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Sailing News for September 18, 2025

SailGP makes its Geneva debut this weekend with global fans setting alarms for the right race times. Down under, the 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart has locked in 100 entries, with Sean Langman chasing his first Tattersall Cup. Inshore, the Wilson Trophy delivered its trademark team-racing drama, while the RYA honored North Devon YC for building a booming youth program. Cruisers meet Nico Jonville’s Pegasus 50 Sine Finis and Tor Johnson’s transformed Jeanneau with new sails, while tech fans dive into next-gen autopilots. But Britain’s canals are drying up, leaving stranded boats and worried boaters. And Steve Hunt closes with a slick downwind speed tip.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

What Time Is The Switzerland Sail Grand Prix For Me? (5 min read)
SailGP lands in Geneva for the first time this weekend with racing at 3:30pm CEST on September 20 and 21. That means 9:30am for East Coasters, 6:30am if you’re on the U.S. West Coast, and a brutal 3:30am wake-up in Hawaii. Fans in Rio and Buenos Aires can tune in at 10:30am, while Sydney night owls will be watching at 11:30pm. Whether you’re sipping morning coffee or pulling an all-nighter, the F50s will be flying.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Hits 100 Entries with Back 2 Black (6 min read)
The 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart has cracked 100 entries, with Sean Langman’s GP42 Back 2 Black taking the milestone spot. Langman, a 33-time veteran still chasing his first Tattersall Cup, believes this restored ex-day racer has the speed and grit to finally deliver. Fresh off the Admiral’s Cup and Fastnet, the boat is heading home for final tweaks before December’s big race. For Langman, racing with old mates and family only sweetens the shot at turning decades of butterflies into a long-awaited win.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

Inside the Magic of Wilson Trophy Team Racing (6 min read)
The Wilson Trophy at West Kirby Sailing Club has been the beating heart of team racing for 75 years, mixing razor-sharp competition with pub-fueled lore. This year Biscayne Bay YC’s “Los Huevos,” led by the Callahan brothers, showed up and absolutely owned it, proving why they’re the hottest squad in the sport. With college champs, Hinman wins, and now a Wilson title under their belts, they’re rewriting the playbook. West Kirby’s “Theatre of Dreams” is still the ultimate stage, and these sailors are making history on it.

Youth Sailing/Development

RYA Awards spotlight: Building the future at North Devon Yacht Club (6 min read)
North Devon Yacht Club just scooped the RYA Young Person’s Award after transforming its youth programme from a summer-only affair into a year-round powerhouse. Junior membership rocketed from 41 to over 240 in two years, with Optimist “Young Pirates” sessions and a thriving Youth Squad pulling kids deeper into sailing. Families joined in too, with parents volunteering and even learning to sail. For NDYC, the award is just fuel for bigger plans: refreshed fleets, more inclusive access, and a future where youth are at the heart of the club.

Cruising

Sailing Sine Finis: The Boat Built to Chase New Horizons (10 min read)
Nico Jonville’s Pegasus 50 Sine Finis isn’t just a boat, it’s a philosophy—without borders and without end. From a stormy Adriatic shakedown to a smooth Atlantic crossing, the carbon-built cruiser proved fast, safe, and surprisingly comfortable. Features like a gimbaled salon table and a sheltered helm turned rough miles into easy living, while the boat’s speed kept spirits high. For Jonville, every passage is less about ticking off destinations and more about chasing moments, horizons, and the kind of clarity only the sea delivers.

Sustainability

Crisis in the canals as drought hits boaters (7 min read)
Britain’s canals are in crisis after the driest spring since 1893 left boats stranded, businesses struggling, and holidays rerouted. From Yorkshire to the Midlands, water levels have dropped so far that even 200-year-old reservoirs cannot keep up. Some boaters are using the downtime to repaint their hulls while others are taking risky detours across tidal rivers just to move their boats. The Canal & River Trust says only weeks of steady rain will solve the problem, so for now it is a floating traffic jam.

Tech & Gear

Upgrade Your Sails for New Adventures (8 min read)
After 13 salty years on the same tired Dacron, Tor Johnson swapped to a high-tech Doyle setup and discovered just how much new sails can transform a boat. With Technora threads, carbon reinforcement, and clever vertical battens, his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509 now points higher, heels less, and furls without a tantrum. The process went from computer modeling to a personal fitting in Puget Sound, and the result was a cruising yacht that feels like it just got a brand-new engine.

Everything you need to know about high performance autopilots (9 min read)
Modern autopilots are no longer just glorified tiller holders. Systems like B&G’s H5000 with Pixel sur Mer’s Exocet overlay or Madintec’s AI-driven pilot can anticipate gusts, steer to heel angle, and keep boats surfing safely at 20 knots. Cruisers benefit too, with Raymarine’s SmartWind sensor delivering pro-level accuracy without complicated setup. These pilots are not yet sharper than the best human helmsman, but they are steadier, safer, and far more reliable than a tired crew in the middle of the night.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Olympic coach Steve Hunt shows how to steer faster downwind whether you are on a dinghy or a TP52. The secret is smooth steering that matches the power of wind and waves to keep the heel angle steady and the boat moving. Carve down when a puff or wave adds pressure, then let the boat head up slightly in a lull. Stay consistent, keep it silky on the helm, and you will find extra speed every run.