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Sailing News for August 21, 2025

The Ocean Race Europe started with drama as Holcim PRB and Allagrande MAPEI collided just after the gun, forcing both to limp back to port while Biotherm charged ahead to extend its overall lead. In Olympic news, Makani Andrews’ grind toward LA 2028 paid off with Pan Am gold, while Northern Ireland gears up for its biggest youth regatta yet. Cruising tales range from serene Gulf Islands passages to a harrowing Force 10 storm in the Channel. Spotlight shines on Armstrong’s new WKT Mk II foil board, and today’s video highlight dives into Volvo Ocean Race’s most extreme offshore moments.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Two Teams Out after Ocean Race Europe Start Collision (6 min read)
The Ocean Race Europe opened in Kiel with perfect sun, breeze, and speed, until Holcim PRB and Allagrande MAPEI collided just minutes after the start. MAPEI’s outrigger punched through Holcim’s hull while Holcim’s foil tore MAPEI’s sail, forcing both back to port. No one was hurt, but now both campaigns are scrambling to assess damage and decide if they can continue. Out on the racecourse, Biotherm and Paprec Arkéa seized the lead into the North Sea.

Biotherm sweeps the points (3 min read)
Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm is making The Ocean Race Europe look easy, bagging another fly-by win in Porto and stretching its overall lead to 18 points. Paprec Arkéa chased hard but finished 51 minutes back, while Malizia stalled in the light breeze and slipped to fourth. After a calm Bay of Biscay turned into a straight drag race past Cape Finisterre, Biotherm’s light-air mastery proved decisive. There was no time to celebrate as the fleet immediately set off toward Cartagena and the Strait of Gibraltar.

The Ocean Race Europe Leg 2 – Day 4 (7 min read)
Biotherm kept its perfect streak alive, taking full points at the Porto fly-by after a tense 700 mile drag race. Paul Meilhat’s crew made the key move at Cape Finisterre, holding off Paprec Arkéa, who stormed back from last to finish second. Holcim-PRB scored its first podium of the event in third, while Malizia slipped to fourth. With only three hours to regroup before blasting toward Gibraltar, the fleet is exhausted but still wide open, and Biotherm are the ones to catch.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

Every rep, every choice, every hour (6 min read)
Makani Andrews just claimed gold at the Junior Pan American Games, earning two U.S. windsurfing slots for the senior Pan Ams and keeping his LA 2028 dream alive. His summer was pure grind: five water sessions, five gym sessions, almost no social life, and constant pressure. The payoff came in a nail-biting finish where he clawed back the lead and sealed it on the podium. Sacrifice, sweat, and a serious Olympic vision are the story he is writing.

Youth Sailing/Development

John Minnis Youth Championships: Enter now (4 min read)
Northern Ireland’s biggest youth regatta is back at Ballyholme on September 13–14 with more than 120 sailors expected. The John Minnis Youth Championships will pack in ten races instead of the usual six, testing stamina and consistency across Topper, ILCA, Feva, and 29er fleets. Newcomers get their own OnBoard Regatta course mixing racing with coaching, while seasoned sailors fight for squad selection. With a new multi-year sponsor and fierce end-of-season form, this one promises serious racing and plenty of drama.

Cruising

Islands in the Strait: Sailing Canada’s Gulf Isles (10 min read)
Two brothers set out on a Bavaria 35 to explore Canada’s Gulf Islands and found magic at every turn. Think tide-ripped passes, fog banks rolling like smoke, ferries bearing down, and seals popping up for breakfast. They dodged rocks, hiked forest trails, shared laughs with locals, and soaked in sunsets that looked painted on. From whale-spotting hopes to harvest moons over quiet anchorages, this cruise was less about miles logged and more about wonder discovered between the tides.

Force 10 in the Channel: ‘We took a colossal wave broadside, and the cockpit was suddenly knee-deep in water’ (8 min read)
What started as a routine Channel crossing turned into a nightmare when Summertime, a 33-foot Southerly, was hammered by a Force 10 storm. Waves hit nine meters, the cockpit filled with water, the jib shredded, and control was often lost as the rudder lifted clear. For eight straight hours skipper Ian Stride fought the helm while his crew clung on and even fed a storm-battered pigeon. At 3 a.m. they finally limped into Chichester, soaked, shaken, and very much alive.

Spotlight

Armstrong Foils launches WKT Mk II (5 min read)
Armstrong has reworked its most popular foil board, unveiling the WKT Mk II with upgrades in strength, glide, and rider control. The compact board keeps the stiffness and durability of the original but adds a wedge nose for stability, a thinner profile for sharper foil feedback, and a new Quad Carbon Stringer System for next-level toughness. Available in two sizes, it’s built for wake, kite, tow surf, and pump progression. In short, it is lighter, stronger, and more fun to fly.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Strap in for three minutes of pure offshore chaos from the Volvo Ocean Race archives. It’s all here: icy spray blasting over the bow, sailors braced against walls of water, and boats tearing across oceans like freight trains. You can almost feel the cold just watching. No commentary, no fluff, just raw footage that reminds you why this race is the ultimate test of endurance, seamanship, and sheer nerve.