Port Stephens 20th

Sail Port Stephens will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2027, with entries now open for 11 days of racing across three weeks from 12 April to 2 May.

Photography by Sail Port Stephens/Promocean Media

16 October 2026

Australia’s largest sailing regatta, Sail Port Stephens, is preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2027, with Notices of Race published and entries now open for the milestone event.

Sail Port Stephens 2027 will feature 11 days of racing across three consecutive weeks from 12 April to 2 May, bringing together cruising yachts, grand-prix racers, one-design fleets, dinghies and multihulls for a celebration of competitive sailing and the event’s enduring social atmosphere.

Since its launch in 2008 with just 20 boats, Sail Port Stephens has grown into one of Australia’s premier sailing festivals, attracting competitors from across the country and overseas.

Multihull racing adds another dimension to the diverse fleet competing at Sail Port Stephens.

Colourful spinnakers fill the horizon as the Commodores Cup fleet races across the waters of Port Stephens.

Cape 31 crews power through challenging conditions during racing at Sail Port Stephens.

Close competition among the off-the-beach classes highlights the breadth of sailing at Sail Port Stephens.

The fun continues ashore as sailors enjoy the social atmosphere at Sail Port Stephens.

The 2026 regatta set new records, welcoming 271 boats and 2,613 sailors and supporters, while generating an estimated $9.35 million in economic activity for the Port Stephens region.

The anniversary follows further recognition for the event, which recently received the Australian Sailing NSW/ACT Sport Promotion Award and was subsequently named a finalist in the national Australian Sailing Awards.

Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club CEO Paul O’Rourke said the milestone provided an opportunity to reflect on the regatta’s growth.

“We started with 20 boats and here we are, 20 years later, with 270-plus,” he said.

From day 1, the event has always been about combining great sailing with a relaxed social atmosphere, and that’s something we’ve aimed to preserve as the event has continued to grow. Our 20th anniversary regatta promises to be even bigger and brighter, but just as welcoming.”

The program opens with the popular Commodores Cup Passage Series from 12 to 17 April, with more than 110 cruising yachts expected for six days of racing through the islands and waterways of the Port Stephens Marine Park.

The Performance Series from 23 to 25 April will bring grand-prix competition to the region, incorporating the NSW IRC Yachting Championship, TP52 Gold Cup and ORC Rob Hampshire Trophy, alongside one-design racing.

The final weekend, 30 April to 2 May, will feature the Bay Series, bringing together off-the-beach dinghies, cruising multihulls competing in the Cat Stephens series and luxury racer-cruisers in the Super RC division.

A comprehensive shoreside program will complement the racing, with the Regatta Village at d’Albora Marina Nelson Bay hosting live entertainment, presentations and a community street party.

Managed by Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, Sail Port Stephens is supported by the NSW Government through Destination NSW, Port Stephens Council, commercial partners and volunteers.

sailportstephens.com.au

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