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Sailing News for July 31, 2025

Monaco storms the Admiral’s Cup on debut, making offshore history in the Solent. Red Bull Italy is climbing fast in SailGP with their best finish yet, while iQFOiL youth racers head into finals with national pride on the line. We honor multihull legend Lindsay Cunningham, meet a family tearing it up in the Melges 15, and celebrate 22 new junior sailors in St. Thomas. Plus, multitool blade hacks, reefing made easy, and the wallyrocket 51 throws down the gauntlet on handicap racing.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

Red Bull Italy Scores Best Finish Yet in Portsmouth (3 min read)
Red Bull Italy is finally flying. With Olympic gold medalist Ruggero Tita at the helm, the rookie team pulled off its best SailGP result yet, finishing fifth in Portsmouth and racking up three top-three race finishes. No Final this time, but spirits are high and the learning curve is steep. With Jimmy Spithill steering the ship as CEO and Sassnitz on the horizon, Italy’s gunning for the podium and making it clear they’re not here to spectate.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Monaco Stuns with Admiral’s Cup Win on Debut (2 min read)
Monaco Yacht Club just rocked the offshore scene by winning the Admiral’s Cup on their first try. Led by Pierre Casiraghi, they outsailed 14 international teams through six Solent sprints and a grueling Fastnet finish to seal the deal. Royal Hong Kong took second, Italy’s Costa Smeralda third, but this was all about Monaco making history in one of sailing’s most legendary events. Not bad for a debut.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

Family Sailing in the Melges 15: One Dad, Two Daughters, and a Whole Lot of Hiking (7 min read)
Meet John Haig, the self-appointed “permanent crew” for his two powerhouse daughters tearing up the Melges 15 circuit. They couldn’t all squeeze into one boat, so now they’ve got two, plus a healthy dose of sibling rivalry. Emily and Dana are former MIT All-Americans, and their dad’s trying to keep up while getting yelled at from both sides. It’s fast, chaotic, and hilariously wholesome. They’re winning regattas, swapping crews, and proving the family that sails together, podiums together.

Youth Sailing/Development

Junior Sailing Program in St. Thomas Graduates 22 New Sailors (4 min read)
Big congrats to the 22 students who just graduated from the St. Thomas Sailing Center’s free summer program, a fast-growing initiative that’s opening real doors in the USVI. Teens went from poolside swim lessons to helming Hobies and IC24s, with a crew of returning grads stepping up as junior instructors. This isn’t just about tacking and jibing. It’s about confidence, career paths, and making sailing accessible. Grads can now join year-round training and even work toward their captain’s licenses.

Tech & Gear

How to Make Multitool Blades Last Longer (4 min read)
Multitool blades cost a pretty penny, so Dick Everitt shows you how to breathe new life into blunt ones with a grinder, a cheap file, and some DIY grit. Whether you’re hand-filing serrated teeth or going full mad scientist with a mini grinder and a vice setup, it turns out you don’t need surgical precision. Just a steady hand, some patience, and eye protection. Even his wonky recut blades still chew through wood and fiberglass like champs.

Selden for Sailing Brings the Easy Button to Airlie Beach (2 min read)
Selden for Sailing is rolling into Airlie Beach Race Week with two rig setups ready to demo and a mission to make reefing and furling way less of a headache. Expect hands-on displays at the Whitsunday Sailing Club and a Q&A with Jan “Cloggs” Scholten that promises equal parts wisdom and comedy. Whether you’re a cruising newbie or just tired of wrestling with lines, this is your chance to see how the world’s biggest mast maker is trying to make sailing feel simple again.

Foiling

Finals Set at the iQFOiL Youth & Junior Worlds (5 min read)
With one day to go, the 2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior Worlds are headed for a showdown. Italy’s Mattia Saoncella and Medea Falcioni lead the U19 fleets, while hometown hero Salomé Simon clawed her way into the medal races with a clutch comeback. The Dutch dominated the U17 Boys, and Turkey put three sailors into the U17 Girls finals. The racing has been tight, the pressure is on, and tomorrow’s Medal Series promises fireworks. Stay tuned to see who snags the world titles.

Spotlight

Eight Bells: Lindsay Cunningham, Multihull Pioneer (3 min read)
Lindsay Cunningham, the father of Australian multihull design, has passed, leaving behind a legacy that reshaped high-performance sailing. From his 1952 Yvonne catamaran to breaking the 50-knot speed barrier, Cunningham’s creations pushed boundaries for over five decades. He led Australia to five Little America’s Cup wins, contributed to America’s Cup campaigns, and served as a mentor to generations of sailors and designers. Inducted into the Hall of Fame and awarded the Order of Australia, Cunningham didn’t just build boats. He built the future.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

The wallyrocket 51 has officially hit the water, and it’s aiming to leave the TP52 in its wake. Built from ultra-light carbon, packed with clever features like water ballast and electric hydraulics, and developed by a dream team of designers and sailors, this boat is pure speed. It can be raced with a smaller crew, has serious style, and hums when it planes. Whether it wins on corrected time remains to be seen, but it’s already turning heads as the coolest new weapon in the fleet.