24 hours of sailing news in 5 minutes.

Sailing News for October 03, 2025

This week is all about resilience and reinvention on (and off) the water. SailGP’s leaders, the Flying Roos, are in Cádiz eyeing yet another title push, while the forecast promises tricky foiling conditions. Inshore, Georgia Clancy breaks barriers at the Manly 16s with a podium finish, and the RS500 Nationals showcase youth on the rise. Olympic formats face turmoil ahead of LA 2028, and South Australia crowns its Youth Champs. Cruising couples prove Alzheimer’s isn’t the end of adventures, and a new diversity report warns sailing must widen its welcome. Finally, don’t miss the RYA’s gritty 24-hour dinghy race highlight.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

All eyes on the Aussies as the Championship leaders arrive in Cádiz (5 min read)
The Flying Roos are back in Spain and looking deadly as SailGP hits Cádiz for its last European stop. With steady breeze and rolling Atlantic swell on tap, Tom Slingsby’s crew are primed to flex their boat-handling skills and lock in more points before the Abu Dhabi Grand Final. The Aussies already have three titles and five podiums this season, and they’re not planning on easing off the throttle. Expect precision, speed and maybe a little Aussie swagger.

Foiling Forecast: Cádiz (4 min read)
SailGP hits Cádiz this weekend for the final European showdown before the Abu Dhabi Grand Final, and the big question is whether the breeze will deliver. Forecasts call for sunny skies, mid-70s temps, and steady westerlies around 9–10 mph with gusts nudging 16–18 mph. That’s just enough for the fleet to pop onto the foils if they nail their boat speed. Expect marginal but manageable conditions, plenty of tactical calls, and some tense moments on the start line.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Manly 16s Club Championship heats 1, 2: Women on the Move (5 min read)
Georgia Clancy made history at Manly 16ft Skiff Club, becoming the first woman on the board of directors and then jumping straight into racing with a podium finish in heat two. Sailing Shebang with her sister Alanna, Clancy shook off a slow start to claim second place behind Buckingham Marine. Meanwhile, Zoe Dransfield’s Red Pumps Red sits second overall despite spinnaker struggles, with Buckingham Marine holding the top spot. In the 13s, Harken and Buckingham Marine are tied after trading wins.

Noble Marine RS500 National Championship at Mount’s Bay – Overall (7 min read)
Four days of tight racing in Mount’s Bay ended with Tim and Heather Wilkins defending their RS500 National title in style, stacking up bullets and consistency to stay clear of the chasing pack. Emma and Luke McEwan claimed second overall after a late charge, edging out Edd Whitehead and Ian Mairs on countback. Nearly a quarter of the fleet were under 18, giving the class a serious youth boost ahead of next year’s Worlds in Travemünde. Big plans and big vibes for the 500s.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

Consider yourself warned… (5 min read)
Olympic sailing is twisting itself in knots trying to stay in the Games, and LA 2028 could be chaos. Each class is testing new scoring formats that aim for a simple “first to finish wins” approach, but critics argue it strips away the depth that makes sailing fair. Imagine ten events, each scored differently. Add in a frantic nod to SailGP-style live scoring and you have a sport trying way too hard to impress. Buckle up, the experiment starts now.

Youth Sailing/Development

2025 ZHIK Youth Sail SA Championships Wrap (7 min read)
Adelaide Sailing Club hosted over 60 sailors for the ZHIK Youth Sail SA Championships, with fleets ranging from 420s to Optimists. Light winds cut racing short, but Saturday delivered three decisive heats that crowned new state champs and selected teams for the 2025 Youth Worlds in Portugal. Big congrats to Fraser and Will, and Imogen and Ashlie, who earned those golden tickets. Olympic sailor Olivia Price joined for Q&A and prize giving, while the onshore hero was Vili’s famous post-race snack.

Cruising

Cruising with Alzheimer’s: how one couple have adapted to continue sailing together (7 min read)
Tony and Ann Montgomery-Smith have been cruising for nearly 60 years, and even with Ann’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, they’re still sailing their Dazcat 9.2 Razzmatazz through the Greek islands. The key is breaking down every task into simple, non-nautical instructions while keeping Ann actively involved on board. From color-coded lines to careful routines, they’ve adapted without giving up the life they love. At 80-plus, they’re proving that with creativity and patience, it’s still possible to share adventures at sea.

Spotlight

Sailing’s Diversity Challenge: What 2025 Reveals (8 min read)
The 2025 Diversity in Sailing report pulls no punches: the sport risks irrelevance if it doesn’t get more inclusive. From The Magenta Project’s massive 2X25 equity review to grassroots programs like Community Sailing New Orleans, efforts are underway to open doors across gender, race, and ability. Early survey data shows progress for women but continued gaps elsewhere. The takeaway? Sailing’s future depends on whether today’s kids of all backgrounds can see themselves at the helm tomorrow.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

As part of its 150th anniversary, the RYA fielded a mostly female crew in the legendary West Lancs 24 Hour Race, tackling capsizes, boat repairs, and a thunderstorm along the way. The team ran on hot chocolate, grit, and good vibes, clocking 31 laps in a 1976 dinghy they’d bought and fixed up on a £300 budget. It was chaotic, wet, and unforgettable, and at the end the patched-up boat was donated back to the club to keep more people racing.