Written by Royal Akarana Yacht Club, see original article here.
The RS Feva SailGP Inspire Regatta 2026 was held at Royal Akarana Yacht Club in Auckland from February 12-15, running alongside the SailGP weekend. As part of the global SailGP Inspire programme, the event gave young sailors the opportunity to race in a high-profile environment, experience professional sailing up close, and connect with athletes and modern sailing technology.
A strong fleet of 37 boats competed in the RS Feva XL class across nine races, with two discards. Provisional results as of February 14 saw Blake Duncan (helm) and Zac Loader (crew) from Napier Sailing Club take the win on boat 8845, finishing on a nett score of 11.0 after a consistently strong series that included multiple race wins.
Second place went to Lauchy Wills (helm) and Will Fyfe (crew) on boat 8850, representing HSC/GBC/BBYC/MBSC, finishing just three points back on 14.0 nett. Third overall was the all-girls team of Flora Stevens (helm) and Isla Brown (crew) on boat 4677, sailing for Glendowie BC / Royal Akarana YC / Kohimarama YC, ending the regatta on 17.0 nett despite a difficult final race.
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The RS Feva continues to cement its place as a leading youth double-handed class worldwide. With a simple but modern design, durable hull, and performance that rewards good teamwork and boat handling, it remains a popular step up from single-handed classes and a proven pathway toward higher-performance dinghies.
For New Zealand sailors, the RS Feva calendar remains busy beyond this event. National championships, traveller series regattas, and regular club racing continue to provide development opportunities, supported by strong local fleets and coaching programmes. With events like SailGP Inspire showcasing youth sailing on a big stage, the future of the RS Feva class in New Zealand looks healthy and competitive.
Congratulations to all competitors, and especially the podium teams, on a well-sailed regatta.
The event was supported by RS Sailing distributor NZ Sailcraft. Images by Justin Mitchell Photography.
