Photo Caption: Rapido 60 Romanza at the start of the 2026 PIC Coastal Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. The crew went on to claim Multihull Handicap honours in exceptionally challenging light-wind conditions. Credit: 2026 PIC Coastal Classic, by Suellen Hurling / Live Sail Die
The Rapido 60, Romanza, skippered by Dougall Love, has won Multihull Handicap honours at New Zealand’s 2026 PIC Coastal Classic in New Zealand, finishing third overall across the line and second among the multihulls.
The 119-nautical-mile race from Auckland to Russell, held from Friday 23 October to 24 October, proved an extraordinary test of patience, perseverance and tactical judgement as competitors struggled with exceptionally light and inconsistent winds.
Of the 87 boats that started, only ten racing boats and six cruising rally entrants reached Russell before the 2pm Saturday deadline.
Romanza was among the successful finishers, crossing the line at 12:21pm on Saturday, after more than 26 hours at sea.
Finding the breeze
For Romanza, success came from maintaining momentum through the changing conditions and making the most of every opportunity.
Speaking after the race, skipper Dougall Love explained:
“We worked hard in this one to stay in pressure and connect the breeze patches. Was quite rewarding – and we also had a great crew who just kept going.”
With the breeze disappearing north of Kawau Island on Friday evening, many competitors were forced to retire. Those who continued faced a long night searching for wind.
The first boat to finish was the monohull Wired, which completed the course in 24 hours, 58 minutes and 25 seconds.
The catamaran Apache followed at 12:05:49pm on Saturday, taking multihull line honours, with Romanza crossing just over 15 minutes later in third place overall.
On corrected handicap time, however, Romanza claimed the Multihull Division 6 victory.
Dougall was equally pleased with his trimaran’s performance:
“The boat performed really well.”
Another Coastal Classic success
The result adds another chapter to Romanza’s successful history in the PIC Coastal Classic.
In 2024, Dougall Love and his crew claimed a clean sweep of honours, including overall line honours and first on handicap, completing the 119-nautical-mile course more than 10 hours faster in just 15 hours and 46 minutes.
That achievement was all the more remarkable because Romanza had interrupted her race to rescue six people aboard a disabled yacht drifting dangerously close to rocks.
Two years later, the challenge could hardly have been more different.
In 2024, Romanza battled strong headwinds, steep seas and difficult upwind conditions. In 2026, the challenge was finding enough wind to keep moving.
Yet both races ended with Romanza claiming multihull handicap honours.
A well-earned victory
With only ten racing boats completing the course within the time limit, simply reaching Russell was an achievement.
Photo: 2026 PIC Coastal Classic. By Suellen Hurling / Live Sail Die
For Dougall Love and his crew, finishing third across the line and securing the multihull handicap trophy made the effort particularly rewarding.
Congratulations to the entire Team Romanza crew on another outstanding result!
The PIC Coastal Classic is organised by the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club and is one of New Zealand’s best-known coastal yacht races.
Related Items
- PIC Coastal Classic Website
- Coastal Classic grinds to a halt as Another Duchess, Motorboat III and Diablo retire, Chris Woodhams, 23 Oct 2026, Boating New Zealand
- Photo Gallery for 2026 PIC Coastal Classic. By Suellen Hurling / Live Sail Die
- Romanza claims Victory and Line Honours in ePIC Coastal Classic 2024
- Rapido 60 web page
- Contact us – or email [email protected]
