Murrays Bay Sailing Club is about to get busy. From this weekend, nearly 100 of New Zealand's best young sailors descend on Auckland's North Shore, all chasing something bigger than silverware: a place on the 2026 NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Team.
The 2026 PredictWind New Zealand Youth Championships run from 26-29 September, with 96 sailors entered across seven classes. There's more than a national title at stake. The regatta doubles as the official selection trial for the World Sailing Youth Sailing World Championships, to be held in Vilamoura, Portugal, from 15-19 December.
Winners in the 29er, ILCA 6, 420 and iQFOiL classes, both male and female, will earn eligibility for that Youth Worlds team. Waszp and wingfoil sailors have also been invited to race, even though neither discipline features on the Youth Worlds programme. It's the first time Waszp has appeared at the event at all.
There's real form behind this year's fleet. New Zealand sent a 13-strong squad to last year's Youth Worlds in Portugal and came home with three medals. Toby Wigglesworth took silver in the boys' kitefoil. Tessa Clinton and Amelia Higson claimed bronze in the girls' 420, and Cam Brown and Oli Stone matched them with bronze in the boys' 420.
"We're really looking forward to seeing a strong fleet of young sailors test themselves at our pinnacle domestic youth event of the year," said Yachting New Zealand's Athlete Development Manager, Geoff Woolley.
"Sailors and coaches have put in a lot of great work throughout the year, and the Youth Trials are a chance to put that into practice under pressure. While the opportunity to earn selection and represent New Zealand is an important part of the event, equally valuable is having a strong fleet racing together at a high level. Domestic training and racing is the foundation of the youth programme, and we want to keep building on that momentum throughout the summer season."
A good number of last year's team are back. 29er pairings Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley, and Will Leech and Will Mason, return to defend their spots. Higson has swapped boats too, moving into the skiff alongside Stone, and joining fellow 420 graduates Greta Hutton and Nelsen Meacham in the 29er fleet.
The ILCA 6 sees Tom Pilkington and Chloe Turner back in the same class they represented the country in last year. Ben Rist steps into the iQFOiL 8m division, bringing genuine Youth Worlds experience into what looks like a deep and competitive national field.
Numbers-wise, the 29er fleet is the biggest turnout with 14 crews. Twenty-one sailors have entered the ILCA 6, nine crews will race the 420, and there are five entries apiece in the two iQFOiL divisions. The Waszp class, new to the regatta, has drawn 10 sailors. Seven wingfoilers round out the entry list.
Woolley also had praise for those working behind the scenes.
"We're incredibly thankful for the support of our highly experienced race management team, jury and fantastic volunteers," he said. "Murrays Bay Sailing Club has already put a huge amount of work into the event, and we're looking forward to delivering a great week of racing."
Racing gets underway on Saturday 26 September, after an 11am competitors' briefing, with multiple courses set up off Murrays Bay. For nearly 100 sailors, it's the last hurdle before Portugal.
