Ask anyone who has done Bay of Islands Sailing Week what stuck with them, and plenty will mention the beach party at Otehei Bay before they get to the racing. It’s back on Wednesday 27 January 2027, right in the middle of the regatta.
It’s hard to find a better spot for it in the Bay. Otehei Bay, on Urupukapuka Island, is a sheltered strip of sand with bush running down to the beach, and on party night it fills with sailors who have spent the week trying to beat each other round the course.
By dark, the crews who were trading tacks that afternoon are standing at the same bar. Bad calls get explained at length to anyone who’ll listen, and nobody’s version of the windward mark rounding quite matches anyone else’s.
You don’t have to have raced to get in. Shore crew, partners and holidaymakers who couldn’t pick a spinnaker from a genoa all ride out on the same ferry.
After a tough 2026
The 2027 edition is the 24th, and organisers want it to be a big one. Last January was a hard week, with the opening day abandoned and more racing lost to weather, and it was a difficult run financially as well. For 2027, the target is more than 100 entries as the event builds towards its 25th.
Island Racing fleets get six races across the week and Windward-Leeward fleets up to ten. Getting a crew to give up a week in January takes more than a race schedule, though, and Otehei Bay has long been part of the deal.
Music and the bar
DJ CeeKay, who lives in the Bay, is on the decks. Expect club classics, funky house and the odd anthem from a decade you’d rather not admit to.
Explore Group, a gold sponsor of the regatta, runs the island venue. There’s food, and a drink special Explore describes as rum-based. At a sailing regatta, nobody will be surprised.
Don’t bother packing the chilly bin. Otehei Bay runs under a managed licence, so BYO isn’t allowed. The bar stocks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
With racing still to come
Sailing Week 2027 runs from 24 to 28 January out of Opua, which means there’s still racing after the party. Skippers who want their crew sharp the next morning might agree on a ferry home before anyone leaves the dock.
Getting there
Now the logistics. Explore’s ferries leave Paihia, Russell and Opua at 6:30pm and cost $30 return. Boats come back from Otehei Bay at 10:15pm and 10:45pm, calling at all three.
You choose your return sailing when you book and can’t swap on the night. The wristband you get at boarding shows which boat you’re on. Be at the wharf early, and book ahead, as seats are limited.
Quick facts
- When: Wednesday 27 January 2027
- Where: Otehei Bay, Urupukapuka Island
- Music: DJ CeeKay
- Bar: Fully licensed, no BYO
- Ferries: 6:30pm from Paihia, Russell and Opua; return at 10:15pm or 10:45pm
- Cost: $30 return per person
- Book: exploregroup.co.nz
