Every first weekend of December, Waiake Beach on Auckland’s North Shore becomes the epicentre of youth sailing in the Southern Hemisphere. The Sir Peter Blake Torbay Regatta, hosted by Torbay Sailing Club, has grown into the largest mixed centreboard youth regatta below the equator, and 2026 marks its 24th edition, set for 5–6 December.
The numbers alone tell a story of scale. Last December, 352 sailors raced 327 boats across 15 fleets, representing 32 clubs from as far afield as the Bay of Islands, Dunedin, Singapore and New Caledonia. Four race courses were needed to handle the fleet, supported by 35 official boats and roughly 40 coach and support craft. None of it runs without the club’s volunteer army: more than 150 people, split evenly between water and shore duties, who also fed the fleet over 1,200 sausages, 40 kilograms of bacon and 2,100 slices of bread across the weekend.
Classes span the full development pathway, from Optimist Green Fleet through to ILCA, 29er, RS Feva, 420 and iQFOiL, meaning eight-year-olds on their first regatta start line share the water with future Olympic and America’s Cup prospects. Torbay Sailing Club’ Regatta Director David Wright puts the event’s longevity down to consistency: fixed dates, a fixed venue, and a format that hasn’t strayed from its founding purpose.
What sets the Blake apart from a standard youth series is its emphasis on character over raw results. Prizes for sportsmanship and fair play, including recognition for sailors who honestly take their own penalty turns, sit alongside the podium medals. Green and White fleet race marks are inflatable flamingos, unicorns and peacocks rather than intimidating buoys, keeping the entry-level experience playful even as the racing further up the fleet sharpens into genuine talent identification.
The regatta’s marquee award, the Sir Peter Blake Trophy, rewards leadership and attitude as much as speed. Past recipients include Olympic gold medallists Jo Aleh, Peter Burling and Sam Meech. In 2025, the trophy went to 29er pairing Nelsen Meacham and Louis Quere, whose composed, error-free series and influence on the wider fleet embodied the values the regatta was built to honour.
There’s also a physical link to Sir Peter’s legacy on the water. During the 2024 event, Steinlager II, his Whitbread 1989 winning boat was in the bay and in 2025 his maxi yacht Lion New Zealand joined the regatta, both times drawing sailors and swimmers to them between races, a quiet reminder of the bluewater ambitions the junior fleet is quietly training toward.
For a club regatta, the Blake punches well above its weight. It’s simultaneously a grassroots festival and a proving ground, and every name on next December’s startlist is a reminder that New Zealand’s sailing pipeline still runs straight through a small beach in Torbay.
Registration for this years regatta open on the 1st October. Open to all youth sailors under 19 years of age on the 31st Dec this year. Go to Torbaysailing.club and follow the regatta link to sign up.
