Lucky joins fleet for Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race

Lucky at the start of the RORC Transatlantic Race © Sailing Energy

A new international player has emerged as a threat in October's Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race (S2A) sponsored by Harken, as US yachtsman Bryon Ehrhart has entered his Juan Kouyoumdjian 88 designed Lucky, the envy of boat owners world-wide with a slew of line honours, overall wins and race records to her name.

The benchmark race record for the S2A stands at 5 days, 3 hours, 37 minutes, 57 seconds. It was set by Geoff Hill's Santa Cruz 72, Antipodes, in the inaugural race in 2023.

Uhrhart is representing New York Yacht Club and is looking forward to the race: "Lucky is very much looking forward to joining the race to Auckland from Sydney and thanks to the yacht club (Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club) for organising such an interesting race," he said.

"We have looked at this race since its inauguration a few years ago and really wanted to do it."

Has the American been to Australia before?

"Early in my racing development, 30 years ago, I took a week-long race crew training course in Sydney and have great memories and thanks for the foundation it gave me to crew on boats back in the U.S," Uhrhart responded.

Lucky on her way to a new record in the RORC Transatlantic Race - photo © Sailing Energy

Lucky's main game will be Grant Wharington's 100ft Wild Thing from Queensland. While Wharington's boat has the footage on Lucky, her new rig was added in recent times, so this race will be a baptism of fire of sorts, as it is 1250 nautical miles, the longest fully crewed race out of Australia.

However, Wharington has relished plenty of offshore successes over a lot of years. Line honours abound with his previous yachts, including podium line and overall results with this 100 footer, though she was bearing a smaller rig at the time.

In 2025 alone, Lucky (formerly Rambler 88), took monohull line honours in the RORC Transatlantic Race, setting a new record of 7d 20h 34m 41s, beating Comanche's 2022 record by 1h 25m. She took monohull line honours in the Caribbean 600 and won the Barn Door Trophy as first monohull to finish the Transpac Race, with the fastest elapsed time in Barn Door history of 5d 21h 23m 49s.

Ehrhart, from Chicago, began his international ocean-racing projects in 2006 with a TP52, ahead of moving up to a Reichel/Pugh 63, then upgraded to a Maxi 72 and in 2023 bought the Juan K 88 footer. All he christened 'Lucky' and no doubt luck has played a small part in his sailing successes, as it does for most.

While Ehrhart will experience his first major ocean race out of Sydney Harbour, it won't be Lucky's first rodeo, as George David brought the yacht Down Under for the 2015 Rolex Sydney Hobart. She finished third over the line after a battle for the lead with Comanche and Ragamuffin 100.

Comanche took line honours, so it came down to a match race for second with Ragamuffin. The two raced from Tasman Island, neck-and-neck, Rambler leading the charge, till a dig to the shore near the Hobart finish line cost the 88 footer and she finished just four minutes adrift of her adversary.

Respected Kiwi sailor Brad Butterworth was aboard in 2015, as were helmsman Joca Signorini (BRA), crew boss Dean Phipps (NZL) and trimmer, Will McCarthy (AUS). The remainder of international team they call 'a collaboration', includes navigator Juan Vila (ESP) and pitman Rodney Daniel (AUS).

Butterworth, the tactician, is a four-time America's Cup winner, adding to wins at the Admiral's and Kenwood Cups, Whitbread Round the World Race and more.

Thanks to Ehrhart, Lucky has a program for youth sailors. There will be up to four accompanying them shoreside for the race, trained by Shore Manager, Daniel Hedges. There are normally four to six at a time and the criteria is they must be under 30 years old and hold a US passport.

"The success of this program is that the youths move into other ocean racing ventures after their time with Lucky. The idea is to give them a stepping stone," Hedges says of the youths who at some point get to sail on the yacht.

Following the S2A race, Lucky will stay in New Zealand to contest the Pic Coastal Classic, when there will be three to four youths aboard, before returning to Australia for the 80th Sydney Hobart.

Built in 2014 as Rambler 88, Lucky was designed to joust with 100 footers for line and overall wins and race records. She loves to let loose on a good reach and is described as a 'reaching monster', so the S2A will likely play to her strengths. A new record on the cards?

The Juan Kouyoumdjian 27 metre design is a sophisticated all carbon, all canting yacht with long daggerboards and a deep chine and Ehrhart has done work to the yacht since he owned her.

A biannual race now in its second edition, the S2A starts at 1pm on 11 October, 2025 on Sydney Harbour. Entries in the RPAYCs race, co-hosted by New Zealand's Royal Akarana Yacht Club (RAYC), are still open, so don't miss out.

For all information, including entry and Notice of Race, please visit: www.sydneytoauckland.com

For enquiries regarding the race, please contact Race Director, Nick Elliott on +61 2 9998-3700 or email: