SAILING - MAJOR EVENTS

In addition to the Squadron’s full calendar of regular competitions and club racing series, the RNZYS also hosts several major annual events.

These include match racing and fleet racing events, World and National Championships, as well as events that all club sailors can get involved in with their own boats.

With a well-organised and vastly experienced race management team, a spectacular sailing location and off-water facilities to match, the RNZYS provides a peerless choice of venue for major sailing events.

The RNZYS Corporate Regatta in early November is arguably the Squadron’s biggest event of the year.

The event features an invigorating afternoon of sailing, offering individuals and businesses the unique opportunity of a day competing with some of New Zealand’s best sailing talent.

This is one of the few events in the sailing world where you can find inexperienced sailors sailing shoulder to shoulder with Olympic medallists and America’s Cup winners.

Many of New Zealand’s top businesses are also there, appreciating the “win-win” chance that this regatta provides of hosting valued staff members or key clients for an afternoon of fun while at the same time benefitting a great and worthwhile cause.

A feast of international cuisine starting with prerace canapés on the deck and a plentiful supply of wine, beer and soft drinks help make this a day to remember.

The “après sail” lasts long into the night with live music and entertainment, and a live auction with some unique items and experiences that money can in fact buy, but only if the bid is a good one!

All funds raised from this event will support the Kawau Tree Planting and Reforestation Project – planting over 12,000 trees which will increase native birdlife on the island and the RNZYS International Sailing Fund that helps our most talented club sailors take their yachting careers to the international stage. If you want to purchase tickets, provide a boat or auction items - get in touch via: reception@rnzys.org.nz

The Harken New Zealand Match Racing Championship sees up to 20 teams featuring some of New Zealand’s best sailors as well as international teams competing on identical Elliott 7 metre keelboats in a match racing event to determine the National Champions.

The Harken Youth International Match Racing Championships are held in February and encompasses 14 youth match racing teams from yacht clubs all around the world. Teams must be under the age of 23 in accordance with the World Sailing Youth Match Racing requirements.

The Mastercard RNZYS Youth Training Programme and RNZYS Performance Programme always have a couple of teams taking part, with other teams from America, Australia, New Caledonia and other countries all over the world sending their best youth teams to take part. This event is always a great showcase of the rich vein of youth sailing talent that is present in the world today.

Two days of intense keelboat racing in the MRX Yachting Fleet of Farr MRX Keelboats, on Auckland’s world famous Waitemata Harbour. Two full days of Windward Leeward racing with some of the best Keelboat racers the country has to offer.

Barfoot & Thompson NZ Women’s Keelboat National Championship

This is the Women’s Keelboat Nationals and includes two full days of Windward Leeward and Harbour racing. Always tightly contested with teams old and new, young and old. The winning team are crowned NZ Women’s National Keelboat Champions!

A match racing regatta just for the ladies, with the winning team crowned National Champions. This event attracts high calibre female teams from all over the world to compete in a top-quality match racing event in the Squadron’s fleet of Elliott 7 keelboats.

The Harken National Secondary Schools Keelboat Championship attracts secondary school aged sailing teams from all over New Zealand to compete in the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadrons fleet of Elliott 7 Keelboats. Always sold out with 20 teams, this event includes three days of fleet racing. This event is a great feeder for the RNZYS Mastercard Youth Training Programme, with many competing teams going on to have successful sailing careers.

Held in June, the City of Sails Auckland Regatta is one of the highlights of the sailing year, not only in the City of Sails, but the whole of New Zealand.

A joint initiative between the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Bucklands Beach Yacht Club, it features two days of racing including windwardleeward sprints and longer harbour courses.

The social side of the regatta is equally important, with a party on the Saturday night and a prize-giving at the conclusion of the event on the Sunday.