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To emirates team new zealand.

2 – 19 September

29 – 5 October

Upcoming events.

Youth AC – Day 2

September 18 @ 11:30 pm - september 19 @ 3:00 am.

Havana Club Rum Racing // Winter

September 20 @ 3:55 pm - 4:55 pm, youth ac – day 3, september 20 @ 11:30 pm - september 21 @ 3:00 am.

Gold Cup Series

September 21.

Watch it LIVE – ALL BLACKS

September 21 @ 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm, youth ac – day 5, september 22 @ 11:30 pm - september 23 @ 3:00 am, youth ac – final, september 26 @ 11:30 pm - september 27 @ 3:00 am, september 27 @ 3:55 pm - 4:55 pm.

153rd Opening Day

September 28, september 28 @ 4:35 pm - 9:30 pm, major partners.

8 - 9 March 2024

THE GREAT SPRINT

Experience the adrenalin rush of being one of many yachts on the start line, at the same time.

Enjoy the spectacle of the sails and colours on Auckland Harbour.

Get amongst the atmosphere of a sailing village.

Be part of history (one day) - Guiness Book of World Records anyone!

It's a festival, a spectacle, a race

Bought to you by the organisers of the legendary coastal classic.

Get an overview of this one-of-a-kind race based on the Barcolana Regatta that now holds the Guinness World Record as the largest regatta in the world. 

It's a festival, a spectacle and a race.  

Take a look at the course where all boats start on the same starting line at the same time!

THE ORGANISING CLUB

All yachts are invited, but this race is

 c/0 the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club. 

Foiling GC32 wins PIC Harbour Classic in record time

PIC Harbour Classic unleashes nautical spectacle with over 50 yachts on Waitematā Harbour

Smooth sailing ahead with an entry fee of $30

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Everything you need to know about the 37th America’s Cup

Follow the build-up to the 37th America’s Cup as the teams prepare to fight it out for the oldest sporting trophy in the world.

Which teams are in the 37th America’s Cup?

In 2021 four teams raced in fully foiling AC75 monohulls which were conceived specifically for the event by then Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand and Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.

These same four teams return for the 2024 America’s Cup and will be joined by two additional teams, bringing the total number of entries up to 6.

Emirates Team New Zealand – America’s Cup Defender

As the current holder of the America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand will be racing again in the 37th America’s Cup. As the Defender, the Kiwis will be guaranteed a spot in the America’s Cup regatta itself.

Any other challengers will need to race each other in preliminary regattas for the right to be the single challenger in the America’s Cup regatta itself.

Emirates Team New Zealand represent the Royal Auckland Yacht Club in America’s Cup racing.

tight racing between the British and the French. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

INEOS Britannia – America’s Cup Challenger of Record

The Challenger of Record is the name given to the first yacht club to challenge the holder of the America’s Cup once it has been won.

When Emirates Team New Zealand successfully completed their defence of the America’s Cup in 2021, the Royal Yacht Squadron immediately issued a challenge on behalf of Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Team UK (now called INEOS Britannia), so they are Challenger of Record for the 37th America’s Cup .

INEOS Britannia and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team has strengthened an exhausting relationship, with the British challenger standing to benefit from the technical and engineering experience of the multiple World Champion F1 team.

Photo: Job Vermeulen/America’s Cup

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has a very long America’s Cup history having first competed in 2000 and has taken part in every Cup since (with the exception of the unique 2010 Deed of Gift match).

For the 36th America’s Cup Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli were the challenger of record. They also won the challenger selection series so it was this Italian team who took on Emirates Team New Zealand for the America’s Cup itself.

The team will return for the 37th America’s Cup though this time they are not the official challenger of record.

American Magic

In 2021 the New York Yacht Clubs’ American Magic was also competing, though their event was ultimately ruined by a capsize in the early part of the regatta . They did get the boat rebuilt but it never got back up to speed and they made an early exit.

The 2021 campaign marked the return of the New York Yacht Club to the America’s Cup. The NYYC held the America’s Cup from its inception in 1851 right the way through to 1983, when they were defeated by the Royal Perth Yacht Club’s Australia II .

American Magic have confirmed their entry into the 37th America’s Cup and will, once again, be representing the New York Yacht Club.

The Alinghi Red Bull Racing AC75 was first to launch and has one of the most radical hull shapes. Photo: Olaf Pignataro/Alinghi Red Bull Racing

Alinghi Red Bull Racing

Another team making a return to the America’s Cup scene after a long break will be Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi team. The Swiss team won the America’s Cup in 2003 and then completed a successful defence in 2007.

However, a serious falling out over the potential rules for the next America’s Cup saw Alinghi taken to court by Larry Ellison and his BMW Oracle team, the 2010 America’s Cup was held between Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing in a Deed of Gift match that saw the teams fight it out in huge multihulls.

BMW Oracle won the contest and Alinghi stepped away from America’s Cup racing. Their return is a welcome one and their Cup history alongside their partnership with Red Bull Racing should see them a solid challenge from the off.

Photo: Ian Roman / America’s Cup

Orient Express Racing Team

The French entry to the 2024 America’s Cup was long rumoured but it was not until quite late in the day that they officially announced their intention to challenge.

It was in early 2023 that the official announcement came of a French AC entry, backed by Accor Group and its brands Orient Express and ALL-ACCOR Live Limitless.

As a fairly late challenge they will have a lot to do to be competitive, but they struck a great – and controversial – deal with Team New Zealand to buy their boat design, so should at least have a quick hull underneath them.

What boats are in the 37th America’s Cup

The Protocol for the 37th America’s Cup has been released including the rules for the class of boat to be used in the next edition of the event. Once again the America’s Cup will be raced for in AC75s . These boats were first brought in ahead of the 36th America’s Cup so this will be their second outing.

The foiling monohulls are slightly different, with rules being tweaked partly aimed at improving light wind performance and reducing crew numbers from 11 to 8.

Teams are only be allowed to build one AC75 and nationality rules are strict this time around requiring 100% of the race crew for each competitor to either be a passport holder of the country of the team’s yacht club or to have been physically present in that country for 18 months of the previous three years prior to 17th March 2021.

Emirates Team New Zealand saw success in 2017 in Bermuda with their Cyclors . Having been banned in 2021, these have made a return for the 37th America’s Cup.

Barcelona, the venue for the 37th America’s Cup

Where will the 37th America’s Cup be held?

Barcelona, Spain was selected in 2022 as the venue for the 37th America’s Cup , marking the first time a New Zealand team has chosen to defend a Cup win overseas.

The home city of Emirates Team New Zealand and the venue for the 36th America’s Cup, Auckland, had an exclusive period in which to tender for the regatta immediately after the Kiwis’ successful defence in 2021, but the sums on offer were not enough, and Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton cast the net wider internationally after rejecting a NZ$99 million (£50 million) offer from the New Zealand government.

A number venues were mooted including: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Cork, Ireland; Malaga, Spain, but Barcelona eventually won out.

When is the 37th America’s Cup?

The America’s Cup will be held in 2024 in Barcelona. Racing in the 37th America’s Cup Match itself, which is a best of 13 (first to seven) format will start on Saturday 12th October 2024 and could run all the way to the 27th October should all the races be needed to pick a winner.

The America’s Cup will be proceeded by the challenger selection series, which will see which of the five challengers gets the honour to race New Zealand for the Cup itself.

Racing for the Challenger Selection Series – officially the Louis Vuitton Cup, will take place between the 29 August 2024 and 7 October 2024.

Match Racing

Though the America’s Cup was first raced for in 1851 ( and won by the schooner America from which the trophy gets its name), this race was between a fleet of boats. A challenge by the British in the 1870s was also conducted as a fleet race.

By the 1880s, following a protest from the British, the America’s Cup was decided in a head-to-head match race where two boats sail against each other.

Match racing is a particular skill and encourages aggressive manoeuvres using the rules to put your opponent at a disadvantage. This cut-and-thrust racing, where the only objective is to beat your opponent, has long been at the heart of America’s Cup racing and produces a thrilling spectacle.

You can catch all the latest America’s Cup news, analysis and videos right here on Yachtingworld.com

Everything you need to know about the Youth America’s Cup 2024

• September 17, 2024

The 2024 Youth America’s Cup is set to get underway today Tuesday 17 September 2024 in Barcelona. Sponsored by UniCredit, the event will bring together the best young sailors from…

The day of the underdog: What we learned from the third day of Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Final racing

• September 16, 2024

Today, Monday 16 September saw the third day of racing for the four remaining America’s Cup challengers in the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals. And for two teams it was a…

Last chance saloon: What we learned from a windier Louis Vuittion Cup Semi-Final Day 2

• September 15, 2024

The second day of Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Final racing took place today, Sunday 15 September in Barcelona as the four remaining challengers fight for the right to take on Emirates…

Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals: Selection made as INEOS pick Alinghi

• September 13, 2024

Following their win in the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin Series On Monday 9 September, INEOS Britannia have selected their opponents for the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Final, starting tomorrow Saturday…

How Ainslie’s INEOS Britannia went from disappointment to America’s Cup contender

• September 12, 2024

Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Britannia has secured victory in the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin Series, thus allowing them to choose which team they will race against for the Louis Vuitton…

How to watch the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Final – the America’s Cup challenger series streams

The America’s Cup Challenger Selection is set to continue on Saturday 14 September 2024, as the four teams that made it through the Round Robin series move on to the…

Ainslie and INEOS win Louis Vuitton Round Robin, while the French are sent home

• September 9, 2024

Today saw the final three races of the America’s Cup challenger selection series, the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin get underway after the cancellation of racing yesterday. Once again today…

Final day of Louis Vuitton Cup racing cancelled and moved to Monday

• September 8, 2024

The final day of the America’s Cup challenger selection series, the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robins was due to take place today, Sunday 8 September in Barcelona. Those keen to…

Ainslie and INEOS step up to the plate: What we learned from the Louis Vuitton Cup Day 7

• September 7, 2024

Having seen most of the Louis Vuitton Cup racing (the America’s Cup Challenger Selection Series) taking place in light winds, the penultimate day of Round Robin racing saw decent winds…

American weakness, shock Alinghi win and more: What we learned from Louis Vuitton Cup Day 6

• September 5, 2024

With racing abandoned after two races due to a lightning storm on Tuesday 3 September and cancelled altogether due to storm conditions on Wednesday 4 September, racing in the America’s…

Lightning near-miss forces Louis Vuitton Cup Day 5 racing to be abandoned

• September 3, 2024

With the first Round Robin of the America’s Cup Challenger Selection Series, the Louis Vuitton Cup concluded, teams moved onto the second Round Robin today, Tuesday 3 September. This second…

What we learned from a cracking day 4 of Louis Vuitton Cup racing

• September 1, 2024

The fourth day of racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup – the challenger selection series for the America’s Cup proper – took place today. Sunday 1 September in Barcelona, with…

Super Saturday? What we learnt from bumper race day on Louis Vuitton Cup Day 3

• August 31, 2024

After the upset to the schedule caused by Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand’s dramatic crash of its boat down onto the cradle during lift-out after racing on Day 1, and…

A drift-off and a ‘pointless’ race: Wind doesn’t play ball for the Louis Vuitton Cup Day 2

• August 30, 2024

The second day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robbin series – the America’s Cup challenger selection series – took place today Friday 30 August in Barcelona, but it was…

Emirates Team New Zealand withdraw from racing after boat damage

After yesterday’s opening day of racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup – the Challenger Selection series for the America’s Cup in Barcelona – Emirates Team New Zealand reported damage to…

‘The America’s Cup has always been pushing boundaries’ – Matt Sheahan

For a great pub quiz question, when was the first America’s Cup race? The answer to sailing fans is obvious: 1851 in the famous race around the Isle of Wight.…

Unexpected winners: what we learned from the Louis Vuitton Cup Day 1

• August 29, 2024

It was not the start that anyone hoped for, for the opening day of racing at the America’s Cup challenger selection series, the Louis Vuitton Cup. Racing was due to…

Arnaud Psarofaghis: Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s 2024 America’s Cup Skipper

Born on the banks of Lake Geneva, Arnaud Psarofaghis, as is the case for many top sailors, comes from a sailing family and he started sailing at the age of…

New Zealand win thrilling America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Final + what we learned from the racing

• August 25, 2024

The fourth and final day of racing in the 37th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta 2024 saw very tricky conditions for the foiling AC75 monohulls today, Sunday 25 August. It wasn’t…

One win, one loss for British on Day 3 of America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta

• August 24, 2024

The third day of racing for the 37th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta 2024 got underway in 11 knots today in Barcelona providing solid foiling conditions for the AC75 monohulls that…

Friday 25 October 2024

The organising club.

THE GREAT RACE NORTH

If there is one race that you do this year, make it the PIC Insurance Brokers Coastal Classic. This challenging coastal race is one of the biggest of its type in the world, and it's long marked the opening of the summer sailing season for many hundreds of Kiwi boaties. Whether you are aiming to compete for line honours, or to complete it because it's something you've always wanted to do, make this your year! 

Take a look at the three key stages of the race from Auckland to Russell.

THE HISTORY 

Check out our three decades of New Zealand sailing history. 

All yachts are invited, but this race is  c/0 the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club. 

Port Whangarei Marine Centre joins the PIC Coastal Classic as key sponsor, leading the Rally

New Coastal Personal Safety Clinic added to race prep series

Rock the Race in Black: B&G joins as our offical merchandise sponsor

Cat 3 updates and inspection days

Boat prep & safety clinic - your first stop on the journey to the start line.

Preparing for the race - race clinics

Regatta Schedule

Schedule of events - monday 29 january 2024, dragon boat racing.

0930-1600hrs

Viaduct Harbour 360 Dragon Boaters will race throughout the day, with great viewing from around the Viaduct Harbour.

Tugboat Race & Display

1000-1045hrs

Westhaven Tugboats will race from Westhaven to Orakei and back, followed by a Tugboat Display off Westhaven at 1105hrs.

Classic Launch Race

Westhaven Classic Launches will race from Westhaven to Orakei and back.

Classic Yacht Races

Westhaven (start) The spectacular fleet of heritage A Class vessels start their race at Westhaven. Come and see one of the biggest fleets of authentically restored vessels in the world.

1300-1700hrs

Orakei Wharf (finish) Classic Yachts will finish at Resolution Buoy, best viewed from Orakei Wharf.

Modern Keelboat Races

Westhaven (start) Modern Classics start at 1205hrs, followed by the prestigious Division 1-3 keelboats, then B Classics, at 5 minute intervals.

Orakei Wharf (finish) Keelboats will finish at Resolution Buoy, best viewed from Orakei Wharf.

Waka Ama & Waka Hourua

Westhaven Waka Ama paddlers are scheduled to start their race off Westhaven.

Westhaven Waka Hourua are scheduled to start their race off Westhaven.

Keelboat Passage Races

Mahurangi (start) Keelboat passage races start from Mahurangi.

Rakino (start) Keelboat passage races start from Rakino.

Dinghy, Foiling & Skiff Racing

Royal Akarana Yacht Club Optimist & Starling 3 day Auckland Championships

Murrays Bay Sailing Club 420; 29er: 49er; 49erFX

Narrow Neck Beach Sea Scout Cutters; Navy Crown; Sunbursts

*Update 28 Jan, 2030hrs: Due to the forecast, Sea Scouts will relocate to Lake Pupuke

Northcote Birkenhead Yacht Club RS Quest; RS Aero

Manly Sailing Club O’pen Skiff; RS Feva; Zephyrs; Cherubs; Wingfoil

Takapuna Boating Club 27-29 January 2024 Two Day Event and One Day Event FOILING Classes: Windfoil; Kite foil; Nacra 15/17; Waszp; Moths; A Class DINGHY Classes: Farr 3.7

Tamaki Yacht Club Laser; Laser Radial; Laser 4.7

Radio Controlled Yacht Racing

Westhaven Marina Electron fleet

St Mary’s Bay International One Metre fleet

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Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron

Click here for Back Issues of YBQ Magazine 

The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron is the oldest and most successful yacht club in New Zealand, and the current home of the America’s Cup. 

With over 3,200 Members, the club is thriving and enjoys a yearlong calendar of activities that cater to all our Member’s needs.     

Club Racing/Sailing:  We offer a great range of sailing series with hundreds of races run every year, from the PIC Insurance Brokers Wednesday Night Series, Friday Night Havana Club Rum Races, PIC Insurance Brokers MRXZ and Elliott 7 Sprint Series, Barfoot and Thompson Women's Series, NZ Match Racing Championships, right through to Cruising Rallies (to name a few) - there is a sailing event for all types of yachts and crews.

RNZYS Learn to Sail Programme:  The RNZYS Learn to Sail programme is very popular and offers multiple learn to sail courses including Level One, Level Two and Learn to Race courses. Our Learn to sail courses are run in Sonars or the MRX’s – offering a great keelboat learning experience. There is also a course which takes students to Kawau Island for an entire weekend of sailing. Find out more about our Learn to Sail Programme HERE:     https://rnzys.org.nz/learntosail/

RNZYS Youth Training Programme:  The RNZYS Youth Training Programme is the programme delivering intensive sail training for young sailors in a disciplined environment.  This programme has long been regarded globally as a leader in youth training and is the country’s most comprehensive and advanced.  Students between the ages of 15-23 are able to apply for this programme which Grant Dalton describes as “the best youth training programme in the world”. More details + apply online HERE:   https://rnzys.org.nz/youthtraining/

Functions & Events:  The RNZYS is also a very high sort after functions facility, with multiple rooms that can cater for any type of function. Whether it’s a wedding, cocktail party or a business meeting – we have your function covered. Explore our facilities and book your function or event today HERE:  https://rnzys.org.nz/functions/

Social Events:  The RNZYS is not just a sailing club, we also offer a wide variety of off-water events such as Speakers Series Lunches, Golf Days, Picnics, Ladies events, LIVE sport screenings and much more.     

Dining: The Lighthouse Cafe is open 7 days a week with a weekend brunch menu available in addition to our wide range of fresh cabinet items.  RNZYS members and their guests can enjoy fantastic food, drinks and the best harbor views in Auckland at the Members Bar upstairs.  See the website for opening hours: https://rnzys.org.nz/dining/

JOIN US TODAY: Join the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron community today!  Find out more about membership and how to apply online at  https://rnzys.org.nz/members/   

101 Curran Street Westhaven Auckland New Zealand

-36.8355298, 174.7454088

PO Box 46182 Herne Bay Auckland 1147 New Zealand

Upcoming events at this club

New zealand match racing championship.

Why iconic Whitbread Round the World race boats are arriving in Auckland this week

Sir Peter Blake skippered Steinlager 2 to a win in the 1989-90 edition of the Whitbread Round the World race. Photo / Photosport

Half a century ago, 19 yachts set out from Portsmouth, England, in a race around the world.

The race featured just three stops on the way, three sailors were swept overboard and lost their lives, and the winner crossed the finish line 152 days after setting sail.

Though it has many known by many names since, that first Whitbread Round the World race was the start of what has become an iconic event in the sailing world.

It’s an event that particularly resonates with Kiwis, following the success of Steinlager 2 in the 1989-90 edition. Skippered by Sir Peter Blake , and featuring an all-star crew including Brad Butterworth , Tony Rae and Kevin Shoebridge , Steinlager 2 won its edition of the race and is the only yacht to claim line honours in every leg of the race. It was the first year that the race had included more stopovers, with six legs instead of four. In the previous edition, Blake skippered Lion New Zealand to second place.

Kiwi successes continued in the following edition, which featured seven legs, when Grant Dalton skippered NZ Endeavour to victory. That edition also saw the arrival of the Whitbread 60 class, a smaller, purpose-built vessel, which ran alongside the maxis, and Japanese entry Yamaha, skippered by Kiwi Ross Field, was the first of the new class across the line.

This week, a race featuring boats designed before 1988 and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread Round the World event will sail into Auckland to complete its second leg. It comes at a welcome time for Auckland sailing fans, after the City of Sails missed out on hosting recent or upcoming editions of the America’s Cup , SailGP and The Ocean Race.

While The Ocean Race itself has moved with the times, the Ocean Globe Race is a tribute to its origins. Of the 13-strong fleet, seven of the vessels were raced during an edition of the Whitbread race.

The first boats are expected to arrive in the Waitematā Harbour between 8am and midday on Tuesday, with Italian entry Translated 9 leading the fleet ahead of Finland vessel Spirit of Helsinki, while the rest of the fleet is expected to filter in over the next couple of weeks.

The Ocean Globe Race follows a similar route to that of the early four-leg editions, with stops in Cape Town, Auckland and Punta del Este (Uruguay) before returning to Southampton in what is expected to be an eight-month voyage.

It is billed as a return to the spirit of the original race, with everyday sailors relying on sextants and paper charts. Ocean Globe Race founder Don McIntyre said he wanted to put together an event that gave ordinary sailors the chance to experience such an adventure with the current iteration of The Ocean Race dominated by professionals.

“I wanted to recreate that feeling, where ‘ordinary’ sailors could experience that special adventure, denied them ever since it became fully professional as the Volvo race. They were super exciting events, but left the average sailor behind 30 years ago,” McIntyre said.

During the stopover in Auckland – with the fleet scheduled to depart on leg three in mid-January – both Lion New Zealand and Steinlager 2 will berth alongside the Ocean Globe Race yachts in Wynyard Marina.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.

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THE AUCKLAND TO TAURANGA RACE REMAINS POSTPONED AT THIS STAGE

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Chasing titles and records in Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race 2025

Related Articles

Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race

The Race to Auckland has STARTED...

Early bird entry discount enter before 11 october 2024, sydney to auckland ocean race 2025, the race of a lifetime.

Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) together with the Royal Akarana Yacht Club (RAYC) invite competitors to participate in the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race 2025, 11 October .

A dramatic and compelling ocean (and we mean ‘ocean’) racecourse has been shoe-horned into the start of next year’s busy Spring / Summer sailing season.

The race will start in Sydney Harbour on 11 October 2025 and finish in Auckland Harbour.  This challenging trans-Tasman 1,250nm Category 1 race is open to offshore cruising and racing yachts, Two-Handed Yachts, superyachts and ocean racing multihulls. 

Follow the Fleet Live

I think it’s going to be a premier race, the longest (from Australia) and an international race. This is the first time anyone gets to do it, so there should be quite a bit of interest and a strong fleet Mark Griffith, DK46, The Old School Racing

The Alfreds have been so helpful. I had a call to see if I needed any help. You don’t get much of that these days. To have internal support makes you feel connected. Sibby Ilzhofer, Cookson 47, Dare Devil

RPAYC’s Robert McClelland explains the race’s communications have been simplified for the 1250 nautical mile race: “Satellite phones, AIS and trackers on each boat, no time-consuming skeds. This follows the Club’s successful Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race , which is run on the same basis.”

The other joy for competitors is that the Sydney to Auckland into New Zealand Ocean Race has been timed to allow prospective competitors to compete on the northern circuit in Queensland beforehand and to be back in Australia in time for the Rolex Sydney Hobart and Melbourne to Hobart yacht races.

Alternatively, entrants can stay on in New Zealand and take advantage of the famous Coastal Classic held in late October. There is also the Bay of Islands Sailing Week in late January 2025 to consider and  Auckland to Noumea  – not to mention the scenic cruising opportunities.

The Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race is open to fully crewed racing and cruising yachts, two-handed yachts, superyachts and ocean-going multihulls. It is the longest race originating from Australia open to a variety of yacht classes.

Early Bird discount Entry Fee closes 11 October 2024.

Standard entries for the Category 1 Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race, to be held by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Association with the Royal Akarana Yacht Club in New Zealand, close on 11 September 2025.

Royal Akarana Yacht Club – The Home of Blue Water Sailing

The Royal Akarana Yacht Club is one of New Zealand’s oldest yacht clubs and occupies a unique place in this country’s recreational sailing history.

Throughout its 127 years, it has been at the forefront of New Zealand yachting and particularly in its early years, had a huge influence on the way the sport developed in this country. Visit the club at https://rayc.co.nz/ 

Future event dates

• 2025 Race – October 11
• 2027 Race – October
• 2029 Race – October

Additional Races

• Coastal Classic Race
• Bay of Islands Sailing Week
• Auckland to Noumea
• New Caledonia GROUPAMA RACE
• Hamilton Island Race Week

Latest News

Hooligan smashing sydney to auckland-like conditions on pittwater.

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Chasing titles and records in Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race 2025

Both the reigning line honours champion and overall winner of Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s inaugural Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race are to return for

Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race – Presentation

Competitors and Club members came together to celebrate the 2023 Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race at the RPAYC Clubhouse on Thursday 23 November for the

Share your experience

Competitor information, race documents, find or register as crew, auckland accomodation options, contact information.

• For more information on participating contact [email protected]
• For supporting sponsorship opportunities contact: [email protected]

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

• 11 October 2024: Early Bird entry discount closes
• 11 September 2025: Entries Close (Late fee applies)
• 1 October 2025: Sailing Instructions, Entries, Divisions & Provisional Ratings Published
• 4 October 2025: Rating Deadline
• 9 October 2025: Skippers Briefing and Crew Cocktail Party (6:00pm RPAYC)
• 11 October 2025: Race Start Sydney Harbour

MEDIA RELEASES

• The Celebration Begins
• Sydney to Auckland make for the Corner
• And we are off!
• Crews countdown to the start of the inaugural Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race
• Hong Kong entry in race for historic Lipton Cup
• Talk turns to Weather
• Serious Business
• Mayfair first interstate entry for the inaugural Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race
• Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race, scheduled for October 2023
• First entries received for the inaugural Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race

Official Race Merchandise available through Official Partner Quality Marine Clothing

20% discount on 2023 Sydney to Auckland Merchandise

Further Information

The race has been classified by the Organising Authority an Australian Sailing Special Regulations category 1 race with the addition of the OAs own additional requirements as listed in the Notice of Race. 

This means that an entrant will need to have a Cat 1 Audit done and additionally have an Australian Sailing National Certified Auditor sign off the O.A.’s additional items.

• Download at Category 1 Audit requirements form here (from 1 July, 2025)
• Stability Declaration Form
• Communication Equipment Form
• Sat Phone Declaration
• Hull Construction World Sailing Structural Plan Review requirement information
• Australian Sailing Special Regulations Information

RPAYC : Berths for competing boats may be available at RPAYC for a discounted rate in the build-up to the Race. For more details on berthing at the RPAYC and alternative berthing in Pittwater and Sydney, please contact the RPAYC. [email protected]

AUCKLAND : Berthing will be provided on arrival in Auckland at Jellicoe Harbour at the Wynyard berths.

Berths have access to power (63 and/or 125 amp 3-phase) and water, plug-in internet and black water pump out.

These are med-style mooring berths suiting vessels 30 – 50m in length, alongside berthage depending on size and number of vessels is also available.

The Race Committee will direct boats to their temporary berth. Boats planning to stay on in Auckland or New Zealand should contact Via Duct Marine to make arrangements. It is a condition of Entry that boats must moor in accordance with the directions of the Via Duct Marina Manager. 

Australian Registration

Guide to registering your ship on the Australian General Shipping Register

Under the Shipping Registration Act 1981 (the Act), all Australian owned or operated ships, 24 metres and over in tonnage length, and capable of navigating the high seas, must be registered. Any ship sailing to a foreign port must also be registered, regardless of size. All other craft, including Government ships, fishing and pleasure craft need not be registered, but may be if the owners desire.

https://www.amsa.gov.au/guide-registering-your-ship-australian-general-shipping-register  

Apply for a temporary pass for yacht races, rallies, and sailing overseas

https://www.amsa.gov.au/vessels-operators/ship-registration/registration-yachts-cruisers-and-fishing-boats/apply-temporary

Custom requirements are applicable to all crew and boats. RPAYC has arranged for the Australian Boarder Force to conduct Custom Clearances at CYCA and MHYC.

New Zealand Customs

Competitors are reminded that it is their sole responsibility to ensure that they clear out through customs in Australia and clear customs into New Zealand on arrival. NewZealand Entry and Visa requirements may be applicable to you. NewZealand Custom Officers will meet Competiors on arrival to Auckland on berthing at the Auckland ViaDuct Berths.

For more information on the requirements for entering New Zealand by Yacht and for the New Zealand Customs Service, Yacht Pack see:  https://www.customs.govt.nz/personal/travel-to-and-from-nz/yachts/

Australian Border Force

View Departure & Entry requirements here: https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/entering-and-leaving-by-sea

A crew register is available for the race hosted by MySailTeam .

• Follow this link to find crew for your boat and or register as crew. 

Pack & Send in Mona Vale

They will meet you at the RPAYC on Thursday 5th October from 1500hrs – before the skippers briefing and collect bags and gear.  Packing crew bags between you is recommended. Sails and heavy bulky gear we suggest chatting to them about the costs ahead of Thursday.

Pricing of a bag/box depends on its destination and on its volume or weight.

Approximate estimations heading to New Zealand.

Box Dimension | Weight | Cost of Freight 46 x43 x 64 CMS 25kgs $300 46 x 43 x 50 CMS 20kgs $250 46 x 43 x 35 CMS 15kgs $205 Pack & Send can tailormade box sizes to any size according to customer preferences.

Safety and Survival at Sea & other Crew qualifications

Several companies offer Crew Training certification:

Ocean Boardroom

Pacific Sailing School

Marine Safety Works

Several companies can lease equipment to yacht owners as required for the race, e.g. Satelight phones, Liferafts, PLBs.

The Place to Buy, Hire or Rent a Satellite Phone – EPIRBhire Thuraya Iridium Inmarsat

Great Circle Lift Rafts

Great Circle Life Rafts Hire

Sail Exchange

https://www.sailexchange.com.au/personal-safety-equipment/rental-gear/life-rafts-rental.html

Bettina Crafoord | Mobile – 0418 866 333

www.sailexchange.com

The race of a lifetime will draw the attention of an international and nationwide audience. 

To be part of this event contact the Organising Authority at [email protected] for a prospectus. 

Share the event!

Crewing opportunites, event enquiry.

Contact the Organisation Authority Here and also be added to the 2025 Expression of Interest group

Prada’s Space-Age Bid for the Most Elusive Sporting Trophy in History

In pursuit of the America’s Cup, the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team is taking sailing out of the water—literally.

Only four countries have ever won sailing’s America’s Cup, the longest-running sporting competition in history. For more than 120 years, in fact, there were only two contenders—America and the United Kingdom—racing on average every four or five years. But the UK never won; it lost the very first race to the New York Yacht Club’s schooner the America in 1851. Sailing has come far since then.

For Patrizio Bertelli, Prada Group Chairman and himself a passionate sailor, it’s been a long road since the first Luna Rossa race team was announced in 1997. Five campaigns to challenge for the cup have seen Prada race off against the holders twice, most recently in 2021. But like the Brits, they have never won the “Auld Mug,” as the trophy is known. Now in his sixth campaign, Bertelli’s determination is undimmed.

“It’s the difficulty of winning it that makes the America’s Cup so fascinating,” he says. “It’s unique—a difficult, complex challenge. It involves building a group of highly specialized people coming from different fields, people capable of working together harmoniously for months with very intense rhythms. It’s a difficult mechanism to set up, but even more difficult to manage. It takes perseverance, determination. You can’t give up; you must keep trying.”

For almost all of its history, the America’s Cup was, by its nature, closed off to the greater public. Races were generally held a good way from shore and were stately in pace, though not without their occasional upsets. But in 2012, everything changed with the debut of foiling. Foiling is the use of advanced physics to allow keelless sailboats to fly on carbon-fiber foils above the waves. How’s that? Think of a sailboat as a vertical airplane wing. Wind over the sail creates thrust. But the water creates drag. Lots of drag. The foils, however (space-age hydraulically powered legs cocked alternately depending on the angle to the wind), create enough lift to raise the entire hull out of the water, reducing drag to a minimum. Speeds, of course, rise exponentially—if you can keep it up on the foils, that is. It’s a knife-edge balancing act that makes for very, very good TV.

“In Barcelona, as in the last edition of Auckland, with only the rudder and the side foils in the water, these flying boats are capable of sailing at more than fifty knots,” says Bertelli. “There are no more sail changes, the crew is composed of eight people, the races don’t last more than forty-five minutes, the tactics and strategy are transformed. A whole different world, but that’s the America’s Cup, the most advanced expression of this sport.”

For Max Sirena—a veteran Luna Rossa skipper who has raced in five previous Prada campaigns and is team director and skipper of this, his sixth—the process of harmonizing high-tech equipment with a human crew is a long and delicate process. “The boat is so complex and fragile at the same time,” he explains, “so you need to learn how to use it at its best. In terms of control, we are more advanced than with the last generation of boat. There is way more technology applied to the performance of the boat. We have a better idea on how best to use the boat. The biggest challenge is us. The main thing is to be prepared. The strength of the team really comes out during the down moments. When you win, it’s easy. I spend a lot of time to ensure the team remains strong when things aren’t going our way.”

Space age and transformative for sailing though foiling is, that didn’t prevent Miuccia Prada from following storied nautical tradition back in April and smashing a bottle of bubbly over the bows of the latest Luna Rossa AC75 boat—in this case, using Cantine Ferrari’s Maximum Blanc de Blancs. For fans of the famous Linea Rossa, the red stripe that has graced Prada sportswear since the first America’s Cup campaign, a small collection of technical gear as worn by the team on the water is available online now . This is no mere merch opportunity, however. In partnership with Woolmark, a body set up to protect and promote the use of fine-quality wool, the clothing is made using merino wool. It’s not perhaps the first thing you would associate with such a high-tech sport. But mindful of sustainability, Prada joined with Woolmark to exploit the natural breathability and performance capabilities of merino for wind- and waterproof sailing gear and jersey training clothes that look every bit as good on the street.

Back on the water, currently the America’s Cup boats are nudging fifty-five knots (or more than sixty mph) on a good day, though most sailors will tell you that it’s consistency, not top speeds, that wins races. Sailing at this level is increasingly likened to Formula 1 on water. And the fast new physics of foiling has coincided with huge advances in the media technology to cover it, a move that is bringing new interest from global audiences and luxury brands as sponsors, not least Louis Vuitton, which sponsored the qualifying round robins from the early 1990s until 2017. This year, after a brief hiatus, it’s back and this time it’s sponsoring the America’s Cup itself, too.

“I believe that today, thanks also to Luna Rossa and its six challenges, the fame and the draw of the America’s Cup have increased greatly, and holding it in Europe is certainly an added value,” says Bertelli. “This is why more and more luxury brands identify with it.”

Race days at Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s base, in the harbor of Barcelona, are a family thing. Support staff, friends, and kids gather en masse on the dock’s edge, decked out in the team’s iconic silver-gray gear, waving giant Italian flags and singing along with the Italian pop blasting out of the speakers as the team makes final preparations to Luna Rossa before slipping the lines and heading out to the waters of Barceloneta. While all the teams have their fan base, none, it seems, are louder or more emotional than Luna Rossa’s. You’d be forgiven for thinking this is an Italian-only affair. But while national pride is certainly at stake, building a viable team means drawing on expertise from all over the globe.

“We have nineteen nationalities amongst us,” says Bertelli. “It is unthinkable today to want to form a group with so many specializations and with such a high-level drawing only from a single country. In the regatta, however, they are all Italians except James Spithill, who is in his fourth campaign with Luna Rossa and therefore is truly one of us.” “Jiiimmmeee,” as the mainly Italian crowd hails the Australian co-helmsman of Luna Rossa, is as much of an Italian hero as Francesco “Cecco” Bruni, his Palermo-born counterpart.

In the Louis Vuitton Cup’s fleet races, held from late August, Luna Rossa soared out to a commanding lead on points before a late rally from veteran sailor Sir Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Britannia pipped them. But still, they were through to the semis, which began over the weekend. If, as it appears, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and INEOS Britannia face off in the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup, it will be a nail-biter. As we go to press, after today’s racing, the standings are 4–1 for both in their respective semis—the UK against Switzerland’s Alinghi Red Bull Racing, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli against American Magic Team USA. Each front-runner has to win only one more race to go through to the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup in late September. The semifinals continue Wednesday. And each has ample reason to hope for a win.

For more info and how to view, go to americascup.com .

Nick Sullivan is Creative Director at Esquire, where he served as Fashion Director from 2004 until 2019. Prior to that, he relocated from London with his young family to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. He has styled and art directed countless fashion and cover stories for both Esquire and Big Black Book ( which he helped found in 2006) in exotic,uncomfortable, and occasionally unfeasibly cold locations. He also writes extensively about men’s style, accessories, and watches. He describes his style as elegantly disheveled.

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