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Sailing News for October 01, 2025

The penultimate SailGP stop in Cádiz promises fireworks as the U.S. hunts another Final, Germany surges, and Spain fights to stay in the title race. Newport’s 12 Metres and Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez reminded us why classic yachts still thrill, while Sardinia gears up for Formula Kite Worlds with Aussie talent in the mix. Cruising fans will find the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers celebrating its 40th crossing and IC24 sailors taking their lumps in St. Thomas. Add in a versatile Hawk 20, a Mini 6.50 spotlight, and rare footage of Dogzilla before its Cup triumph, and you’ve got a packed week.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

5 Things You Need To Know About Cádiz (5 min read)
SailGP rolls into Cádiz for the penultimate stop of Season 5, and the stakes could not be higher. The U.S. team has history here with three straight Finals and a big win last year, while Germany is suddenly a rising force after shocking the fleet in Geneva. Spain needs a strong home showing to stay in the title hunt, and the Atlantic promises anything from flat calms to full-on surf. Cádiz has quickly become a fan favorite, and this weekend should deliver fireworks.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Historic Yachts Face Off: Newport’s 12 Metre Showdown (6 min read)
Newport just wrapped the 2025 12 Metre North American Championship, where four legendary yachts proved they’re still as sharp as ever. Columbia, built in 1958, topped both the Traditional and Open Divisions, while Weatherly, American Eagle, and Courageous kept the pressure high with tight crosses, downwind jibes, and plenty of spray. Crews ranged from teenagers to octogenarians, showing how this class bridges generations. With the 2026 Worlds on the horizon, the 12 Metres are proving that timeless design still makes for thrilling racing.

Maxi Yachting Déjà-vu at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez (4 min read)
Light winds didn’t stop the big boats from putting on a show at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. Giovanni Lombardi Stronati’s brand-new Django 7X stole the spotlight with back-to-back wins in the Maxi Grand Prix class, proving she’s a serious step forward. In Maxi 1, Karel Komárek’s Wallycento V kept control despite pressure from Capricorno, while veterans like Terry Hui’s Lyra and Luciano Gandini’s Twin Soul B fought it out in Maxi 3. Add Paul Cayard to the mix, and the regatta is as star-studded as it is stylish.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

Australians Ready for Formula Kite World Championships in Sardinia (1 min read)
Poetto Beach in Sardinia is about to light up with the Formula Kite World Championships, and Aussies Breiana Whitehead and Oscar Timm are in the mix. Whitehead, fresh off her Paris 2024 Olympic debut, is back in form after top 10 finishes in Europe and California and will be chasing the defending world champ in a stacked fleet. Timm is sharpening his game against the sport’s toughest lineup. With new foil and kite gear in play and Sardinia’s famously shifty conditions, expect a wild week of racing.

Cruising

The Atlantic Conquerors (6 min read)
The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) is turning 40 this November, and it’s still the heavyweight champ of ocean rallies. Since 1986, more than 30,000 sailors have crossed from Gran Canaria to the Caribbean under its banner, with Saint Lucia as the classic finish line. Expect a flotilla of families, catamarans, and first-timers chasing trade winds, plus plenty of dockside parties. Love it or hate it, the ARC remains the ultimate mix of camaraderie, chaos, and bluewater dreams.

IC24s? Try ICU: A Hard Lesson Racing Off St. Thomas (6 min read)
What was supposed to be a breezy Caribbean romp in St. Thomas turned into a bruising wake-up call for a crew of J/24 veterans trying their hand at IC24s. With 25-knot trades, broken gear, too few bodies on the rail, and more than a few painful wipeouts, they quickly learned these “tamed” J/24s are anything but easy. Results tanked, egos bruised, and bruises multiplied. But with cold beer onshore and old friends at the helm, the regatta ended with the only result that mattered: they’ll be back.

Tech & Gear

Hawk 20 Cruiser: Fast, Fun and Functional Trailer-Sailer (6 min read)
The Hawk 20 Cruiser takes everything sailors loved about the original Hawk dayboat, like speed, stability, and a cavernous cockpit, and adds a snug two-berth cabin for weekend getaways. She is unsinkable, self-righting, and easy to trail, making her as practical as she is fun. Downwind she will surf at 8 knots and has even been clocked at 12, yet she is forgiving enough for family sailors. Not the prettiest boat in the harbor, but one of the smartest all-rounders you will find at 20 feet.

Spotlight

World’s Coolest Yachts: The Mini 6.50 (4 min read)
Clarisse Crémer calls the Mini 6.50 the coolest yacht around, and it’s easy to see why. These 21-foot rockets are nearly as wide as they are long, pack a punch at 17 knots, and serve as the proving ground for future Vendée Globe stars. Crémer’s own Pogo 3 carried her across the Atlantic in the 2017 Mini Transat, where she finished 2nd on her very first solo ocean race. Tiny, wild, and dripping with adrenaline, the Mini 6.50 is offshore racing distilled to pure fun.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Buried deep in the archives comes a gem: rare 2009 footage of USA 17, better known as Dogzilla, training off San Diego with a standard carbon mast and sails. Just days later that rig snapped, leading to the massive wingsail that carried Larry Ellison’s team to a 2-0 win over Alinghi in Valencia. Watching the trimaran in its raw form before its America’s Cup triumph is a rare treat and a reminder of how revolutionary Dogzilla really was.