Playbuoy powers home in the Round Kawau Island Race - Commodores Cup Series. Photo: Tania Cookson

RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme team of William Tiller, Harry Thurston & Shaun Mason win the 2009 Governor's Cup, Balboa Yacht Club, California. Photo: Mary Longpre

Sailing at the Squadron

The Squadron runs a wide variety of keelboat racing throughout the year and all races with the exception of the Club Championships, Commodores Cup Series and Cruising Series are open to members of any yacht club.

The Summer Season begins in October when the Stewart 34 Hyundai Championship Series, Tuesday Summer Series, Club Marine Wednesday Series, and Thursday Young 88 Sprint Series begin.  The Club Marine Wednesday Series boasts our largest fleet with over 120 boats competing including a Multihull Division. Our Mount Gay Friday Rum Race is also open to members of any yacht club and is held every friday, except for public holidays.

In October the first race of the Commodores Cup Series, Opening Day Race is sailed which attracts over 60 Squadron boats.  Part of this series and one of our biggest events is 'Squadron Weekend'.  Beginning with the Night Race to Kawau Island on friday night, the Round Kawau Island Race on Saturday and finishing with a crew party ashore on Saturday night, Squadron Weekend is a major fun racing weekend for over 80 Squadron boats.

When the summer season closes in April the fortnightly Club Marine Winter Series begins in May which attracts over 110 boats and includes Windward/Leewards and Harbour Courses.

Regatta's

In March each year is our largest open keelboat regatta, the BMW Auckland Regatta, which founded in 2008 is a combined event with Bucklands Beach Yacht Club.  The Squadron also hosts the Young 88 National Championships and the Farr 1020 National Championships in April each year.

Youth / Junior Sailing 

The RNZYS also has a focus on youth sailing and has run the world-renouned RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme since 1987.  Each year the Squadron accepts over 40 youths to train for a full, intensive year in both fleet racing and match racing (view Programme Details).  Many of our graduates have achieved amazing results at the highest level of the sport, including Olympics, America's Cup, Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Race and many have achieved outstanding results on the world match racing circuit (view Graduates page here).

Match Racing

The Squadron also has a focus major on Match Racing and is proud to host the New Zealand Open & Women's Match Racing Championships held annually.

It also hosts the RNZYS International Youth Match Racing Championships, previously known as the 'Diet Coke Cup' which started in 1990.  In 1996 the event was remaned the 'Coca Cola Cup' and quickly became the unofficial World Youth Championships of Match Racing and has attracted young sailors from Denmark, Sweden, France, Italy, USA, Hong Kong, South Africa, Japan, UK, Australia and New Zealand. 

Since 1979 the Squadron has hosted an international match racing series attracting the top match racing skippers from around the world. Previously known as the Citizen Match Racing Cup until 1989, the Steinlager Cup 1990 - 1991, the Steinlager Logan Cup 1992 - 1995 and the Steinlager Line 7 Cup 1996 - 2002.  In January 2006 & 2007 the Squadron launched it's comeback into Grade 1 Match Racing events with the Auckland Match Racing Cup won by Dean Barker (pictured).

The Squadron was extremely proud to host the ISAF Nations Cup Oceania Regional Final in 2006 & 2008 and the ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championships in April 2008.

In this section you will find all the information about our Sailing Events.

Please direct all enquiries to the Sailing Office
Phone 360 6809
Fax 360 6816
Email raceoffice@rnzys.org.nz