The Yacht Racing Forum, widely regarded as the leading conference for professional sailing, returns to Amsterdam on 20 and 21 November 2025. Its timing is deliberate, coinciding with the closing day of METSTRADE, the world's largest marine equipment exhibition and a significant fixture for the global boating industry.
Now in its 15th edition, the Forum continues to bring together the sport's designers, engineers, sailors, and event organisers for two days of debate about the commercial and technical future of yacht racing. Close to 300 delegates from 28 nations attended the 2024 gathering, and organisers are anticipating an even stronger turnout this time around.
The headline act on the final day will be Sir Russell Coutts. Few figures command the same authority in international yacht racing: the New Zealand sailor's record includes Olympic gold, five America's Cup victories, and his current role leading SailGP. His keynote is set to cover the evolution of high-performance racing, SailGP's expansion across global markets, and the ways in which commercial viability and environmental responsibility are increasingly reshaping the sport's direction. His appearance speaks to how deeply New Zealand's influence runs through the upper levels of the game, from Emirates Team New Zealand's technical ambitions to SailGP's commitments around renewable energy and crew diversity.
Day 1 opens with Bruno Dubois, whose career has taken in Team France, SailGP, and the Volvo Ocean Race, delivering the first keynote address. A plenary session follows, featuring Shirley Robertson alongside World Sailing CEO David Graham, framed around the question: "What future for the sport of sailing?"
The afternoon moves into a Design and Technology Symposium covering ground central to the marine industry's direction. Topics include advances in sustainable composites and their recyclability, inclusive and accessible boat design, aerodynamic modelling around heel and upwash, and next-generation power systems spanning hydrogen, lithium, and LNG technologies.
Day 2 turns its attention to event management, pathways connecting elite and grassroots participation, and lessons drawn from the Vendée Globe 2024-25. The day closes with Coutts taking the stage and the announcement of the Yacht Racing Image of the Year award.
The list of confirmed participants reflects the Forum's broad reach across professional sailing. Representatives from SailGP, The Ocean Race, the IMOCA Class, and the Admiral's Cup will all be present, joined by the Forum's new title partner, Amaala Yacht Club. Situated on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast as part of the Red Sea Global development, Amaala Yacht Club is scheduled to host The Ocean Race in 2027. Its leaders, Rosanna Chopra and Adrian Peet, will present the project's sustainability vision to delegates. Long-standing Forum supporter 1080 Media TV joins this year as official production partner, providing coverage across marine and sports networks worldwide.
For New Zealand's marine sector, the overlap with METSTRADE carries particular value. The Amsterdam trade show is already an important platform for Kiwi exporters, and the Forum provides a natural continuation of those conversations. With brands such as Gurit, Beneteau, and Spinlock among those participating, and with Coutts anchoring the programme, the event reinforces its standing as the international gathering point for racing innovation, whether the subject is foil technology, composite materials, governance, or sustainability.
For the New Zealand sailing community, the Forum is further evidence that Kiwis remain active voices in shaping where the sport heads next, on the water, in the boardroom, and in the boatyard.
