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Sailing News for March 26, 2026

Heavy weather took control of the headlines, with the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Race called off before the start as forecasts pointed to 45-knot winds and survival conditions, a tough but sensible call for safety. Sydney Harbour wasn’t spared either, where lightning and torrential rain shut down the 16ft skiff final, but not before Zoe Dransfield made history as the first female skipper in 104 years to claim the title after a dominant series. While traditional racing hit pause, foiling action kept delivering in Pensacola as the WASZP Games turned into a high-speed shootout, with tight starts, penalties, and leaderboard swings keeping the pressure on across both fleets. From canceled offshore races to full-send foiling formats, the contrast says it all right now, sailing is as dependent on the elements as ever, but when the conditions line up, the pace is only getting faster.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Wild weather forecast forces cancellation of 2026 Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race (2 min read)
Mother Nature just shut this one down before it even started. With forecasts calling for 45-knot winds and seriously ugly seas, organizers pulled the plug on the Pittwater to Coffs race instead of rolling the dice with a mixed-experience fleet. It’s a tough call, especially for crews who’ve been prepping for months, but this was shaping up to be survival mode, not racing. The upside? Everyone stays safe, and the 40th edition now gets pushed to 2027 with unfinished business waiting.

16ft Skiffs – Lightning, thunder, rain and a 104-year-old record broken (2 min read)
Sydney Harbour delivered full chaos for the 16ft skiff final, with lightning, torrential rain, and near-zero visibility forcing racing to be abandoned. No showdown, but history still got made as Zoe Dransfield became the first female skipper to win the title in 104 years, leading a mixed crew to the top. Her team had already done the hard work with a super consistent series, so the result stuck. Not the dramatic finale anyone expected, but a seriously big moment for the class.

Spotlight

2026 WASZP Games at Pensacola, Florida, USA – Day 2 (3 min read)
WASZP racing just got a serious adrenaline upgrade. A SailGP-style course turned starts into full-speed drag races, where one bad move meant instant punishment. Pearl Lattanzi is holding strong in the 7.5 fleet under heavy pressure, while Gavin Ball is quietly running away with the 8.2 fleet… for now. Behind him, it’s chaos, with penalties, comebacks, and a podium fight separated by just a few points. And with sprint races and a long-distance showdown coming next, things are about to get even wilder.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Put a Moth sailor on a foiling cat with autopilot and things get interesting fast. Michael Schönleitner jumped onboard the Flyte and immediately looked right at home, even in super light wind. The twist is the tech doing a lot of the heavy lifting, with automatic foil and rudder adjustments handling the tricky bits so he could just focus on feel and speed. Two clean runs later, it’s clear this thing is less wrestling match, more smooth flying experience.