2026 Gold Cup – Shipping to AUS

Greetings USAFA Members and Friends,

During informal conversations at and following the 2025 U.S. Nationals at Key Biscayne Yacht Club, several sailors expressed strong interest in attending the 2026 Gold Cup in Brisbane, Australia.

The Gold Cup is scheduled for February 12–19, 2026 and will be immediately followed by the Finn World Masters from February 20–27, 2026. Additionally, the Australian National Championship, serving as a warm-up regatta, is planned for February 7–12, 2026.

To support a seamless sailing season and encourage maximum participation from North American sailors, USAFA has worked with local fleets to organically schedule major USAFA events as follows:
• October 2025 – North American Championship in Newport Beach, CA. Boats will be shipped to Australia immediately after.
• January 2026 – Boats arrive in Australia.
• February 2026 – Participation in Australian Finn events (Nationals, Gold Cup, World Masters).
• April 2026 – Boats return to the U.S.
• May 2026 – U.S. Nationals in Long Beach, CA.

The club website is: https://www.rqys.com.au
The Event website with entry forms, Notice of Race is here: https://www.rqys.com.au/international-finn-2026-events/

The projected transportation cost for a round-trip shipment of one boat (based on stacking nine boats per container) is approximately $1,500. The final market price can only be finalized no more than 60 days before the shipment date.

Given the time commitment, financial costs, and physical demands of competing in three back-to-back events, it is expected that most sailors will choose to participate in either the Gold Cup or the World Masters, rather than both. This opens an opportunity for two sailors to share the transport cost by shipping one hull with two masts, each using the same boat for different events.

If you are interested in attending any or all of the 2026 Australian events, please contact Phillip Ramming at rpramming@gmail.com. Phil is the primary point of contact for coordinating the shipping logistics to Australia.

Rob McMillan, International Finn President from Australia, reports that to date, approximately 60 boats from Europe have expressed strong interest in attending, and 50 Australians are expected. The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in Brisbane is a fantastic venue with plenty of real estate to store boats for as long as needed. The local fleet has arranged volunteers to meet the containers when they arrive, unpack them if necessary for customs, and transport them to the Club for storage. It is a very welcoming / sailor-oriented Club. He says sea breezes from 12 to 18 are standard for that time of year.

The Gold Cup will be sailed in open water outside Green Island. The Masters Worlds will be inside Green Island in more protected waters.

We hope to see a strong North American presence in Australia!

Very respectfully,
Rodion Mazin
USAFA President