2026 J24 Worlds set for Melbourne
by Simon Grain 17 Dec 20:19 NZDT
4-11 November 2026
J24 World Championship © Luis Ferreiro
The 2026 J24 World Championship is being held at the iconic Sandringham Yacht Club in Melbourne from the 4-11th November. This will be the 4th Worlds to be held in Australia and the second at Sandringham YC.
The last being in 2006. Already the Australian J24 Association has started receiving informal enquiries about competing from skippers in the US, England and Europe and a fleet of some 40 boats is expected with half that number being overseas visitors. Preparations are well under way by the J24 World Championship Organising Committee and Sandringham YC, with potential sponsors being contacted, charter boat owners being sounded out and hosting and racing plans worked through with the yacht club. In the next two years we have several run up events to prepare for the Worlds.
Both the 2025 and 2026 Nationals (January - overseas entries welcome) are being held at Sandy, the Victorian State Champs at Sandy (April) in both years and in the final run up to the worlds, Sandringham runs a full winter series providing more practice. There will be a Pre-Worlds 2 day Regatta on 31 Oct - 1st November. Monday 2nd is a day off, Tuesday is the Melbourne Cup horse race and is a big public holiday in Melbourne. We plan to organise a day at the races for those competitors and supporters wanting to go. Wednesday 4th November to Friday 6th is Registration and Measurement, with an Invitation Race on the Friday afternoon.
Saturday 7th - Wednesday 11th is five days of World Championship racing on Port Phillip right in front of the yacht club with a focus on hard racing and a great Aussie style social scene to match.
Now is the time to be thinking about 'down-under' in 2026.
For more information please regularly go to syc.com.au/j24-worlds.