The World's Best Young Match Racers Descend on Pittwater
Some of the world’s most talented young sailors are arriving on Pittwater this week for the 32nd HARKEN International Youth Match Racing Championship. With the world’s top three ranked youth match racing skippers in the line-up, strong Trans-Tasman rivalries and ten teams ready to do battle, this promises to be an exceptional championship.
As we highlighted in last week’s newsletter, the HARKEN International Youth Match Racing Championship has a remarkable history of developing sailors who go on to achieve great things in the sport. This week, however, the spotlight turns to the competitors themselves — particularly the visiting teams hoping to take the prestigious Rockin’ Robin Perpetual Trophy away from Pittwater.
Hosted by RPAYC from 11–15 November, with the longstanding support of naming-rights sponsor Harken Australia, the championship brings together ten teams competing in the club’s identical Elliott 7 keelboats.
The Trans-Tasman Challenge
New Zealand has a particularly strong presence this year, led by Ethan Fong of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS), now number one in the World Sailing Youth Open match racing rankings, swapping places with Daniel Kemp. The new order adds another twist to their Pittwater rivalry: Fong arrives as the highest-ranked skipper, while Kemp has home-water experience on his side.
Ethan has unfinished business on Pittwater. In 2024, he was narrowly defeated by Kemp in a thrilling five-race final. He returned in 2025 and again reached the final, only to be beaten by his brother, Zach Fong, who took the trophy for New Zealand.
Having come so close on two occasions, Ethan will undoubtedly be determined to go one better this year.
Joining him from RNZYS is Robbie Wooldridge, now ranked tenth in the world; down from 9th in the previous rankings. Wooldridge finished fourth in last year’s championship and returns with valuable experience of both the competition and the Elliott 7 fleet.
With two highly ranked skippers and considerable experience on Pittwater, the New Zealand teams will be among the strongest challengers.
Other Sydney Challengers
The visiting teams from other Sydney clubs are equally impressive.
James Hayhoe, representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS), remains third in the youth world rankings, keeping him firmly in the leading trio despite the change at the top. He has enjoyed a successful season, including victory at the Toyota Youth International Match Racing Championship in Auckland.
Hayhoe will be joined by fellow RSYS skipper Massimo Henderson, now ranked 16th in the youth world rankings. Together, they give the Squadron two strong opportunities to challenge for the trophy.
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) is also sending one team, led by Heidi Ferguson.
Ferguson, now 53rd in the youth world rankings, will be keen to test herself against the world’s leading youth match racers.
Tactical decisions and teamwork in current form can make all the difference, so there is plenty of opportunity for less highly ranked teams to cause an upset.
Challenge from Western Australia
Travelling across the country to compete is Angus Cameron of the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Perth.
Now 37th in the youth world rankings, Cameron is a substantial challenger.
For young sailors like Cameron, the opportunity to race against international opposition in closely matched boats is invaluable, and the HARKEN Championship has long provided exactly that.
RPAYC’s Home-Team Challenge
RPAYC will have four teams competing, led by Daniel Kemp, now the world’s number-two-ranked youth match racing skipper and winner of the HARKEN Championship in 2024.
Kemp has enjoyed another successful international season, including a silver medal at the 2026 World Sailing Youth Match Racing World Championship in Denmark.
Louis Tilly, now ninth in the youth world rankings (up from 15th), was a member of Kemp’s winning crew in 2024 but returns this year as a skipper in his own right. He comes into the championship following back-to-back victories at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, including both their open match racing event in September and the Youth National Match Racing Championships in October.
RPAYC’s third skipper, Ash Napper, is joined by Sophie Hart from the club’s Youth Development Squads. Hart brings recent success in Manly’s 16ft skiff fleet to the host-club challenge.
With four teams in the competition, RPAYC has every reason to hope that the Rockin’ Robin Trophy might remain on Pittwater this year.
A World-Class Field on Our Doorstep
It is not often that a club has the opportunity to host the world’s three highest-ranked youth match racing skippers in the same event.
Ethan Fong, Daniel Kemp and James Hayhoe occupy the top three places in that order, while Louis Tilly’s rise to join Robbie Wooldridge in the top ten means five of the world’s top ten youth skippers will be racing. However, with ten competitive teams in the field, it’s performance, not rankings, that determines the outcome.
The New Zealand teams will be looking to continue their recent success, the visiting Australian clubs will be eager to make their mark, and RPAYC’s four teams will be doing everything they can to secure a home victory.
Whatever the result, the 2026 HARKEN International Youth Match Racing Championship promises four days of outstanding competition and another opportunity for RPAYC to play a leading role in the development of the next generation of international sailing talent.
We wish all ten teams the very best of luck and look forward to welcoming our visiting sailors to Pittwater.