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Sailing News for December 10, 2025

SailGP headlines today with a season photo gallery and a wild transfer frenzy that reshapes the 2026 grid, as the Flying Roos lock in a full Australian lineup. Inshore racing brings a sobering collision lesson from Fremantle and a standout Datchet Flyer win for Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray. Tech coverage spotlights better rigging connectors and Luna Rossa’s AC75 returns home for upgrades.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

GALLERY: The Best Pictures Of The 2025 SailGP Season (1 min read)
If you needed a reason to miss SailGP already, this photo gallery delivers it. The U.S. SailGP Team serves up the best shots of the 2025 season, from foils-on-fire speed bursts to dockside chaos and crew-cam gold. It’s a rapid hit of everything that made this year awesome, including that wild Abu Dhabi finale. Zero analysis, all vibes. If you like your sailing loud, fast, and photogenic, click this one.

Star swaps and shock exits: SailGP’s transfer frenzy charted (4 min read)
SailGP’s off season is suddenly the hottest league in sports, with big names jumping teams like it’s free agency week. Chris Draper reunites with Nathan Outteridge at the brand new Artemis squad, while Iain “Goobs” Jensen slots into the Flying Roos after winning the title with GBR. Stu Bithell heads home to join Fletcher, Phil Robertson brings chaos and podiums to Red Bull Italy, and Rasmus Kostner makes the surprising leap to Brazil. It’s the wildest reshuffle the league has seen and the 2026 season is already spicy.

Bonds Flying Roos reveal all-Australian team line up for 2026 (4 min read)
The Flying Roos are leaning all in on Aussie firepower for 2026, headlined by Iain “Goobs” Jensen’s long awaited return to racing in green and gold. Fresh off winning the $2M Grand Final with GBR, he slots in as wing trimmer after Chris Draper’s exit. Rising talent Tom Needham earns a promotion to Reserve, while Slingsby’s core squad stays intact and now comes with Hollywood backing from Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds. The Roos hit the water in Perth this January with serious momentum and even bigger expectations.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

‘My boat was a write off’: Lessons learned from an on the water collision (8 min read)
A twilight race at Fremantle turned ugly when a Bavaria 40, practically sailing blind behind its canvas and self tacking jib, ploughed straight into the UFO 34 Unicorn. The Bavaria’s anchor ripped down the starboard side, launched over the toe rail, and even ate the brand new bimini before sailing off without stopping. Seven months of repairs later, the crew is fine but a lot wiser. The big takeaways: never assume you’ve been seen, visibility kills, and “stand on” doesn’t mean “sail into danger.”

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

Gillard and Gray make it 2 from 2 with Datchet Flyer victory (6 min read)
Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray kept their winter hot streak alive, muscling their Merlin Rocket through a gusty Datchet Flyer to take their second straight Sailjuice win. Saturday brought skiffs screaming and capsizing in 25 knot blasts, while Sunday’s mellow breeze turned the Pursuit Races into a game of patience and precision. The Grays pulled off a rare family double with Rachael’s husband Peter winning the slow boat division. Nearly 70 boats, sailors aged 7 to 80, and nine classes in the top ten made this one a proper winter classic.

Tech & Gear

Knots Work, But These Connections Are Better (7 min read)
Sure, you can still tie on sheets the old fashioned way, but modern rigs have leveled up. This deep dive shows why bulky bowlines and impossible to untie luggage tags are giving way to slick hardware, titanium trigger shackles, J Locks and the now unstoppable rise of Dyneema soft shackles. From grand prix T rings to DIY softies you can splice on your couch, the message is clear. The right connector boosts performance, cuts weight and keeps your crew from getting clocked by a flying knot.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Luna Rossa’s silver AC75 is back in Cagliari, and the team greeted it like an old friend before rolling it straight into upgrade mode for the 38th America’s Cup. November also doubled as a talent scouting month, with young sailors jumping aboard the AC40 for their first taste of foiling flight. Off the water, Italy even minted stamps to celebrate the squad’s Youth and Women’s Cup wins. It’s a wholesome mix of nostalgia, next gen energy and hard prep for the showdown ahead in Naples.