Aussies in Admiral’s
The Australian flag will fly proud on Zen and Back 2 Black during the Admiral’s Cup to be held in Cowes from the Isle of Wight from 17 July to 1 August.
Photography by CYCA
03 June 2025
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After a 22-year hiatus, the regatta, regarded as the unofficial world championship of offshore racing, is back on the offshore sailing calendar.
The Royal Ocean Racing Club event is comprised of offshore and inshore races and will culminate with the 100th anniversary of the 625 nautical mile Rolex Fastnet Race on 26 July.
Zen and Back 2 Black will team up against 28 other yachts from Germany, the USA, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Monaco, France, Estonia and Italy.
Gordon Ketelbey, owner and Skipper of Zen, and Sean Langman, owner and Skipper of Back 2 Black, have a huge task ahead to defend Australia’s hold on the Cup.
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Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats and Colin O’Neil’s Aftershock won the Cup when it was last held in 2003.
Zen team members Gordon Ketelbey, Shane Guanaria and Margot Van der Poel and Back 2 Black’s Sean Langman and Josh Alexander told CYCA media they were on track with less than two months to go until the big event.
Gordon Ketelbey commented, “It all sounded a little far-fetched and way out there, but it actually came to fruition.
“I stuck my hand up and said, ‘We are available to do the Admiral’s Cup.’ And fortunately, the CYCA decided that’s what they wanted.
“And here we are, the official Australian entry to the Admiral’s Cup.”
Shane Guanaria added, “The last step in our boat modifications was to refinish the bottom of the boat, which is unbelievable.
“Noakes Group has done an amazing job. It’s been a true team effort to take Zen from where it was 18 months ago, turning it into the boat it is now and then to get it on a ship to Europe.”
Team mate, Margot Van der Poel said, “It’s great to see that they are pushing for more women to come on these yachts.
“I see a lot of enthusiasm for women entering the sport and boat owners attracting great sailors to come on board. I’m very proud to be part of a team that sees me as a team member regardless of if I’m a woman or a man.”
Aboard Back 2 Black, Sean Langman explained, “I decided if I did the Rolex Fastnet again, it would be more with a view to win the race and do very well, rather than just sail the course as we do with Maluka.
“This time we’re hoping to be a little bit better, and that they won’t be packing the tents up when we arrive like the last time.”
Josh Alexander chimed in, “Sean and I have done around 12 Hobarts together on different boats. Our dynamic is our friendship.
“The Solent is a tough place to go sailing – there’s a lot of tide,” Alexander said. “And you need smart people at the back end of the boat to make sure it’s going through.”
“We’re here to give it our best shot. We’re going fully armed, with the biggest gun we’ve got.”
See the Admiral’s Cup entries here.
The CYCA will keep you informed on the progress of our teams during the event, providing race updates on the CYCA website and social media pages.
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