Auckland will host two world sailing championships within a single month in 2027, with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron confirmed to run the World Sailing Youth Match Racing World Championship and the Women's Match Racing World Championship back to back on the Waitematā Harbour that November.
It's a significant coup for the Squadron and for the city. The youth event runs from 15-20 November, with the women's championship following from 22-26 November, both on home water for a club with deep match racing pedigree.
RNZYS is, after all, the home of the America's Cup and the Emirates Team New Zealand Youth Training Programme. The timing carries extra weight, too, landing in the 40th anniversary year of that Youth Training Programme, four decades that have shaped some of the country's best sailing talent.
Auckland Council Events is backing the double-header.
Ferran Muniesa, World Sailing's Director of Events, said the organisation was thrilled to bring the championships to Auckland. "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."
He added that combining the two events into one racing window was deliberate. "By combining the Youth and Women's Match Racing World Championships into a premier racing window, World Sailing aims to foster immense collaboration and visibility for these high-adrenaline disciplines, offering spectators a showcase of intense, tactical, boat-on-boat duels."
RNZYS Commodore David Blakey called it an enormous honour. "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." He said the championships align with the club's vision of creating pathways for sailors to reach the highest levels of the sport while inspiring the next generation.
Mayor Wayne Brown, an RNZYS member himself, 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 the championships would bring top international talent to Auckland, inspire the next generation, and reinforce the city's reputation as a world-class sailing destination, adding that Auckland Council Events was proud to support both events.
A number of Kiwi sailors are already looking ahead to 2027.
Ethan Fong, a graduate of the RNZYS Youth Training Programme and currently ranked No. 2 in the world, represented New Zealand at the 2026 Youth Match Racing World Championship in Denmark and remains age-eligible for the 2027 edition. "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."
He's realistic about what's ahead. "There's obviously a lot of sailing and qualifying to happen before then, but having the Youth Worlds here at RNZYS gives us something pretty big to aim for."
On the women's side, Megan Thomson is New Zealand's top-ranked female match racing skipper, a former world No. 1 now sitting at No. 6 in the World Sailing Women's Match Racing Rankings. She finished third when RNZYS last hosted the Women's Match Racing World Championship in 2022. "Having the Women's Worlds here is a really exciting opportunity for female sailors coming through in New Zealand," she said. "They'll get to see some of the best match racers in the world competing right here at home and see first-hand where the pathway can take them. Hopefully it gets more young women excited about match racing and gives those already involved something pretty special to aim for."
Yachting New Zealand chief executive Steve Armitage called the announcement a significant milestone for sailing in New Zealand, one that would reinforce the country's reputation as a world-leading sailing nation and showcase its race management, volunteers and venues to an international audience.
The formal Notice of Race, covering eligibility, boat classes, entry deadlines and the full schedule, is due to be issued in November. National Authorities and skippers wanting more detail are encouraged to visit the World Sailing event portal.
