SPS kicks off
Competitive racing got underway in Port Stephens as the 2026 Commodores Cup began in testing but rewarding conditions for the opening passage race.
14 April 2026
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A south-westerly breeze of 10–15 knots provided ideal racing conditions for the opening day of the 2026 Sail Port Stephens Commodores Cup Passage Series.
A record fleet of 124 boats started off the Nelson Bay breakwall in a downwind send-off, before being split into four divisions. Division 1, comprising 28 entries, featured a broad mix of yachts, including David Beck’s CNB 60 Journey and Peter Geddes’ Thompson 920 Road Runner.
Crews faced challenging inshore conditions, with a variable breeze, shallow sandbanks and strong tidal influences testing navigation and tactical decisions inside Port Stephens.
Grant Pocklington’s Bakewell White 36 Anarchy (Pittwater) meanwhile made a strong start among the front group, handling multiple sail changes efficiently to take out Division 1 honours on PHS.
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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 said.
“I know the sandbanks and the currents, that helps a lot.”
He also revealed: “We’ve done a lot of work on the boat to get the rig right,” 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 added.
You have wind, you have tide, you have physical obstacles you need to get around. It’s very challenging, but fantastic.”
Julian Bell’s Beneteau 51st Project and Ian Humphries’ Botin & Carkeek 42 Dirty Deeds from the Lake Macquarie Yacht Club then slotted into second and third places, with line honours going 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 said.
“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 added. “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 Sail Port Stephens crowd was also treated to a musical 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.
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