2025 Toyota Youth International Match Racing Cup for the Waitemata race

2025 Toyota Youth International Match Racing Cup for the Waitemata race

By Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron March 2, 23.37 PST
February 27 – March 2, 2025

AWaitemata Racing, led by Skipper Josh Hyde, emerged as the winner for four days in 2025 in the Toyota Youth International Match Racing Cup and successfully defended her title in a two racing final at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (Rnzys).

At the eagerly awaited event, some of the best young players from all over the world fought under challenging conditions in the Waitemata port of Auckland. The regatta showed intensive double round Round Robin Racing, followed by the semi -finals and finals, which held the spectators on the edge until the last race.

final

Waitemata Racing (Josh Hyde) – 2 against social division racing – 0 (Samuel Scott)

Hyde and his crew – Mason Mulcahy, Zach Fong, Sofia Higgott and Cody Coughlan – provided a master class in tactical sailing and overcome their competition to claim the coveted title. Her triumph contributes to an impressive season after winning the Hardy Cup in Sydney and a strong performance with the Warren Jones Regatta in Perth. Hyde, currently the No. 2 Ranged Youth Match Racer in the world, showed his serenity under pressure and secured a double racing victory in a closely contested final against the Rnzys skipper Samuel Scott.

“It is an incredible feeling to defend our title at home,” said Hyde after the trophy was lifted. “The team made great efforts, and we knew that we had to bring our A-game out there with such strong competition. Our Tai-Chi rituals and dock-out melodies definitely kept us in the right setting! ”

Scott showed why he is one of the top racing drivers of the young games, even though the team had a challenging Round Robin series.

Dainty final

Quest racing – 2 against Smith's race – 0

Ethan Fong (Quest) and Hayden Smith (Smith's race) had more intensely in two races that the referees kept up. During their dainty final race, flags flew, with some movements issued, described by their trainer Zak Merton as “interesting”.

“Both teams really drove the boundaries of their races – these teams are always pushing each other in training, but it seemed as if the intensity was reinforced and showed how much this event means for them,” said Merton.

After two races, it was Fong at the top of the quest race, which secured a podium in third place.

With the four best teams in the Rnzys competition, the incredible depth of the talent in the Mastercard Youth Training Program of the Squadron showed.

The predictive wind forecast held in the four days with light wind and strong tidal flows and gives the race a further layer of complexity. Skipper who can quickly adapt and have strategic maneuvers have been carried out in the difficult conditions. Local knowledge also played a major role in the overall results.

The 2025 Toyota Youth International Match Racing Cup has again shown why it is one of the world's most prestigious youth sailing events. With the racing fleet of Elliott 7s, which was gifted by the Emirates team New Zealand in 2024 -the competition remained violent from start to finish.

If teams think about their performance and have their sights on future regattas, one thing is certain: The next generation of Match -Rennn -Talenter is stronger than ever, and many of these young seafarers are intended for size in sport.

Rnzys thanks to the voluntary racing management and referee teams as well as the Murray's Bay Sailing Club, the Ponsonby Cruising Club, the Northcote Birkenhead Yacht Club, North Sails and the West family to provide additional support boats for the event.

2025 Toyota Youth International Match Racing Cup – End of results

1. – Waitemata Racing – NZL / Rnzys Josh Hyde, Mason Mulcahy, Zach Fong, Sofia Higgott and Cody Coughlan

2. – Social Division Racing – NZL / Rnzys Samuel Scott, Finn Balchin, Tim McCulloch, Alissa Marshall and Winsten Liesbach

3. – Quest Racing – NZL / RNZYS EThan Fong, Hugo McMullen, Maddie Rist, Wilbur Stanley and Lucas Day

4th – Smiths race – NZL / RNZYS HAYDEN SMITH, Robbie Wooldridge, Luca Smith, Pheobe Buckland and Austin Candlish

5. – Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club – from / RPayc Daniel Kemp, Louis Tilly, Lachlan Wallace, Charlie Verity, Isabella Holdsworth

6. Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron – from / Rsys James Hayhoe, Ellie Braddon, Michael King, James Hopkins, Harriet Mclachlan

7. – Cruising Yacht Club of Australia – Aus / Cyca Ben Crafoord, Chelsea Williams, Nick Drummond, Charlie Watts, Rye Brady

8. Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron – Aus / RSYS XAVIER MCLACHLAN, Main: Tom Rees, Gretel Payne, Katrina Casimaty, Rafeal McLaughlan

9. Jam Hot Racing – NZL / Rnzys Charley Cates, Jacob Furiss, Jolly Koska, Chris Kenrick

10. – Del Rey Yacht Club Match Racing – USA / DRYC William Stratton, Matei Meglic, Leila Landay, Lucca Farrel & Cooper Keeves

11. Hauraki racing / nzl / rnzys Leo Jeffrey, Karol Zhang, Georgia Howlett, Ellie Petty and Bradley Perry

Event website rnzys.org.nz/sailing/yout native