Winning team of Royal Akarana Yacht on the last day of racing in the Toyota Kiwi Cup Regatta.
Photo: Adam Mustill / Live Sail Die

While Ineos Britania earned the right to challenge for the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona last night, a few hours earlier another cup was being contested on local waters. With ten youth teams from across New Zealand hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) yesterday saw the final day of racing in the Toyota Kiwi Cup Regatta.

“I am so proud of the ten teams, with three days training and then the two-day regatta in the Emirates Team New Zealand Elliott 7s. At the start of the week a lot of these kids haven’t sailed together or in keelboats before,” informed RNZYS Performance Sailing Manager Zak Merton. “

The week-long intensive ended with the two-day regatta and some fierce competition.

In the end it was down to the two Auckland teams, proving the local edge. With Royal Akarana Yacht Club (RAYC) beating Murrays Bay Sailing Club by just one point.

At Prizegiving the RAYC team when asked about their biggest challenges over the week, skipper Louis Quere spoke about the “shifty conditions, picking the right shift would make or break your race” the rest of the crew had some humorous feedback for the RNZYS team about the quality of the lodging in “tent city”.

Although the level of on-water sailing at the Toyota Kiwi Cup was significantly high, the event was also an opportunity to develop the next generation of marine minded individuals. RNZYS General Manager Sarah Wiblin spoke about leveraging partnerships within the marine industry as being a key component of the week-long event. “The response from our RNZYS partners was amazing, with them getting onboard quickly and supporting the vision of bringing together youth sailors from across the country to expand and ignite their futures in the marine environment”.

The sailors enjoyed hearing from the likes of Live Ocean, Predict Wind, MAST New Zealand, doing offsite tours of North Sails & Southern Spars. They also experienced a formal dinner with RNZYS Life Members, Past Commodores and supporters of youth sailing to round out their week.

Toyota Kiwi Cup sailors learning some tricks of trade at the North Sails Auckland loft.
Photo: Adam Mustill / Live Sail Die

The Regatta holds a special connection to Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ), and the Toyota Kiwi Cup sailors ended their week last night with a video call from Barcelona, where Ray Davies and Josh Junior answered their burning questions, gave them some insider information, the lucky sailors even got to give a quick wave to Pete, Blair and the sailing team training on the simulator.

Toyota New Zealand Assistant Vice President, Susanne Hardy, says that the regatta is a significant step for these young sailors towards achieving their goals of progressing in the sport of sailing.

“At Toyota, we’ve always been strong supporters of grassroots sport and know the importance it plays in the success of many of our national teams. Our longstanding support of sailing in New Zealand with the Optimist Nationals, through to Emirates Team New Zealand is testament to that. It’s exciting to see the Toyota Kiwi Cup taking place for the first time, it is a great opportunity for these young sailors to test themselves and have some fun.”

“To continue the ongoing legacy of New Zealand sailing success we need to foster our young sailors and develop their skills to continue to compete on the world stage at the top level” says RNZYS General Manager Sarah Wiblin. “For some of these young people their pathway to being part of ETNZ will start this week and that’s something we’re all proud to be a part of.”

Full results –kiwicup.co.nz/regatta/

1 Royal Akarana Yacht Club

2 Murrays Bay Sailing Club

3 Charteris Bay Yacht Club

4 Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club

5 Sandspit Yacht Club

6 Wanaka & Nelson Combined Clubs

7 Plimmerton Boating Club

8 Napier Sailing Club – Also awarded most improved.

9 Queen Charlotte Yacht Club

10 Kerikeri Cruising Club

About Toyota New Zealand and Emirates Team New Zealand 

Toyota New Zealand has been a major supporter of ETNZ since its inception and successful campaign in 1992. Committed to supporting community connection from a grassroots level, Toyota New Zealand is proud to support Kiwi success on an international level.

About the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron 

Established in1871 the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) is the most successful yacht club in the world based on international titles won. It is also the only clubto have won and defended the America’ s Cup twice. RNZYS is the holder of the America’s Cup Deed of Gift that governs the rules of the America’s Cup.

The Toyota Kiwi Cup regatta is proudly supported by:

  • Toyota
  • Emirates Team New Zealand
  • Musto
  • Southern Spars
  • North Sails
  • Live Sail Die
  • Predict Wind
  • Canon
  • Yachting New Zealand

Media Enquiries:
For further comment and interview requests please email
Hamish Williams
[email protected] or 027 475 4672.