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Sailing News for October 16, 2025

Today’s sailing scene is buzzing with big moves and fresh energy. The America’s Cup enters a new era as Emirates Team New Zealand and Athena Racing join forces to reshape how the sport’s biggest prize is run. Nathan Outteridge returns to SailGP with Artemis, bringing Olympic class and unfinished business. Meanwhile, young sailors from Australia to New England are making waves on and off the racecourse, while cruisers chase paradise and pros carve mast-high lines at the Aloha Classic. It’s a global mix of grit, glory, and growth.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

Historic New Partnership Reshapes the America’s Cup (5 min read)
The America’s Cup just hit reset. Emirates Team New Zealand and Britain’s Athena Racing have struck a groundbreaking deal to jointly govern and grow the Cup under a new America’s Cup Partnership. For the first time in 174 years, rivals will share commercial and operational control to boost global reach and stability. Grant Dalton calls it the structure the Cup has always needed, while Ben Ainslie hails it as a way to unite competition with collaboration. The next era starts November 1.

Yachting Malta Coastal Race Delivers Perfect Prelude to the Rolex Middle Sea Race (6 min read)
The Yachting Malta Coastal Race served up a mix of sunshine, squalls, and serious competition ahead of the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race. Australia’s JV62 Whisper took the overall win, with Black Jack and Balthazar leading line honors. Turkish teams shone across multiple classes, while Maltese favorites Jubatus and Elusive 2 added local pride to the podium. With 26 nautical miles of drama and picture-perfect Maltese backdrops, it was the ideal warm-up before the big start in Valletta this weekend.

Youth Sailing/Development

Youth Sailor of the Year Finalists Announced for 2025 Australian Sailing Awards (5 min read)
Australia’s next generation of sailing stars is looking strong. The 2025 Youth Sailor of the Year finalists are Louis Tilly, Joshua Garner, and Rory Meehan, each already making waves on the world stage. Tilly is dominating foiling and match racing, Garner swept the Cadet Worlds and Nationals, and Meehan just claimed the Under-19 iQFOiL World Championship. The winner will be revealed at Sydney’s Maritime Museum in November, joining a list of legends that includes Nathan Outteridge and Jessica Watson.

Opening Up New Youth Opportunities (4 min read)
The New Bedford Community Boating Center in Massachusetts is taking youth sailing to the next level, forming a team for the 2026 Newport Bermuda Race. Sailing the Baltic 50 Crazy Horse, eight young sailors and four coaches will tackle the 636-mile bluewater classic. Inspired by the Greig City Academy’s Fastnet campaign, the team already proved themselves by winning their division in the Marblehead to Halifax Race. For these sailors, the Bermuda Race is the next big step and a dream coming true.

Cruising

3,000 Miles to Paradise: Our Unexpected Reality in the Marquesas (9 min read)
After 17 days and 3,259 miles, landfall in the Marquesas should have been pure magic, but reality hit hard. Endless rain, rolling anchorages, and sand flies turned the dream stop into a real test of patience. Still, the first sight of those volcanic peaks after weeks at sea made it all worth it. Andy Schell’s takeaway is simple: don’t skip the Marquesas, just trade the fantasy for the raw, beautiful reality of the South Pacific.

Sailing to Kinsale: A Sister City Adventure (6 min read)
After 16 days at sea aboard the Swan 68 Aphrodite, Herb McCormick made landfall in Kinsale, Ireland, Newport’s sister city, and found the perfect mix of history, hospitality, and Guinness. From the lively Fifth Ward Bar to the friendly docks of Kinsale Yacht Club, the town feels like Newport’s Irish twin with better food and fewer egos. For McCormick, the voyage wasn’t just a crossing, it was a full-circle trip back to his family’s Irish roots.

Foiling

2025 Aloha Classic Grand Final – Day 1 (5 min read)
The 2025 Aloha Classic kicked off at Ho‘okipa with flawless conditions, mast-high waves, and world title tension in the air. Local hero Bernd Roediger set the bar early with the day’s top score, while Marc Paré Rico, Marcilio “Brawzinho” Browne, and Camille Juban all impressed in stacked heats. With veterans like Köster, Siver, and Ezzy also advancing, the men’s draw is heating up fast. Next up, the women hit the water as the swell builds and the title fight intensifies.

Spotlight

The Class of 68 (6 min read)
Four Baltic 68 Café Racers turned heads at the Superyacht Cup Palma, showing what happens when elegance meets horsepower. These all-electric, Lego-like “pocket superyachts” can switch from cruise to race mode in hours, and watching them blast around together was pure poetry. Pink Gin, Ganesha, Open Season, and Scorpione Hormar traded tacks, bragging rights, and a few dockside coffees. The result? A fierce new class with style, speed, and just enough rivalry to keep things spicy in the Med.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Nathan Outteridge is back, and he’s bringing the Artemis name with him. After a year cruising the world with his family, the Olympic champ and former Japan and Switzerland skipper is stepping in as driver for the new Swedish team. In this chat with Lisa Darmanin, Nathan opens up about the “Artemis family,” his global sabbatical, and what it’ll take to get on the SailGP podium in 2025. Expect smart leadership, family vibes, and plenty of unfinished business.