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Sailing News for September 17, 2025

The Ocean Race Europe charged into Montenegro with Biotherm sealing overall victory after a nail-biting Adriatic finale. On Lake Garda, 212 OK Dinghies fought classic conditions as Britain’s Nick Craig and Andrew Mills stayed tied at the top. Olympic talk heats up with questions about sailing’s future at the Games and U.S. duo Henken and Scutt mounting a serious 49erFX gold run for LA28. Manly’s young skiff sailors are already rewriting records, while the radical MODX 70ft cat with inflatable wingsails points to a zero-emission cruising future. Offshore, La Solitaire du Figaro Leg 2 kicked off in brutal Bay of Biscay conditions, nets, dives, and all.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

OK Dinghy World Championship at Circolo Vela Arco – Day 2 (5 min read)
Lake Garda turned on classic conditions as 212 OK Dinghies split into three fleets and battled it out. Britain’s Nick Craig and Andrew Mills each snagged another win to sit tied at the top, with Charlie Cumbley storming his group for back-to-back bullets and just one point off the lead. Germany’s Stefan Hoffmann and Sweden’s Niklas Edler also claimed race wins, while Denmark’s Bo Petersen climbed into sixth. After four races only eight points split the top ten, with Brits owning five of those spots.

The fleet pushes north towards Boka Bay, Montenegro with everything still to play for (6 min read)
The Ocean Race Europe is heading for a nail-biter finish as the fleet charges into the Adriatic for the first time. Biotherm leads with 70 miles to go, but Paprec Arkéa has gambled east along Albania while Holcim-PRB and Malizia are locked in a tight duel just a boatlength apart in the west. Allagrande Mapei’s Italian coastal flyer backfired, dropping them to fifth, while Canada Ocean Racing faces pressure from AMAALA charging up from behind. Expect fireworks on the final night sprint into Montenegro.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

Are the Olympics critical for Sailing? (2 min read)
As the IOC keeps reshaping the show, this piece asks whether the Games still matter to sailing. Since Beijing 2008 the slate has shifted; LA28 keeps Paris gear but chases tighter, more watchable formats. A blunt Facebook post says sailing sits near the bottom of TV ratings among 312 events, so the sport must get clearer for viewers and more inviting for newcomers. LA28 splits the schedule: kites and iQFOiL race in Long Beach in week one, with ILCA, 470, 49er/FX and Nacra 17 in LA in week two.

Los Angeles 2028: Henken and Scutt’s Quest for Gold (8 min read)
Paris Henken and Helena Scutt are back in the 49erFX with eyes locked on LA28—and they’re already firing. After just weeks of training they cracked top ten in Palma, then stunned the fleet with silver at Hyères. Both are now living and training full-time in Long Beach, drawing on Olympic scars, Cup-level design chops, and a family medal connection. With America One Racing backing and years to prepare, the “Quad Squad” looks like a legit threat for home-water gold.

Youth Sailing/Development

Manly16s race report 13th September (4 min read)
The next gen is making waves at Manly. Seventeen-year-old Joel Beashel, fresh off a historic national 16s title and a Youth Worlds win, is up for NSW Youth Sailor of the Year. On the water, Zoe Dransfield’s Red Pumps Red opened the short course series with a win and a second, while Archie Cropley’s new Canberra Airport crew quickly proved they’re contenders. Add in fresh talent stepping up from 13s and Flying 11s, and the pipeline looks stacked for the season ahead.

Tech & Gear

MODX: An electric 70ft catamaran with inflatable wingsails! (7 min read)
Meet the MODX, a 70-footer that looks like it sailed out of the future. Twin 125m² inflatable wingsails pop up and inflate in eight minutes, spin 360°, and run on a throttle like an engine. Add 70m² of solar panels, hydrogenerating props, and a 250kWh battery bank, and you’ve got silent, zero-emission cruising at 10 knots in 10 knots of breeze. VPLP’s sleek hulls and a plush interior make this boat equal parts science experiment and luxury toy.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Leg 2 of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec started with a bang and plenty of chaos. One skipper had to dive overboard to cut a fishing net off the keel, climbing back aboard frozen but still charging on. The Bay of Biscay served up heavy upwind pounding through the first night, with places changing constantly. By day two the fleet was tightly packed, knowing the real decider will come in the ridge crossing on the long run to Vigo.