TRANSPAC 2025: The Winners, The Legends, and the Long Blue Road
Two earlier ceremonies took place at Waikiki Yacht Club (July 15) and Hawaii Yacht Club (July 17), but this was the big one — a gathering of salt-streaked legends and soaked heroes.
Fastest to Honolulu
That honour, and the mighty Barn Door Trophy, went to Lucky, Bryon Ehrhart’s 88ft Juan K rocket sled. She did the job in 6 days, 6 hours, 23 minutes and 50 seconds — powered winches, movable ballast, and relentless pace.
Conventional monohull speedster
That was Fast Exit II, John Raymont’s Ker 52, clocking in at 7 days, 15 hours, 39 minutes and 39 seconds — and earning the Merlin Trophy.
Top corrected-time prize — the coveted King Kalakaua Trophy
That went to Restless, Alli Bell’s Cal 40, with a corrected time of 8d 12h 5m 49s — and in doing so, Bell made history as the first woman skipper in Transpac’s 119-year run to win the overall handicap prize.
It didn’t stop there. Bell’s team also scooped the Aloha Class top prize, the Jensen-Lapworth Trophy (fastest Cal 40), and dominated Bridger Insurance Division 9. It was a masterclass from stem to stern.
Second overall corrected went to Jack Jennings’ Pied Piper, earning the Skip Warren Memorial, while Fast Exit II pocketed the Tureen Trophy for third.
Other notables:
Arsenal (J/125) took Garmin Division 6 and the Clark Sweet Trophy.
Macondo and Insoumise battled it out in Pasha Division 8.
BadPak won Boatswain’s Locker Division 1.
Fast Exit II cleaned up Mount Gay Division 2.
Pied Piper took Whittier Trust Division 3.
Aimant de Fille came out on top in Cal Maritime Division 4.
Westerly beat the SC52 fleet in Cabrillo Division 5.
Rahan, the stripped Beneteau First 36 doublehanded by Courouble and Devanneaux, took Suntex Division 7 — and also bagged the Jobson Leukemia Trophy for first doublehanded finisher.
Convexity2, Don Wilson’s Gunboat 68, dominated Division 10 and won the Rudy Choy Perpetual for fastest multihull.
Every division winner took home a Garmin quatix 7 Marine Smartwatch and a bottle of Mount Gay Black Barrel rum — not a bad way to toast the crossing.
Special Awards:
Bolt earned the all-amateur crew prize, the Edmund Grant Trophy.
Zimmer, skippered by Samantha Gebb, took the Don Clothier Trophy for top under-49’ racer/cruiser.
Heroic Heart earned the Ilio Aukai Trophy for oldest crew average age.
Rhiannon, skippered by Stacy Sinclair, won both the Pacific High (furthest north) and Tail-End Charlie (last finisher) trophies.
Crusade, Groundhog Day, and Macondo formed Team MDR Fenders Out and took the Kenwood IOR Cup for top team performance.
Navigators weren’t forgotten either. Offshore strategy still matters in this satellite age:
Stan Honey (on Lucky) won the Ben Mitchell for fastest elapsed.
Graham Bell (on Restless) won the Chuck Ullman for fastest corrected.
Top divisional nav trophies went to Matt Wachowicz (Pied Piper), Randy Smith (Aimant de Fille), Chris Busch (Westerly), Ben Allen (Arsenal), and more.
And let’s raise a glass to Django Tomlinson, who claimed the prestigious Mark S. Rudiger Celestial Navigation Trophy — old-school stars and sextant navigation aboard Cal Maritime-Oaxaca. There’s still a place for dead reckoning in the digital age.
Best onboard media? That went to Andreas, a Norseman 447 skippered by Bernt Helgass, with standout video work from crewmember Lizzie Easter. The Ronald L. Burla Trophy never looked so deserved.
And finally, behind the scenes: Janet Kelley was honoured with the Clare Lang Trophy for outstanding service as part of the Honolulu Committee — proof that these races are won both at sea and ashore.
From brand-new maxis to ocean-worn cruisers, from sextants to Starlink, Transpac 2025 delivered classic drama and quiet triumph. Some crossed fast, some crossed last — but every boat that made it to Diamond Head did something extraordinary.
Now, it’s back to the docks, the barstools, and the boatyards. But make no mistake — the Pacific will be calling again soon.