The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) has been selected to host two World Sailing championships in Auckland in November 2027.
The World Sailing Youth Match Racing World Championship will run from 15-20 November, followed by the World Sailing Women’s Match Racing World Championship from 22-26 November.
Both championships will be raced on Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour, with support from Auckland Council Events.
Double World Championship Programme
The events will coincide with the 40th anniversary of the RNZYS Youth Training Programme, which has played a significant role in developing New Zealand sailing talent.
World Sailing Director of Events Ferran Muniesa said staging the championships together would increase collaboration and visibility for match racing.
“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,” he said.
RNZYS Commodore David Blakey described being awarded both championships as “an enormous honour”.
“These championships align perfectly with our vision of creating pathways for sailors to reach the highest levels of the sport while inspiring the next generation,” he said.
New Zealand Sailors Target Home Worlds
RNZYS Youth Training Programme graduate Ethan Fong, currently ranked world number two in youth match racing, competed for New Zealand at the 2026 Youth Match Racing World Championship in Denmark and will remain eligible in 2027.
“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,” Fong said.
New Zealand skipper Megan Thomson, a former women’s world number one, welcomed the return of the Women’s Worlds to Auckland. Thomson finished third when RNZYS last staged the championship in 2022.
“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,” Thomson said of New Zealand’s emerging female sailors.
Auckland Builds on Match Racing Pedigree
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said the championships were a natural fit for a city with a strong sailing tradition, while Yachting New Zealand chief executive Steve Armitage said the events would showcase the country’s race management, volunteers and sailing venues to an international audience.
The official Notice of Race, including eligibility requirements, boat specifications, entry deadlines and detailed schedules, is due to be published in November.
