Twelve teams from four nations will contest the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s premier match racing event, the 2026 Helly Hansen International.
Crews from Australia, Denmark, Great Britain and New Zealand will compete for the coveted Joy Ride Perpetual Trophy.
The 2026 regatta marks the second year of Helly Hansen Australia’s partnership with the event, continuing the brand’s support of high-performance match racing.
Defending champion Cole Tapper, the 2024 Youth Match Racing world champion and currently ranked world no. 6, will again represent the host club and enters as one of the favourites. Tapper is coming off a standout 2025 season, with victories at the Warren Jones International, back-to-back Governor’s Cup titles in Los Angeles, consecutive US Grand Slam event wins in New York, and most recently a strong showing at the World Match Racing Tour Final in Shenzhen, China last week.
New Zealand’s challenge will be led by Josh Hyde of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Hyde brings an impressive resume, including wins at the 2024 Hardy Cup, the 2023, 2024 and 2025 RNZYS Harken International Cup, and the 2024 New Zealand Youth Match Racing Nationals. He will be joined by two additional RNZYS entries, skippered by Ethan Fong and Sam Scott.
Denmark will be represented for the first time in the event’s history by Matias Rossing from the Royal Danish Yacht Club. Rossing has competed at the past two World Sailing Youth Match Racing World Championships in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Gdynia, Poland, finishing seventh and eighth respectively. Most recently, he sailed as crew for fellow Dane Jeppe Borch at the World Match Racing Tour Final last week, where they placed eighth.
Great Britain’s Zac West, representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, is among the strong international challengers. One of the most active competitors on the match racing circuit, West will be aiming to secure the trophy this week.
Western Australia will also be well represented, with two teams travelling to Sydney as part of their preparations for the Warren Jones Regatta. Marcello Torre and Mia Lovelady will skipper the two entries from the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club.
Racing will take place over four days, from Tuesday 20 January to Friday 23 January, with racing scheduled to begin at 1100hrs each day. Results and updates can be followed live via the CYCA website and social media channels.