Milford Cruising Club will host a new fixture on the sailing calendar this November, bringing together the Zephyr and Sunburst classes.
The PredictWind Matt Mitchell Memorial & Sunburst North Island Regatta runs from 20 to 22 November 2026, combining two distinct traditions under a name that carries real weight in New Zealand sailing.
Matt Mitchell was a three-time America's Cup winner, a passionate Zephyr sailor, and a former President of the Zephyr Owners' Association. Milford Cruising Club says it is honoured to host the inaugural memorial event named for him, and expects the racing to be hotly contested.
Anyone who has spent time around a Zephyr fleet knows the storytelling and camaraderie ashore afterwards will be no less competitive.
Running alongside it is the Sunburst North Island Regatta, a fixture with deeper roots. First held in 1982, it was long regarded as the premier event on the Sunburst calendar, until the class gained National Class status in 1994.
Sunburst crews will race for the Silver Sunburst, a trophy handcrafted by Brian Cato and presented to the regatta winner. It remains a much-coveted prize, with rivalry afloat expected to match the Zephyr contest, and no shortage of stories to be swapped ashore once the racing stops.
Friday 20 November opens with registration from 4pm, followed by an invitation or practice race in the late afternoon and evening, with the bar and barbecue running. Saturday 21 November brings registration and racing from 8am, with a possible cannon start, followed by food trucks and a live band that evening, bar and barbecue again in operation. Sunday 22 November wraps up with racing from 10.30am, followed by a barbecue and prizegiving, with the bar open throughout.
The Notice of Race is available on the Milford Cruising Club website.
Volunteers are wanted, both on and off the water, and anyone keen to help can email manager@milfordcruising.co.nz.
For one weekend in November, two eras of New Zealand small-boat sailing will share the same stretch of water.
