The stage was set well in advance for the third round of the VSC’s WaveGP Winter Series, with a crisp and cool northwesterly breeze forecast for the day’s racing. With a few regular helms unable to make the event, it was seven of the greats who hit the water for seven action-packed, drama-filled, high-intensity races.
With target race times of just ten minutes, the margin for error was razor thin—every manoeuvre, sail trim and tactical decision counted. On these simple and evenly matched boats, it was pure sailor versus sailor, and the racing was tighter than ever.
With seven races and seven competitors locked in, it was all but guaranteed there’d be some movement on the overall leaderboard. Jocelyn was once again sailing with Bec, and the rest of the fleet included Andrew, Matthew, Paul, Dobbo, Adrian, and Paddy, who had Lottie on the helm.
In shifty, tricky and patchy nor’westerlies, consistency was key. Adding spice to the mix, a wide range of mainsails were in use: the original tattered VSC sails, the crisp North sails from RPAYC, and the new Seabreeze McKenzie sails. With sailors swapping boats each race, WaveGP continues to prove that, with equal gear and round robin formats, the final results come down to nothing but sailor skill.
Andrew opened the day with a clean win, followed by Lottie & Paddy in second—an impressive debut for Lottie, who now climbs to second on the Grom Squad leaderboard. Dobbo snuck in for third, beating his arch-rival Adrian to the line.
Matthew took over from Lottie & Paddy and delivered a masterclass to win the heat ahead of Dobbo and Paul. Andrew suffered at the hands of Adrian, buried at the top mark and slipping to fifth.
Lottie & Paddy nailed their first win of the series, with Lottie trimming the mainsheet to perfection. Matthew came second, with Andrew returning to form in third.
Race 14 of the series overall. Adrian capitalised on a beautiful inshore lift to claim victory, ahead of Andrew—and most importantly, ahead of Dobbo.
Lottie scored her first bullet on the helm, taking over from Paddy on the downwind leg to seal the win. Matthew came in second, Adrian third.
Back in business, Andrew took the win in ultra-light conditions. MB moved the finish to the top mark to maintain the time limit. Lottie (helm) & Paddy (trim) crossed the line in second, with Paul only a boat length behind in third.
A downwind start brought extra spice. According to photos—and eye-witness reports from superyachts moored nearby—it was the most chaotic and entertaining race of the day.
Matthew and Paul traded places repeatedly, Adrian crashed into Dobbo, and Lottie steered masterfully to avoid the pile-up. While the “silly old boys” rounded the port gate mark together (resulting in a mess), Lottie & Paddy took the smarter line around the starboard gate.
In the final sprint to the line, Paul edged out Lottie & Paddy by half a boat length, with Andrew, Matthew, Dobbo, and Adrian following close behind.
Special Mentions & Announcements
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Huge thanks to everyone who showed up and raced this weekend.
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Massive shout out to Matthew and Andrew, who supplied gourmet sausages from the new Mountainside Meats Craft Butchery, now open in the Vincentia Shopping Village.
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We’re thrilled to announce that Matthew McKenzie and the Vincentia Shopping Village have officially sponsored the first of six new mainsails to be used in the inaugural Hobie Wave State Championships (Sept 2025), as well as future Wave racing and winter series events. These sails will also travel with the VSC Waves to regattas across the country.
Next Up
The final round of the WaveGP Winter Series will take place on Sunday, 3rd August, with presentation to follow immediately after racing. Come down and help wrap up what has been an epic series of winter fun on the water.
