The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club will once again welcome some of the world’s most promising young match racers to Pittwater when the 32nd HARKEN International Youth Match Racing Championship gets underway on Wednesday 11 November 2026.
First held in 1992, the HARKEN International Youth Match Racing Championship celebrates 35 years of history in 2026. Organised and hosted by RPAYC, with the longstanding sponsorship of Harken Australia, the event has become one of the most respected youth match racing regattas in the Southern Hemisphere.
Over more than three decades, the championship has provided a stepping stone for talented young sailors aspiring to compete at the highest levels of the sport. Many past competitors have subsequently enjoyed successful careers in the America’s Cup, SailGP, the World Match Racing Tour and other international sailing competitions.
A remarkable roll of honour
Perhaps the most famous name on the championship’s winners list is James Spithill, who won the event representing RPAYC in both 1996 and 1998. He went on to become one of the world’s best-known professional sailors, winning the America’s Cup in 2010 and 2013, including the extraordinary comeback victory by Oracle Team USA in San Francisco.
Other notable past winners include Torvar Mirsky, who became a world match racing champion, and Seve Jarvin, whose achievements in 18-foot skiff racing have made him one of Australia’s most successful sailors.
The championship’s roll of honour also includes Katie Spithill (now Pellew), Tommy Spithill, Michael Dunstan, Chris Steele and Will Boulden, demonstrating the extraordinary calibre of sailors who have competed in and won the event.
RPAYC’s proud record
As the host club, RPAYC has a particularly strong connection with the championship. Since its inception, seven RPAYC skippers have claimed the trophy on eight occasions:
Year | Winning skipper |
1992 | Aaron Links |
1993 | Matt Goulter |
1996 | James Spithill |
1998 | James Spithill |
1999 | Katie Spithill |
2008 | Tommy Spithill |
2014 | Milly Bennett |
2024 | Daniel Kemp |
Among these achievements, Milly Bennett’s victory in 2014 with an all-female crew was particularly memorable.
More recently, Daniel Kemp brought the trophy back to RPAYC in 2024, ending a ten-year drought for the host club. Kemp and his crew of Louis Tilly, Lachlan Wallace, Charlie Verity and Isabella Holdsworth secured victory in a closely contested five-race final against New Zealand’s Ethan Fong.
The trophy returned to New Zealand in 2025, when Zach Fong of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron claimed the title in an all Kiwi final.
The 2026 championship
This year’s event will be contested from 12–15 November, with ten teams competing in RPAYC’s fleet of identical Elliott 7 keelboats.
The championship carries a World Sailing Youth Grade 3 designation, recognising its place on the international match racing calendar and its contribution to the development and ranking of young match racing talent.
RPAYC will be strongly represented, with four home-club skippers competing:
- Daniel Kemp, currently ranked number one in the youth match racing world rankings, returns seeking another victory.
- Louis Tilly, ranked 17th in the youth world rankings and a member of Kemp’s winning crew in 2024, will compete as skipper.
- Ash Napper will also represent RPAYC from our IYD Program, adding another talented young skipper to the club’s challenge.
- Sophie Hart will also represent RPAYC from our YD Squad, adding another talented young skipper to the club’s challenge.
With four home teams and strong international opposition, the stage is set for another exciting week of closely fought racing.
More than just a regatta
While the competition on the water is always fierce, the HARKEN International Youth Match Racing Championship is about much more than winning a trophy.
It offers young sailors the opportunity to develop their tactical skills, teamwork, decision-making and leadership under the pressure of international competition. It also builds friendships and connections between sailors and clubs around the world.
For RPAYC, the event is a tangible demonstration of the club’s longstanding commitment to youth sailing and the development of the next generation of international competitors.
Thirty-five years after the inaugural event, that commitment remains as strong as ever.
We wish all competitors the very best of luck, particularly our three RPAYC teams, and look forward to another outstanding championship on Pittwater.
Racing commences Wednesday 11 November and concludes Sunday 15 November 2026.