Daddy Cool, a 79er from Mornington YC, leads the fleet home in the 2026 Marlay Point Overnight Race
by Di Floyd 8 Mar 23:25 PDT
7-8 March 2026
2026 Marlay Point Overnight Race © Chloe Smith Photography
The 2026 Marlay Point Overnight Race was successfully held over the weekend of 7-8 March, attracting 114 entrants from across Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and South Australia.
Five boats withdrew prior to the start, but every boat that started successfully finished the race, highlighting both favourable conditions and strong seamanship among competitors. The final boat, Flinders 7.8 FL78 sailed by David Marrable, crossed the finish line at 9:26 am on Sunday morning.
For the first time in the event's history spectators were able to follow the progress of the fleet through live tracking on the SailPro app. This new feature allowed family members, supporters, and sailing enthusiasts to monitor boats in real time throughout the overnight race, adding an exciting new dimension for those watching from home or around the Gippsland Lakes.
Division Results:
Division A (47 boats)
Line Honours: Adams 21 Pathfinder - sailed by Peter Taylor (Canberra Yacht Club)
Handicap Winner: Bonito 22 This Way Up - sailed by Jack Felsenthal (SSCBC)
2nd Place: Ultimate 23 Uptown Girl - sailed by Adam Erickson (Lake Bunga)
3rd Place: Explorer 16 Marina - sailed by Ryan Wilcox (Merricks)
Division B (17 boats)
Line Honours: Young 77 Possum - sailed by Andrew Stamp (Melbourne)
Handicap Winner: Seaway 25 Pippin - sailed by Hendrik Hoogendoorn (Hastings Yacht Club)
2nd Place: Young 77 Possum - sailed by Andrew Stamp (Melbourne)
3rd Place: RL 24 DK Big Deal - sailed by Matthew Francis (Canberra Yacht Club)
Division C (33 boats)
Line Honours: Ross 830 The Other Woman - sailed by Stephen Edmunds (Sandringham Yacht Club)
Handicap Winner: Elliott 5.9 Broken Blade - sailed by Jake Newman (Royal Geelong Yacht Club)
2nd Place: Spider 24 MkI Biteme - sailed by Trevor Golding (Canberra Yacht Club)
3rd Place: Castle 650 Pipalini - sailed by Mitch Bayliss (Melbourne Trailable Yacht Club)
Division D (4 boats)
Line Honours, Handicap Winner and First Boat Home overall: 79er Daddy Cool - sailed by Stuart Schafer (Mornington Yacht Club) in 5 hours 31 minutes
2nd Place: Thompson 8 Trot-On - sailed by Graeme Alexander (Mornington Yacht Club)
3rd Place: Delphia 24s Joker at Work - sailed by Grant Chipperfield (Mornington Yacht Club)
Division M (Multihulls - 8 boats)
Line Honours: Farrier F9RX The Stig - sailed by Terry O'Brien (LMYC)
Handicap Winner: Ostac Tramp Sol Man - sailed by Colin Andrew (Altona Yacht Club)
2nd Place: Ostac Tramp Tri Hard - sailed by Brian Harrison (Newcastle Hunter Trailer Yacht Association)
3rd Place: Farrier F9RX The Stig - sailed by Terry O'Brien (LMYC)
Participation diversity continued to grow in the 2026 race. Four all-female teams competed, an increase from just one when the category was first introduced the previous year.
1st All-Female Team: Explorer 16 Swallow - sailed by Sue Burke (Hobsons Bay Yacht Club / WSC). This team also won the category in 2025.
2nd: Castle 650 Qui - sailed by Kate Middleton (Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club)
3rd: Bonito 22 Who RAAH - sailed by Anna Brazier (Scout group)
Marg Goddard, skipper of the fourth all-female crew, was awarded the Oldest Sailor Prize.
The event also showcased strong family and youth involvement:
- 14 junior sailors under 18 participated
- 68 female sailors were on board across the fleet
- 26 boats entered in the short-handed category (two persons on board)
- Many boats were sailed by family crews
While participation was broad, no all-youth crews (under 25) entered this year.
The organising clubs were strongly represented, with 15 boats from Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club and 7 from Lake Wellington Yacht Club. The Hartley 16 class continued its remarkable tradition of participation, having competed in every Marlay Point race since the event began in 1969.
Generous sponsors contributed numerous prizes that were presented both before and after the race. The Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club was filled to capacity for the Sunday presentation ceremony, bringing together competitors, supporters, and volunteers to celebrate another successful Marlay Point Overnight Race.
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