race live on a Class 40
Race and Learn in Real Regattas
This is participation in live regattas, not a course. Capable racers step aboard a Verdier-designed Class 40 and compete in selected events across NZ and Australia. You’ll hold a defined race role, work in a small crew, and run the day’s plan from dock brief to finish. If you’re moving from club success to campaign-level racing, this is your seat.
Come ocean racing with us on our Class 40 racing yacht! Regatta Racing and Academy spots are now available for NZ and Australia’s most epic regattas including Sydney–Hobart and Trans Tasman crossings. Limited crew positions keep helm time high and learning clean.
Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Series – Tollgate Island Race
Bird Island Race 2026
Cabbage Tree Island Race 2026
Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race 2026
Festival of Sails – Melbourne/Geelong
Sydney to Gold Coast Race 2027
race live on a Class 40
Join the Crew. Race to Win
Regatta Racing with Vixen is straightforward: you join the team and race to win. We enter select events where a fast Class 40 and a small, disciplined crew can make real gains. Expect tight choreography, direct calls, and a clean rhythm from dock-out to finish.
Small crew, real responsibility
A sample of where we race
Coastal Fixtures Include:
- Bay of Islands Sailing Week (NZ)
- Airlie Beach Race Week
- Hamilton Island Race Week (AU)
Offshore Fixtures Include:
- Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race (AU)
- Gold Coast to Mackay Race (AU)
- Sydney to Auckland Race (AU) and more
See tiles for dates, miles, and difficulty.
Discipline from dock to finish
Standards & prerequisites
Professional standards; no passengers. You’ll need recent racing experience, sound fitness, and personal offshore gear to match the event. We run clear briefs, disciplined comms, and full participation on deck and below.
Role rotations, quiet choreography
Roles on board
- Helm, main, jib/kite trim, bow, pit, and nav/tactics
- Rotations are set for the event and adjusted to keep performance high
- Everyone contributes to starts, mark roundings, sail crossovers, and quick resets between races
make good calls faster
What to expect on race days
- Morning brief: forecast, course options, start plan
- Starts: time-on-distance, line bias, positioning in traffic
- Roundings: clean hoists/drops, mode shifts, stack moves
- Between races: checks, quick fixes, hydration, reset
- Post-race: short debrief, keep/stop/change notes
Additional Information
Race weeks reward detail
We start with a sharp plan—course, tide, breeze, and likely crossovers—then keep the language short so movements stay quiet. On the line, the focus is time-on-distance and holding mode through the first shift. Around the course, it’s about tidy mechanics: hoists and drops that don’t leak seconds, trims that find repeatable speed, and stack moves that keep the boat balanced.
Events span New Zealand and Australia
In the Bay of Islands you’ll race among islands and currents; in the Whitsundays you’ll manage tide, breeze bands and traffic; at Geelong you’ll see shifts and pressure lines on Port Phillip. The common thread: competitive fleets that punish mistakes and reward teams who stay organised.
Roles are real
Helm drives start and mode; trimmers manage shape and transitions; bow and pit own clean evolutions; nav/tactics call laylines and gates with enough notice to execute. Between races we run fast checks and fixes so the next start is launched at full readiness. At day’s end we debrief with keep/stop/change notes and set the plan for tomorrow.
Prerequisites are clear because standards matter
Tell us your recent roles and results, your availability, and your goals. If there’s a better fit—offshore passages or academy miles ahead of a longer campaign—we’ll say so. When you’re on the roster, you’re in it properly: start plans, real decisions, and results you can point to.