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Sailing News for October 13, 2025

This week is packed with power, heart, and high speed. Spain ruled the skiff and foiling fleets in Cagliari, while Britain’s Gimson and Burnet claimed another Nacra 17 world crown. Offshore, the Sydney to Auckland fleet battled brutal Tasman squalls before settling into fast reaching toward New Zealand. Charlie Dalin’s revelation that he fought cancer while winning the Vendée Globe shows what true endurance means. Julia Gross joins Artemis ahead of their 2026 SailGP debut, and cruisers get pro-level tuning and plumbing tips to keep boats flying and dry. The future of foiling also looks wild, with Hydrofoil Australia’s self-leveling trimaran concept turning heads.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

Julia Gross Joins Artemis Ahead of 2026 SailGP Debut (5 min read)
Sweden’s own Julia Gross is heading home, joining Nathan Outteridge’s new Artemis SailGP squad after a stint with Red Bull Italy. The former Women’s America’s Cup helm and Artemis Youth alum brings serious race smarts and local pride to the team. With Outteridge driving and Gross calling shots, Artemis’ 2026 debut is looking stacked. Sweden’s back in the big leagues, and this signing just lit the fuse.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race: Rough Night in the Tasman (6 min read)
The Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race turned gnarly overnight as a vicious front slammed the fleet mid-dinner. Crews saw gusts over 40 knots, pitch-black chaos, and 90-degree wind shifts, but everyone’s still upright and charging east. Lucky leads the pack at 22 knots, with Antipodes, Frantic, and Wings in hot pursuit. It’s wet, wild, and very real offshore racing, Tasman Sea style.

Competition Heats Up in the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race (6 min read)
Bryon Ehrhart’s Lucky is still flying across the Tasman at 20 knots, holding the lead in the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race while Antipodes and Frantic duke it out behind. Crews reported red moons, bacon breakfasts, and perfect sailing conditions after a wild first night at sea. Spirits are high, songs are being sung, and the chase is on as the fleet charges toward Auckland.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

Spain Doubles Up at the 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 Worlds in Cagliari (7 min read)
Spain owned the skiff fleets at the 2025 Worlds in Cagliari, with Diego Botín and Florian Trittel taking gold in the 49er and Paula Barceló and María Cantero topping the 49erFX podium. Britain’s John Gimson and Anna Burnet clinched their third Nacra 17 world title after a nail-biting duel with Italy’s Ugolini and Giubilei. Add perfect Sardinian weather, a bold new race format, and a few pasta-fueled celebrations, and this championship had it all.

Cruising

How to Make Your Boat Sail (and Steer) Like a Pro (10 min read)
Delivery skipper Ben Lowings breaks down how to make your boat feel smoother, faster, and more dialed-in with surprisingly simple tweaks. It’s all about steering smart, trimming clean, and keeping things slippery below the waterline. From prop walk tricks to fighting barnacles and corrosion, this is the stuff that makes cruising feel like sailing, not slugging. Think of it as a tune-up for your boat-handling mojo.

Avoid Common Boating Plumbing Pitfalls With These Tips (7 min read)
Cruising World teamed up with Vetus to tackle the least glamorous but most essential part of boat life: plumbing. From keeping freshwater tanks clean to stopping marine toilet funk, these tips make a big difference offshore. Think inspection ports, accumulator tanks, carbon vent filters, and smart ultrasonic sensors. Do the upgrades once, and you’ll spend more time sailing and less time chasing leaks or mystery smells below deck.

Spotlight

Fighting Cancer, Winning the Vendée Globe (3 min read)
French skipper Charlie Dalin has revealed he battled cancer while winning the 2024-25 Vendée Globe. Diagnosed with a gastrointestinal tumor in 2023, Dalin kept racing through treatment and went on to claim one of sailing’s toughest solo victories aboard Macif Santé Prévoyance. His story, told in his new autobiography La Force du Destin, is raw proof of grit and determination and one of the most inspiring comebacks in offshore racing.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Hydrofoil Australia just dropped a wild new concept video showcasing self-leveling trimarans that look straight out of the future. These foilers promise hands-free control and ridiculous stability at speed. It’s all about smoother flight, more lift, and fewer wipeouts. If sailing had a “sports car” mode, this would be it.