Pahi returns to the PIC Coastal Classic with an international crew
By Suellen Hurling
After more than three decades of ownership and “a dozen or so” Coastal Classic races, Mark Taylor and his Stewart 34, Pahi, are preparing to return to the start line with a crew that brings together old friends, international visitors and two generations of Coastal Classic sailors.
Mark estimates that Pahi has completed at least a dozen editions of the race, although he admits the exact number is buried somewhere in the boat’s records, neither he nor his regular crew can remember the true figure. This year’s campaign marks something of a renaissance for the yacht, which has not contested the Coastal Classic for seven years.The catalyst for the comeback came from across the Tasman.
Sydney sailors Jan Scholten and Steve Parker are joint owners of the Stewart 34 Panchax, which they race regularly out of Avalon Sailing Club on Pittwater. They are flying to Auckland specifically to compete aboard Pahi in their first PIC Coastal Classic.
While the Stewart 34 connection is obvious, the campaign has its roots in the 30-year friendship between Jan and regular Pahi crew member Al Robertson, who both work for Contender Sailcloth.
Despite never having sailed a Coastal Classic, Jan has extensive offshore experience, having competed in around 21 Sydney Hobart Yacht Races. Ten years ago, he and Steve also raced Panchax to Performance Handicap honours in the Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race.
When asked why he wanted to contest the Coastal aboard a Stewart 34, Jan replied with one simple statement:
“The Coastal is iconic.”
“My wife and I fell in love with New Zealand when we rode the Tour Aotearoa cycle route through the country. New Zealand is a special place, the Coastal is a special race, and sailing with a lifelong friend makes it even more special,” Jan said, referring to his friendship with Al and the 30 years they have worked alongside one another.
The Australian contingent will join a crew with deep connections to both Pahi and the race. Mark and Al have sailed the boat for many years, while Jeff Evans, who has sailed with them for more than three decades, is returning especially for the event. Rod Jensen will also be aboard with his son Andrew, adding a second-generation Coastal Classic sailor to the team.
And Pahi is a special kind of Stewart 34.
Mark will be clipping Pahi’s removable prod back onto the bow and dusting off the reaching sails that have spent much of their time in storage since the boat’s previous Coastal Classic campaigns. The crew is particularly keen to hoist the A1 reaching sail on the way north, although their first task was remembering exactly how all the equipment fitted together.
“We had to go out for a shakedown sail so we could work out how to put it on the boat,” Mark laughed.There is plenty of history behind their anticipation. Mark recalls the wild 2012 edition of the race, footage of which appeared in a video titled Coastal Classic 2012 Start - Carnage!! Amid scenes of boats crashing through rough water, Pahi can be seen planing at speed and throwing spray across what Mark describes as “half the ocean”.
It is the kind of moment that captures both the challenge and exhilaration of the race, and helps explain why Mark and Pahi keep returning, albeit with a few years off in between.
This year, however, the Pahi crew know they are in for a much slower race. That should leave plenty of time to talk and catch up, making this PIC Coastal Classic part reunion, part international adventure and part revival of a much-loved boat’s racing career.
The 2026 edition of the PIC Coastal Classic kicks off on Friday 23 October from 0930 with the best vantage points being from Devonport Wharf, North Head, or on a spectator boat on the water.
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