Beneteau First 36 Completes Solo Tasman Challenge

After more than nine days alone at sea, Terry Dunn crossed the finish line at Southport in the early hours of Tuesday morning aboard Nautilass, a Beneteau First 36, completing the 2026 Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge.

Crossing the line in darkness at 4:47am NZST, Dunn completed the 1,362-nautical-mile passage from Opua in an elapsed time of 9 days, 16 hours, 41 minutes and 31 seconds. At the time of writing, he sat eighth overall on line honours and sixth on monohull PHRF handicap, with several competitors still making their way across the Tasman.

The result is impressive enough on its own. The story behind it is even more remarkable.  Just weeks before the race start, Dunn wasn't planning to cross the Tasman aboard a Beneteau First 36 at all. His original campaign centred around Marara, his Sparkman & Stephens 34. After spending three months preparing the yacht for the challenge, including pulling the mast, upgrading rigging and working through countless systems checks, the boat was nearly ready.

Then an Australian racing friend presented another opportunity. The friend owned Nautilass, a Beneteau First 36, and suggested Dunn use the boat for both the Solo Tasman and the Hamilton Island and Airlie Beach race circuit. On paper, it sounded like a great opportunity. In reality, it meant starting the entire preparation process again just weeks before the start.

The challenges came quickly. Nautilass required attention almost immediately, including issues with the mast crane that needed rectifying before the race. With the clock ticking down, Dunn effectively found himself rebuilding a race campaign from scratch.

He made the start line anyway. As the fleet headed east across the Tasman, Dunn kept in touch with 36° Brokers Sales Manager Robbs Hielkema, providing a rare glimpse into the realities of solo offshore racing.

The opening days delivered exactly what Tasman veterans would expect.

"First night was pretty fresh, so took everything down for about four hours and lay with it. Next day the breeze came in lovely, then slowly died to two knots. It was too hard on the sails so I took them down for another six hours."

The conditions offered little consistency and even less comfort. Despite the challenges, Dunn regularly found himself in close company with fellow competitors.

"Seem to keep meeting up with Catnip, again this morning, plus also Camellia. We are all heading west as there is a shift coming, but I can't hold the height because of banging so will just soak low. Looks good after that. Boat's going great, just need the chance to crack off a bit and let her run."

Watching from ashore, Hielkema followed the tracker closely. "It looks like you've done a great job of looking after the boat. I've been watching you every few hours mate. Keep up the good work. Slow and steady wins the race." - Robbs

As the race progressed, Dunn remained focused on preserving both boat and equipment rather than forcing the pace. 
"Don't know about loving the time, that might happen in a couple of weeks. Been mostly upwind and short seas. If I heel it over and drive it so it stops the banging, I might break something, so I just button off and do about five knots. Seems to work alright."

Those comments perhaps best capture the reality of solo ocean racing. While race trackers show positions and speeds, they rarely reveal the constant decision-making required to balance performance with preservation.

After several days of hard work to windward, a long-awaited weather change finally appeared. "Heading west now. Hopefully get through this next front tonight and the wind should go to the south. Then yippee yah hoo, Nautilass will show her heels."

Even in the middle of the Tasman, the race within the race continued. "Funny, I kept finding Catnip, then we would split, then a day later he's back again. We both headed west together, but I couldn't hold the height. Confident I'll catch him on the run."

As conditions improved, so too did the mood onboard. "Sunny and nice out here now."

For Hielkema, watching the race unfold from New Zealand was inspiring. "Amazing mate, awesome to hear from you. Keep up the good work. You're inspiring me to go for another adventure."

Now safely across the Tasman, Dunn's campaign aboard Nautilass stands as a testament to adaptability, determination and offshore seamanship. Few sailors would willingly change boats just weeks before the start of a major ocean race. Fewer still would go on to complete the crossing with such a strong result.

For the Beneteau First 36, the race was another demonstration of the model's capabilities offshore. For Terry Dunn, it was proof that even when plans change at the last minute, great adventures can still unfold. And after 1,362 nautical miles, plenty of upwind sailing, shifting weather systems and countless decisions made alone at sea, Nautilass and her skipper have earned a well-deserved arrival.

Read more on the Solo Transtasmin Race here!