelson Bay out between the two imposing headlands of Yacaaba and Tomaree to Cabbage Tree Island was a glorious spinnaker run straight out of the Sail Port Stephens playbook.
Some of those who tried to shave the corner close to the island paid the price and found themselves on the slow side of the escalator. But eventually the seabreeze filled in and the fleet enjoyed several scenic laps around Cabbage Tree, Little and Boondelbah Islands before a fast reach back into Port Stephens and a big lift to the finish off the Nelson Bay breakwall.
In Division 1, Scott Robertson’s Beneteau 45 Banter clinched PHS first place thanks to some savvy spinnaker decisions.
“We went round Boondelbah Island and changed from an assy [asymmetric] to a symmetric [spinnaker] and basically gained about 15 places,” Robertson revealed. “The fast racing boats overtook us again but we were close enough to them at the end.
“This my second Sail Port Stephens,” Robertson added. “My co-owner Steve and I bought the boat three years ago and we’ve done Airlie and Hamo. We are really enjoying the sailing here, the setting is beautiful and the wildlife out there, seals and dolphins. It’s terrific.”
Banter’s win lifts them to equal fifth overall in Division 1 behind Jambo, Shape and Two Truck, with Jambo (Summit King 40) eight points clear of its nearest rival.
In Division 2, Stuart Muirhead’s Beneteau First 35 Silver Lining capitalised on picking good lines in rounding the islands and selecting the right sail at the right time.
“The boat goes best when we can fly the big spinnaker we have and the lighter breezes tend to suit us,” Muirhead acknowledged.
“This is our third Sail Port Stephens in a row,” he continued. “It’s a brilliant waterway, great racing, every time you look around there’s somebody on your stern or you’re trying to catch someone.
“I’ve changed the set-up of the boat a bit – it’s got a retractable bowsprit so we can fly the assys on the tight legs.”
Silver Lining now lies in third in Division 2, just one point behind Jenny Danks and Greg O’Neill’s Sydney 36 King Tide, while Concealed Weapon, Barry Kelly’s Archambault M34 from the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, is leading the Division.
Midnight Promise’s win on the day in Division 3 elevated them up the standings but it’s an extremely tight battle at the top with the locals and at least one ring-in – Wubaray (Melges 24) is equal first with Kelsea Blue, Adrian Williams’s C&C 115 from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.
In Division 4, John Veale’s Dehler 32 Hasta La Vista took the gun and PHS honours, lifting them into fourth place in the series, with Sweet Chariot, Sarah Brennan’s Dufour 365 Grand Large, enjoying a four-point buffer at the top of the table.
With two bullets from three outings, including one yesterday, Sandy Hume and his crew aboard Windfalls, a Catalina 320, are proving the boat to beat in the Non-Spinnaker Division.
Sandy, from Pittwater, admits his 320 sports a “go-fast” appendage in the form of its shoal-draft wing keel and he and his three-strong crew are enjoying a change in the pecking order.
“We’re normally last in Sydney but it seems to be working a bit better here,” he observed wryly.
“We decided to come to Sail Port Stephens because my last attempt to go to Hamo (Hamilton Island Race Week), ended in chaos. I had to pull the pin off Stradbroke Island,” he recounted. “We are really enjoying the regatta, especially sailing past bigger boats under spinnaker,” he laughed.
Sailors broke out the Hawaiian party shirts on Wednesday night for the big event on the Sail Port Stephens social calendar – the Street Party that rocks the main street of Nelson Bay, courtesy of tunes by Newcastle outfit Love That Hat.
After a lay day today, racing will resume on Friday, with the final day Saturday shaping as a testing outing with the forecast for a strong south-westerly gusting to 20 knots.
Sail Port Stephens is supported by the NSW Government tourism agency Destination NSW and Port Stephens Council.
Small gains, big wins on a challenging Sail Port Stephens Day 2
Equal parts good strategy, judgement and random good luck. That’s the way one reasonably satisfied tactician summed-up Race 2 of the Pantaenius Australia Commodores Cup Passage Series sailed in brilliant sunshine on a sparkling inshore racecourse.
It turned out the best pressure of the day was 9-10 knots at the start and the end of proceedings with intermittent bouts of frustration and positivism in between.
A congested upwind start off Nelson Bay break wall required concentration during quick tacking past The Anchorage and into Salamander Bay, before making slow progress around the Soldiers Point island and eventually back to Nelson Bay.
Revolver
Blacksheep
Tow Truck
Jambo
Eventual PHS Division 1 2nd placegetter Jambo, Rob Carr and Stephanie Cook’s consistently well-performed Summit King 40, elected to go to the shore and then focused on the fickle favours the wind gods dispersed.
“We avoided the current and then hung on to the back of the faster boats to Corlette,” Carr explained. “Then we just concentrated on chasing the gusts and seemed to get a few of our own personal gusts with our new A1 spinnaker up.
“The A1 was the difference for us. Needless to say, the crew was very happy, with plenty of banter between the foredeck and back of the boat about how good a job they were individually doing,” he added.
Lake Macquarie boat Tow Truck , a Melges 32, secured the silverware in Division 1 from Jambo, with Seeking Alpha, the defending Commodores Cup holder securing third.
Michael Ritchie’s 38-footer took the honours in the Super 40 Class, with Ammonite, d’Albora Marinas Little Nico and Condor taking the line honours podium.
In Division 2 Jenny Danks and Greg O’Neill’s Sydney 36 King Tide made it two bullets from two outings, with Silver Lining and Absolut rounding out the podium.
It was a banner day for the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club crew capturing a rare triple – line honours, PHS and ORC Club honours.
“It’s not something that comes anyone’s way often,” a chuffed Danks admitted.
“Today we had a very average start with a light upwind leg against tide”, she said. “Most boats in the fleet worked up the channel with gusts that paid off from the shore and sometimes further out, with everyone having their moments.
“King Tide has been enjoying Sail Port Stephens for several years and we love the challenge of the variation of conditions that is generally on offer,” Danks enthused.
A fifth in Division 3 saw Adam Boslem’s Northshore 33 set the pace at the top of the overall divisional pointscore.
“We were looking forward to today’s race being a bit lighter to slow down the bigger boats with the waterline length,” Boslem said.
“Being one of the smaller boats in the division, it’s a lot harder off the start line, getting swamped by the bigger boats,” he revealed. “The biggest thing today was just to keep moving while searching for breeze and staying away from the sand banks which claimed a few victims.”
The Elliott 780 Blacksheep worked the tides to perfection to be top dog in Division 3 PHS for the day.
Stephen Phillps and his crew on Big Blue, a Beneteau 38 managed to avoid all the pitfalls of sandbars and wind holes to take out Division 4 by just nine seconds on corrected time from Max Wood’s Compass 38 Windwood.
In the Non-Spinnaker Division Sandy Hume’s Catalina 320 capitalised on being one of the smaller and lighter entries to turn the tables on her larger rivals who enjoyed the stronger breeze on Monday.
Wednesday is forecast to deliver more light winds but many crews would welcome the opportunity to tackle the longer but equally spectacular courses around the islands lying offshore from this premier sailing venue.
Sail Port Stephens is supported by the NSW Government tourism agency Destination NSW and Port Stephens Council.
Sail Port Stephens delivers a dream Day 1 for record fleet
A puffy 10-15 knot south-westerly breeze set the scene for a sparkling opening day of the 2026 Sail Port Stephens Commodores Cup Passage Series.
With 124 boats lining up for the spectacular downwind start off Nelson Bay breakwall, the big fleet was split into four manageable divisions. Division 1’s 28 entries featured an eclectic mix, from David Beck’s stately CNB 60 Journey to Peter Geddes’ well-known local flyer Road Runner, a Thompson 920.
But all tacticians attempted to maximise their boats’ tracks in the shifting breeze, around sandbars and on the tide-affected tight course inside Port Stephens’ magnificent natural harbour.
Absolut at the start
Namadgi
King Tide
Ca Va
Anarchy
Ammonite
Grant Pocklington’s Bakewell White 36 Anarchy from Pittwater got away cleanly in the leading pack and adroitly managed the subsequent various sail transitions to clinch first day PHS honours in Division 1.
For Pocklington it was a case of tapping into a store of knowledge – sailing and fishing.
“I’ve been up here game fishing for the past 20 years,” Pocklington reveals. “I know the sandbanks and the currents, that helps a lot,” he admits.
“We’ve done a lot of work on the boat to get the rig right,” he adds, also acknowledging it had been a two-year journey to get the New Zealand designed and built grand prix racer into its podium form.
“This is one of the great sailing courses in the world,” Pocklington adds. “You have wind, you have tide, you have physical obstacles you need to get around. It’s very challenging, but fantastic.”
Local knowledge is a major factor with Julian Bell’s Beneteau 51st Project and Ian Humphries’ Botin & Carkeek 42 Dirty Deeds from the Lake Macquarie Yacht Club slotting into second and third places. Linehonours went comfortably to Marcus Blackmore’s RP52 Ammonite.
Division 2 saw a tight battle between two Sydney boats, Jenny Danks and Greg O’Neill’s King Tide and Lee Haswley’s Andiamo, with King Tide prevailing.
In Division 3, Sail Port Stephens veteran Peter Lewis and his crew aboard Ca Va, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440, notched yet another win on their already impressive list. In a quirk that will take some repeating, Ca Va held out its bigger namesake CaVa, a Beneteau 50 from the Royal Motor Yacht Club.
“Today was just the perfect day out on Nelson Bay,” he relates. “After 19 years I never get sick of sailing here. We come together annually and see old friends and sail in one of Australia’s iconic destinations, in sunshine and surrounded by wildlife,” Lewis says. “How better to spend a week on your boat?”
The decent breeze proved to be the liking of Sweet Chariot, Sarah Breenan’s Dufour 365 Grand Large from the Gosford Sailing Club, while Namadgi 3 landed the first blow in the battle of the Bavarias in the non-spinnaker division.
After the day’s silverware was handed-out, the big Sail Port Stephens crowd was treated to a musical treat – a swinging performance by 80s Aussie rock icons GANGgajang.
With Tuesday’s forecast of an 8-knot breeze, crew are hoping for an instalment of the spectacular Round-the-Islands offshore passage racing that the regatta is renowned for.
Sail Port Stephens 2026 is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism agency Destination NSW, Port Stephens Council and subsidiary sponsors.
