Issue date
Next year's Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta is moving to a new date later in the summer and will once again be hosted by the Royal Akarana Yacht Club.
The event, which is this country's premier Olympic and youth classes regatta, has featured over Waitangi weekend in recent times but it will be on March 27-29 in 2020.
Windfoiling, which will replace the RS:X on the programme for the 2024 Paris Olympics, will be included for the first time alongside kitefoiling, which will also debut in Paris.
The later dates mean some of New Zealand's top Olympic class sailors will be missing, given it's on at the same time as the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma, but it will put more of a focus on youth sailors who will be the Olympic sailors of the future.
"Next year we will embrace the new foiling classes that have been announced for the 2024 Olympics and we'll also have a youth focus," said event director Sam Mackay, who is also Yachting New Zealand youth coordinator.
"We realise some of the country's top sailors won't be involved but that presents a great chance for up-and-coming sailors targetting future Olympics to perform. It's about looking to the next generation. It promises to be a terrific event with some quality racing and we expect it will attract some international competitors."
The Hyundai Marine Sport Centre at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club will provide an ideal venue for the regatta, especially considering the club will be fresh from hosting next month's 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 world championships.
The notice of race will be published in December, when entries will also open.
