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By Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
The world’s top youth match racers are gearing up for the highly anticipated 2025 Toyota Youth International Match Racing Cup from February 27 to March 2 at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS).
Known as the unofficial youth match racing world championship, this event attracts elite sailors from across the globe, many of whom have gone on to achieve greatness in professional sailing. Past winners include notable names such as Nick Egnot-Johnson, Leo Takahashi, Harry Price, George Gautrey, Gavin Brady, Josh Junior, and America’s Cup winner Jimmy Spithill.
“Some amazing yachties have won this event over the years and the best of the best compete in this regatta and have gone on to some epic careers in sailing.," said RNZYS performance sailing manager and former match racing world champion Zak Merton.
Over four action-packed days, competitors will battle it out in a demanding format featuring double round robins for the first three days, followed by semifinals and finals on the last day. The ultimate goal? To claim the coveted title of 2025 Toyota Youth International Match Racing Cup champion.
Defending champion Josh Hyde, skipper of Waitemata Racing, returns to the event with his formidable crew – Mason Mulcahy, Zach Fong, Sofia Higgott and Cody Coughlan – determined to retain their title. Hyde and his team have had a stellar season, recently winning the Hardy Cup in Sydney and finishing as the top youth team at the prestigious Warren Jones Regatta in Perth. Hyde currently sits as the No 2-ranked youth match racer in the world.
“Waitemata Racing is super excited to be out on our home waters this week at the Toyota Youth International Match Racing Cup," said Hyde.
"We hope to carry forward the momentum from our recent win at the Hardy Cup and look to put in an even better performance. It’s great to see all the top Oceania teams coming over for our event, and we expect really tight racing. The team dynamic is feeling really strong at the moment, implementing daily rituals of Tai chi and dock-out tunes to keep vibes up and heads dialled."
Among those eager to challenge Hyde is world No 3 youth match racing helm Daniel Kemp of the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. Kemp has established himself as a strong contender in the match racing scene and will be looking to make his mark on the Auckland waters.
James Hayhoe and his team, representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, will also be ones to watch. After finishing as runners-up at the 2025 Hardy Cup, Hayhoe is eager to prove himself in his first-ever competition at RNZYS.
Travelling the farthest for this prestigious event is William Stratton and his team from Del Rey Yacht Club, USA.
With top international talent in the mix, competition is expected to be fierce.
The PredictWind forecast suggests a light-wind regatta, making local knowledge and strategic decision-making crucial - especially when navigating the strong tidal flows of the RNZYS racecourse.
The event will be sailed in the Emirates Team New Zealand fleet of Elliott 7s, which the America's Cup-winning team generously gifted to RNZYS in February 2024 by the America’s Cup-winning team. With evenly matched boats and top-tier talent, the racing promises to be intense, and the title remains anyone’s to take.
Results from this regatta go towards a team’s world ranking.
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Photo: Josh Hyde and his Waitemata Racing team. Photo / Live Sail Die
