Sean Langman's Back 2 Black has claimed IRC Overall honours in the 2026 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race after recovering from a difficult opening day to win the 384-nautical mile offshore classic.
The GP42 trailed the fleet early but fought back to defeat larger rivals, while Smuggler secured Line Honours after a dramatic overnight comeback. The race also produced an outstanding performance from double-handed crew Jules Hall and Alex Knight, whose Disko Trooper finished second overall on IRC and swept multiple handicap divisions.
Langman admitted his crew had endured a frustrating start.
"We had a tough day the first day. We didn't seem to be able to get out of our own way, sitting last for a while," he said.
He credited the GP42's light displacement and downwind speed for turning the race around.
"These boats are pretty light, they change gears well, and downwind, they hold their time."
Langman also praised navigator Belinda Tayler, the Braidwood family crew, Josh Alexander and the shore team before dedicating the victory to his late father, whose home was Southport.
Double-Handed Crew Overcomes Late Drama
Second overall went to Disko Trooper, whose remarkable campaign also earned victory in IRC Division 3, Corinthian IRC, Corinthian PHS, Double-Handed IRC and Double-Handed PHS.
Their race almost unravelled just five hours from the finish when a wave forced the boat into a round-up, wrapping the spinnaker several times around the forestay.
"The first thing that goes through your mind is we're so close to the finishing line... and we're about to chuck the whole thing in the bin," Hall said.
Instead of chasing victory, Hall and co-skipper Alex Knight concentrated on protecting second place.
"No shouting, no finger-pointing, just deal with it," Hall said.
Despite the scare, Hall described the race as "absolute champagne sailing", with bright moonlight, whales and dolphins accompanying the fleet offshore.
Ambition Completes IRC Podium
Chris and Lockie Dare's Ambition completed the IRC Overall podium in third after another close contest with Back 2 Black.
"It's great to race against Sean and his team," Chris Dare said.
"It was super tight racing. They managed to get away off the coast, and at one point it was just hard to peg them back."
Dare said the boat's performance in reaching and running conditions allowed it to match significantly larger yachts for much of the race.
Smuggler Finally Claims Line Honours
Earlier, Smuggler crossed the finish line first after overturning an early seven-mile deficit.
Skipper Tim Davis said an offshore tactical gamble left the boat trailing its rivals soon after the start.
"Before we knew it, we'd basically dropped seven miles behind on our main competitors, so we had a lot of work to do on the first night," he said.
The crew recovered to build a commanding lead, although Davis admitted leading the fleet brought its own tactical challenges.
Veteran tactician Steve McConaghy described the victory as the culmination of almost four decades of trying.
"I've been trying for nearly 40 years to win this on Line Honours, and finally got there," he said.
McConaghy credited smooth sail handling and an experienced crew for delivering the breakthrough victory.
The Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race forms part of the six-event Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, which concludes with the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on Boxing Day.
IRC Overall
Back 2 Black
Disko Trooper (DH)
Ambition
