2026 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland: Start time, venue, classes, sailors, favourites and more

What is Oceanbridge Sail Auckland?
Oceanbridge Sail Auckland is New Zealand's premier regatta for youth and Olympic classes - and one of the standout events on the national sailing calendar. Bigger and longer in 2026, the regatta features strong international representation across 10 classes, giving young sailors the chance to race alongside Olympic campaigners and test themselves against world-class competition ahead of the European season.

When and where is it being held?
The regatta returns to Torbay Sailing Club, running over four days from Thursday, 29 January to Sunday, 1 February. The action gets underway from 12.30 pm on Thursday with racing across three courses - Course A (29er, 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17); Course B (iQFOiL, wingfoil and kitefoil), and Course C (420, 470, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7).

How big is the fleet?
More than 150 sailors from 14 nations will compete, including athletes from Australia, Japan, Switzerland, Fiji, the USA, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. The fleets span ILCA 6, ILCA 7, 420, 29er, 49er, 49erFX, kitefoil, wingfoil and iQFOiL (7.3m and 8m), with several Paris 2024 Olympians lining up alongside leading Kiwis such as Tom Saunders, Greta Pilkington, Micah Wilkinson, Lukas Walton-Keim, Veerle ten Have and Josh Armit.

An estimated 60 volunteers will be involved across the four days.

What’s new this year?
Alongside larger fleets and deeper international fields, the kitefoil and iQFOiL classes will debut a new knockout-style medal series, mirroring formats used at major World Sailing events. Sailors progress through quarter-finals, semi-finals and a grand final, with the grand final continuing until one competitor wins two races.

Click here for the full Sailing Instructions.

What else is happening off the water?
Melanoma New Zealand, Yachting New Zealand’s official charity partner, will be on site from 8.30am to 11.30am on Sunday, offering free melanoma checks, with registered personnel available throughout the day. A raffle with prizes valued at $850 will also be drawn at Sunday’s prizegiving.

Black Foils star Leo Takahashi will also be at the prizegiving on Sunday afternoon to hand out spot prizes as preparations ramp up for the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix Auckland on 14 and 15 February.

Who should I watch?
The men’s 49er fleet is wide open following the step-back of Paris 2024 silver medallists Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie. Defending champions Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush start as favourites but face stiff competition from top Kiwi crews Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn, Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan, and Hamish McLaren and Francesco Kayrouz - as well as strong international challengers from Switzerland and Australia.

In the ILCA 7, George Gautrey leads a high-calibre fleet that includes European champion Mickey Beckett and rising Kiwi talents Caleb Armit, Zach Stibbe and George Pilkington. All eyes will also be on the return of former world champion and Paris Olympian Tom Saunders following injury.

The ILCA 6 promises a compelling battle, with Greta Pilkington up against top-10 world-ranked Maud Jayet of Switzerland and American Olympian Erika Reineke, alongside emerging stars Chloe Turner and former men's world champion George Lane.

The iQFOiL fleets are stacked, with Veerle ten Have facing France’s Juliette Babey in the women’s 7.3m, while under-23 world champion Stella Bilger and runner-up Aimee Bright loom as major threats. In the men’s fleet, Paris silver medallist Grae Morris (Australia) is set for a showdown with Kiwis Josh Armit and Eli Liefting.

In the kitefoil, Lukas Walton-Keim takes on Germany’s Jannis Maus, while Lucy Bilger tests herself against Olympic champion Eleanor Aldridge and experienced international rivals.

How can I follow the regatta?
Yachting New Zealand will provide live text updates, photos and video across all four days, alongside full coverage on its website and social media channels. For the first time, every race in every fleet can also be tracked live here.