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Sailing News for December 30, 2025

Master Lock Comanche delivered a heart stopping Sydney Hobart line honours win after a brutal beat south and a nerve shredding shutdown near the finish. Ashore, innovation took the spotlight with the Melges 19 named Best Dinghy and Jeanneau’s new Sun Odyssey 415 breaking cover. On the foils, Nacra 17 juniors and rookies proved the next generation is already pushing hard.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours won by Master Lock Comanche in nail biting finish (5 min read)
Master Lock Comanche pulled off a thriller, winning line honours in the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart after a brutal beat south and a heart-stopping shutdown near the finish. After stretching a solid lead, the breeze died and the fleet piled back in, turning the final miles into a slow-motion knife fight. Comanche gambled inshore, found pressure first, and slipped away just in time. A proper Hobart finish: broken gear, injured crew, frayed nerves, and thousands cheering them home.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

2025 Boat of the Year Best Dinghy: Melges 19 (6 min read)
Melges just won Best Dinghy with a boat that finally solves the “we’re one person too many” problem. The Melges 19 is a lightweight, epoxy-built, three-person dinghy that feels sporty without being punishing, thanks to a deep cockpit, clean layout, and manageable loads. It planes easily, behaves in the puffs, and stays friendly for mixed-age crews. Not a beginner trainer, but a perfect step-up racer for sailing families who actually want to go fast together.

Youth Sailing/Development

Nacra 17 Junior and Rookie Teams of the Year 2025 (3 min read)
The Nacra 17 class handed out some well-earned gold stars to the new kids making serious noise. Aussies Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown grabbed Junior Team of the Year after a huge leap to 4th at the Worlds in Sardinia, up from the “we’re improving, promise” zone of 20th-ish. Rookie Team honors went to Italians Federico Figlia Di Granara and Caterina Sedmak, who only teamed up in May and still nailed 12th at Worlds plus shiny junior hardware. The foiling youth movement is real.

Cruising

Premiere Sun Odyssey 415 (2 min read)
Jeanneau’s new Sun Odyssey 415 slots neatly into the middle of the lineup, but it’s far from a filler boat. Lighter weight, more sail area, and twin helms make it quicker and easier to drive than the outgoing 410, while still keeping things family-friendly. The deck stays clean and safe with that familiar flush layout and deep cockpit. Below, it’s a full reset with brighter spaces, smart flow, and room for six. A sensible cruiser that actually wants to sail.

Tech & Gear

Fusion BB10 Black Box radio: DIY installation on a boat (2 min read)
Sick of a crackly portable radio, Gilbert Park went all-in on a Fusion BB10 Black Box and wired his boat for proper, chartplotter-controlled audio. The clever bit is NMEA 2000 integration, letting volume and balance be adjusted from a tablet or phone while sailing, which is a game changer when crew hearing levels differ. Installation was mostly painless, apart from some creative DIY speaker boxes to avoid cutting big holes. Clean, practical, and very boat-owner real world.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

SailGP cranked the drama to eleven in Abu Dhabi, with Hollywood owners, broken fingers, last-ditch tactics, and a winner-takes-all final. Australia nearly bottled qualification, Spain came within inches of stealing their spot, and Peter Burling raced on after losing the tip of his finger. The final race was pure chaos, capped by Dylan Fletcher’s gutsy JK maneuver that flipped the championship on its head. Foiling soap opera, but with real stakes and serious sailing talent.