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Sailing News for August 13, 2025

Denmark’s SailGP team and national sailing federation launch a program to fast-track the next generation of female foiling talent with Olympic legend Anne-Marie Rindom at the helm. Airlie Beach Race Week returns from a lay day with gusty bay racing, fresh winners, and shredded sails, while Doyle-powered crews gear up for Hamilton Island Race Week’s 40th edition. In Youth Sailing, Australian 29er crews soak up big-fleet European racing despite fickle Lake Garda weather. Cruising World shares how to salvage a marina berthing gone wrong, and in today’s highlight video, Holcim PRB and Allagrande Mapei eye the Kiel Canal as their best shot at rejoining The Ocean Race Europe after their Kiel collision.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

ROCKWOOL Racing and Danish Sailing Federation launch female foiling talent drive (4 min read)
Denmark’s SailGP squad and the national sailing federation just teamed up to supercharge the country’s next wave of female foiling talent. Twelve top young sailors got a crash course in wingfoiling, Waszp racing, and SailGP sim training, led by Olympic legend Anne-Marie Rindom and world champ Magnus Overbeck. The goal? Build future SailGP stars and boost foiling at the Olympic level. With big ambitions and Rindom promising to return to the boat next season, this could be Denmark’s fast lane to the podium.

Anna Excited For ‘Special’ Germany Grand Prix (4 min read)
When SailGP hits Germany for the first time, U.S. grinder Anna Weis will be racing with some extra hometown pride. Her dad was born in Berlin, her “Oma” still bakes with German ingredients, and Anna’s on a mission to bring back her grandma’s favorite baking powder. Between heritage shopping trips, the team’s enjoying rare extended practice time to sharpen maneuvers and build crew chemistry. For Anna, it’s part regatta, part family connection, and all about pushing the U.S. squad upward in the standings.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Bay racing throws up some new winners at Airlie Beach Race Week (5 min read)
After a sunny lay day, Airlie Beach Race Week roared back with gusty Pioneer Bay action and some fresh faces on top. Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron’s Carbontest.au thrived in the breeze, VX Ones traded wins in shifty, pressure-popping races, and locals Matchless and Lama scored big in Non-Spinnaker divisions. Team Hollywood kept its perfect record alive despite gear carnage and a shredded kite. With redress drama, near-capsizes, and strong winds making heavier boats the stars, the Whitsundays kept serving up high-octane sailing.

Doyle-powered teams ready for Hamilton Island Race Week (3 min read)
The 40th Hamilton Island Race Week kicks off August 18, and Doyle Sails has a stacked lineup ready to chase glory in the Whitsundays. RP69 Moneypenny debuts under new owner Rob Appleyard, fresh off assembling a sharp crew. Cyan Moon arrives off a PHS win in the Gold Coast to Mackay Race, while USA-flagged JPK 11.80 is riding podium finishes in recent offshore battles. Expect a week of long passages, tight windward/leewards, and plenty of shoreside buzz as one of Australia’s premier regattas turns 40.

PHRF for One-Design Perfection (6 min read)
After years of racing her J/80 Pi in a New Jersey PHRF fleet, Sarah Olivieri finally trailered south for her first big one-design showdown at the Annapolis Helly Hansen Regatta. Swapping Hudson River currents for Chesapeake chop, she found she was right at home in close-quarters racing and maybe even faster than some class regulars. With her 78-year-old dad, a three-generation sailing legacy, and a best finish of sixth in cold, wet final-day conditions, Olivieri’s jump from local hero to one-design rookie was pure nerve, grit, and grin.

Youth Sailing/Development

Young Aussies enjoy experience at 2025 29er European Championships in Italy (4 min read)
Nine Aussie crews hit Lake Garda for the second-biggest 29er Europeans ever, joining 250+ boats from 29 nations. The postcard-perfect winds didn’t stick around, so racing turned into a mix of early-morning starts, light breeze, and surprise Dolomite snowstorms. Despite the curveballs, Australia snagged multiple fleet podiums and packed in a ton of big-fleet racing experience. Between the racing, the scenery, and the 6:30am launches, it’s a week these young sailors won’t forget.

Cruising

How to cope when marina berthing goes wrong (6 min read)
Even the best skippers botch a tricky marina approach now and then, but the real skill is knowing how to recover. When Debanessa’s crew misjudged their angle in wind and tide, quick thinking turned a near-miss into a clean save. By securing the stern first, they bought time to swing the bow in and complete the berth without drama. The takeaway? Always have a Plan B, know what your rudder is doing before you hit the throttle, and remember that control starts with getting one end tied off.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

After their dramatic collision at the Leg 1 start, Holcim PRB and Allagrande Mapei are racing the clock to fix damage and reach Portsmouth before the August 17 restart. The 98 km Kiel Canal could be their shortcut, avoiding a punishing North Sea slog and giving repairs time to set. Both skippers say the priority is safety, but they’re determined to return if possible. With a 12-hour mast-up transit limit of 8 knots, the canal might just be their ticket back into The Ocean Race Europe.