Back with a bang
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron to make a charge for the 2025 Admiral’s Cup.
Photography by Paul Wyeth Pictures
03 June 2025
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For this year’s edition of the iconic Admiral’s Cup, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) will be represented by Max Klink’s Caro, the Botin 52 that won the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race, alongside James Murray’s Callisto – a modified GP42.
Both boats have undergone cutting-edge upgrades and a top-tier sail programme under the watchful eye of Mike Sanderson and Ian Moore. Caro and Callisto form a formidable two-boat team representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
Teams from New Zealand have competed in seven editions of the Admiral’s Cup since 1971. However, it was not until 1987 that New Zealand recorded their one and only win with Propaganda, Goldcorp and Kiwi taking victory.
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Adrian Stead will be tactician on Max Klink’s Caro. At the 2025 IMA Maxi European Championship in late May, Adrian Stead spoke about the Admiral’s Cup.
Stead has competed at least four times for the Admiral’s Cup. In 1999, he was on board Mumm 36 Barlow Plastics, the highest scoring boat with four race wins. In 2003, Stead was part of the Royal Price Alfred YC team, winning the Admiral’s Cup under the Australian flag.
With deep admiration for the Cup’s heritage, Adrian Stead says that the RNZYS team are relishing the chance to take on some of the world’s best in this prestigious event:
“After a 22-year hiatus it is great to see the Admiral’s Cup back with a bang,” commented Stead.
“I grew up in the UK with the Admiral’s Cup as the premier offshore event and it was always dubbed the unofficial world championship of offshore sailing. I hope we get back to that and that title gets given back to it. I think the enthusiasm at the moment, where we see there’s 15 teams is amazing.
“With 30 top boats, it’s going to be a really good regatta, which is fantastic. As a professional sailor there’s a lot of pride that an event like this can come back. If we can make the event work, then even better. Hopefully there’ll be events like the Sardinia Cup reappearing as well. The format of the Admiral’s Cup is great for owners to focus on, because it is not just purely windward leeward racing, it’s a balance of inshore and offshore racing.”
Adrian Stead focuses on the team aspect of the Admiral’s Cup and what it will take to lift the trophy. “There are some very strong teams competing. However, a team’s results are only going to be as good as the best and worst of your races; and you’ve just got to be consistent.
“The Channel Race has double points and the Fastnet triple points, neither can be discarded, so they are very important, but if you are finishing 14th or so for the inshore races it is very unlikely that you will win the Admiral’s Cup. Also, you have to be good across all the weather conditions that are thrown out and the regatta is going to be raced over 10 days, so who knows what we will get? So, consistency will be the key.”
The RORC IRC Nationals will take place in the Solent from 13 to 15 June and two thirds of the Admiral’s Cup fleet are expected to be racing. The championship does not count towards the Admiral’s Cup but it will be the first big inshore test for the Admiral’s Cup contenders.
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