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Sailing News for September 05, 2025

Autumn sailing is heating up. The Bermuda Gold Cup brings a stacked field back to Hamilton Harbour, while nine Class40s launched the Globe40 prologue south to Cadiz. The Star Worlds head to Split, Croatia, and Erica Lush makes history as just the third American to take on La Solitaire du Figaro. Dinghy action saw the Osprey South East Tour wrap up across Burnham, Margate, and Sheppey, while the RYA pumped £160k into youth and junior classes to strengthen the pipeline. Cruisers get a sails upgrade story worth noting, and wingfoilers battle it out in China. For our highlight, SailGP speculation swirls on which nations will join the league in 2026.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

World’s Best Return for Bermuda Gold Cup (5 min read)
The 73rd Bermuda Gold Cup is back this October, and the lineup is stacked. World No.1 Chris Poole, Swiss ace Eric Monnin, and four-time Bermuda champ Johnie Berntsson will battle it out in Hamilton Harbour for the oldest match racing trophy around. Add in legends like Ian Williams and rising stars from France, NZ, and Canada, and it’s shaping up to be a thriller. Bonus action: the Aspen Women’s Match Racing Regatta, where Anna Östling leads the chase for the 2025 title.

Globe40 Prologue – The Horses Are Unleashed (4 min read)
Nine Class40 crews blasted out of Lorient on a 900-mile sprint to Cadiz, kicking off the prologue of the second Globe40. The start came after a storm-soaked week in Brittany that felt more like a winter transatlantic, complete with climate-driven hurricanes brushing Europe. Now it’s all about strategy through Biscay, past Finisterre, and down Portugal’s coast, with every point counting after the nail-biting finish of the last edition. Cadiz, hosting its first big ocean race, is rolling out Andalusian hospitality and a festival vibe on the waterfront.

Star World Championship Heads to Split, Croatia (3 min read)
Split will welcome 107 teams from 20 nations for the 2025 Star World Championship, a class that has been crowning champions since 1922. Fourteen past world champs are back, including defending duo John Kostecki and Austin Sperry, but they will face heavy hitters like Negri, Kusznierewicz, Szabo, Doyle, and Cayard. The format is classic Star with one long tactical race a day on a big course, featuring legends, rising under 30 skippers, and women breaking into the fleet. Croatia is ready to put on a show.

Only Third American for Solo Classic (3 min read)
Erica Lush is about to make history as just the third American ever to tackle La Solitaire du Figaro, the legendary solo offshore race known as the Tour de France of sailing. She joins 34 rivals, including eight women, for a brutal three stage, 1,850 mile course along France’s Atlantic coast. After months of training in France, qualifying through Solo Maître CoQ, and a podium finish in the Bermuda 1-2, she is ready to test herself against the sport’s elite.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

Osprey Class – The South East Tour 2025 (6 min read)
The Osprey South East Tour wrapped up with a three-stop romp at Burnham, Margate, and Sheppey that mixed gnarly breeze, mud banks, capsizes, cracked hulls, and plenty of laughs. The Carrolls in 1116 came out on top overall, with Shaw and Little second and Wheeler and Mawhinney third. Each venue brought its own flavor, from Burnham BBQs to Margate fish and chips to Sheppey’s wild shifts. Strong socials, tight racing, and classic “you won the race you sailed” moments made this one for the books.

Youth Sailing/Development

Boost for Young Sailors as RYA Announces Youth and Junior Class Investment (4 min read)
The RYA just put nearly £160,000 into youth and junior classes to keep kids hooked on sailing for the long haul. Backed by Sport England, the funding powers training, coaching, and racing across the UK while also launching a new Evolution Fund to test ideas that better support young female sailors. From grassroots weekends to national pathways, the goal is simple: give every sailor a reason to stick around. Think more opportunities, more inclusivity, and a stronger pipeline for the next generation.

Cruising

Revitalize Sailing: Upgrade Your Sails for New Adventures (6 min read)
After 13 years of flogged out Dacron, Tor Johnson swapped to Doyle’s offshore laminates with Technora, carbon, and vertical battens and the difference was night and day. The new sails furl smoothly, hold their shape, and give his Jeanneau 509 a fresh turn of speed and confidence offshore. From CAD renderings to real world trials in Puget Sound, the upgrade turned sail trim headaches into slick performance. Think less swearing at jammed mains, more grins when the boat heels just right.

Foiling

2025 WingFoil Racing World Cup China – Day 2 (4 min read)
After three adrenaline-pumping long-distance races on day one in Daishan, day two went quiet with no wind on the course. Poland’s Kamil Manowiecki swept the men’s fleet while Italy’s Maddalena Spanu kept her grip on the women’s, and local favorite Meijuan Xiao made a strong comeback after injury. With racing paused, the opening ceremony stole the show, blending local culture with a global sailing crowd. Forecasts look good for the weekend, when the Golden Ticket Race and Medal Series will decide it all.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

SailGP’s gossip hour asks who grabs the league’s next slots, with Japan or China returning, a rumored UAE entry, and dark horses like Sweden and the Netherlands circling. The crew breaks down the 50% national roster rule and a spicy ~$60M buy-in, then fantasy-drafts stars like Slingsby and Phil Robertson while championing more female drivers after Martine Grael’s impact. Big-name investors keep flocking, and the youth pipeline is foiling-first. It’s speculation, but the dots connect.