Auckland will host two world championships back to back in November 2027, with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron confirmed as venue for both the Youth and Women's Match Racing World Championships on the Waitematā Harbour.
The Squadron will run the events with support from Auckland Council Events, a significant win for a club already synonymous with match racing pedigree.
The Youth Match Racing World Championship runs from 15 to 20 November 2027, with the Women's Championship following immediately after, from 22 to 26 November. The back-to-back scheduling is deliberate, designed to build momentum and give both disciplines a shared spotlight.
RNZYS is no stranger to events of this scale. As home of the America's Cup and the Emirates Team New Zealand Youth Training Programme, the club has spent decades building sailors capable of competing at the top. The 2027 championships fall in the 40th anniversary year of that Youth Training Programme, adding extra weight to the occasion.
Ferran Muniesa, World Sailing's Director of Events, called the announcement a strategic statement as much as a scheduling one. "World Sailing is thrilled to bring the 2027 Youth and Women's Match Racing World Championships to Auckland," he said. "Our excitement to bring these major match racing championships to Auckland, made even more poignant in the 40th year of the Youth Match Racing programme, underlines the strategic importance of developing youth and women's pipelines, and confidence in the RNZYS's world-class hosting capabilities."
RNZYS Commodore David Blakey didn't undersell the honour either. "To be entrusted with hosting not one, but two World Sailing World Championships is an enormous honour," he said. "It reflects the reputation the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron has built over many years as a leader in international match racing and youth development."
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, himself an RNZYS member, was equally pleased. "Auckland is a sailing city, and the Waitematā Harbour is one of the best places in the world to showcase the sport," he said. "They'll bring top international talent to Auckland, inspire the next generation, and reinforce our reputation as a world-class sailing destination."
There's real Kiwi interest on the water too, not just at the podium.
Ethan Fong, an RNZYS Youth Training Programme graduate currently ranked world No. 2, raced the 2026 Youth Worlds in Denmark and remains age-eligible for 2027. "Having raced the Youth Worlds in Denmark, it's pretty cool knowing the next one will be here at home," he said. "Racing a World Championship on the Waitematā, on waters we know so well and in front of friends, family and everyone at the Squadron, would be pretty special."
Megan Thomson, New Zealand's top-ranked female match racer and a former world No. 1, finished third when RNZYS last hosted the Women's Worlds in 2022. Now ranked No. 6, she sees value beyond her own results. "Having the Women's Worlds here is a really exciting opportunity for female sailors coming through in New Zealand," she said. "Hopefully it gets more young women excited about match racing."
Yachting New Zealand Chief Executive Steve Armitage called it a significant milestone for sailing in New Zealand, pointing to the chance to showcase local race management, volunteers and venues to an international audience.
The full Notice of Race, covering eligibility, boat classes, entry deadlines and schedules, is due in November.
