World Sailing has confirmed the next two hosts for its Open Team Racing World Championships, sending the event to Australia in 2027 and Switzerland in 2028.
The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Pittwater, New South Wales, will run the 2027 championship from 15 to 19 December. A year later, Société Nautique de Genève on Lake Geneva will host the 2028 edition, with dates still to be confirmed.
Both appointments build on the momentum of the 2v2 keelboat team racing format, which returned to the international sailing calendar in 2025.
Ferran Muniesa, World Sailing's Director of Events, welcomed the appointments. "We are delighted to confirm the hosts for the 2027 and 2028 World Sailing Open Team Racing World Championships," he said. "Taking this championship to Australia and Switzerland will provide fantastic opportunities to bring together teams from across the world and continue to grow team racing internationally. Both venues offer strong sailing traditions and the potential to deliver memorable championships for athletes, officials and spectators alike."
Pittwater, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, offers flat water and little commercial traffic, with plenty of room to lay courses for a range of wind directions. The racecourse sits roughly 15 minutes by boat from the club marina, a compact setup for sailors, officials and anyone following from shore.
December sits squarely in the Australian summer. North-easterly breezes typically average 12 to 18 knots at that time of year, conditions expected to suit close, tactical racing in the club's fleet of Elliott 7 keelboats.
RPAYC isn't new to hosting duties of this kind. The club ran the 2025 Hansa World Championship, stages the annual Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship, and hosted the 2020 International 5.5 Metre World Championship. Further team racing development activity is planned in the lead-up to 2027.
Geneva brings the championship to a new part of the sailing world. Société Nautique de Genève, one of Switzerland's leading sailing clubs, will host on the shores of Lake Geneva, with the chance to engage a local sailing community and welcome teams from World Sailing Member National Authorities around the globe.
The format itself is fast and unforgiving. Two boats race against two rivals, and the team whose boat finishes last loses the race, which puts a premium on teamwork, boat handling and tactical decision-making.
Up to 16 teams will contest each championship, each fielding two boats and six to eight sailors. Every boat must carry at least two women and two men, keeping gender balance built into the competition.
Racing runs through qualifying round robins before moving into knockout quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals.
Further details on qualification and event arrangements for both championships are expected from World Sailing in due course.
