Yacht Racing Forum 2026 - Performance, industry and business

SailGP illustrates one dimension of the evolution of our sport, combining performance, commercial development and industry engagement © Jonathan Näckstrand

The 2026 Yacht Racing Forum programme is taking shape and promises two days of high-level discussions dedicated to sailing and yacht racing.

Held in Amsterdam on November 19-20, at the end and right after Metstrade, the Forum will once again bring together the sport's leading personalities, decision-makers, event organisers, technical suppliers, sponsors and innovators from all over the world.

This year's edition will place a strong emphasis on the key forces shaping the industry: performance, commercial development, technology and business opportunities. Topics will include artificial intelligence, sponsorship in a challenging economic environment, race formats, event management, host venue strategies, innovation in yacht design, and the contribution of yacht racing to maritime decarbonisation.

The programme will also reflect the growing importance of mainstream sailing and accessible racing formats, recognising their major impact on participation and the industry ecosystem.

With keynote speeches, expert panels and extensive networking opportunities — including the traditional Sailors' Night — the Yacht Racing Forum continues to position itself as the leading B2B conference for the business of sailing and yacht racing.

Register at yachtracingforum.com

The Baltic Yacht Raven has made a strong impression with its combination of huge foils and a comfortable, stylish interior, proving that high performance and comfort can successfully coexist - photo © Roddy Grimes-Graeme - Roddyacqua

The world's coolest new race boats!

It has become a tradition: each year, the Yacht Racing Forum shines a spotlight on some of the most spectacular and successful racing yachts developed in recent times, together with the naval architects, builders and project leaders behind them.

Inspired by the success of the Mini Transat yachts, Palanad 4 is the first “big” boat to adopt this avant-garde design. Scows have proven to be faster, more stable, drier and more spacious — so why shouldn't the concept work equally well on a 50-footer? - photo © James Mitchell / RORC

While a few final confirmations are still pending, we are already delighted to announce presentations dedicated to the Baltic Yacht RAVEN imagined by Finnish designer, Jarkko Jämsén as well as the Mach50 Palanad 4, designed by Sam Manuard.

Conference program (draft)

Marit Bouwmeester, the sports' most decorated Olympic female sailor of all times, an inspiring opening keynote speaker for the Yacht Racing Forum 2024 - photo © Thomas Vaer

Conference Programme: Where are the women?

The Yacht Racing Forum strongly supports inclusivity within sailing and the marine industry, and has consistently promoted the role of women in the development of our sport.

As we build the 2026 conference programme, one reality continues to stand out: when companies are invited to propose senior executives, the overwhelming majority of the names submitted are men.

This places us in a difficult position, as the speaker line-up inevitably reflects the lack of diversity that still characterises parts of our industry — and, more broadly, society itself. As Knut Frostad pointed out during last year's Forum, our sport continues to be dominated by "old, white, rich men".

Yet there is another reality: highly talented and accomplished women are active throughout the sailing world, in engineering, event organisation, marketing, technology, sustainability, communications, management and many other fields.

We encourage companies, teams, yacht clubs, federations and industry stakeholders to look closely at the talent within their organisations and to actively propose female speakers for the Yacht Racing Forum 2026 programme. We would be delighted to welcome more women on stage and to give greater visibility to the many female professionals helping shape the future of our sport.