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Sailing News for December 15, 2025

The Famous Project is charging toward the Southern Ocean at near 30 knots as its all female crew chases the Jules Verne Trophy. Jeff Linton added his 60th major title in the Ultimate 20 while Yandoo tightened its grip on the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship. Australia’s youth team heads to the World Championships and cruising stories spotlight solo grit and serious long range boat design.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

“We Sail on the Shoulders of Giants” The Famous Project Chases Jules Verne Glory (3 min read)
An all-female crew is absolutely sending it across the South Atlantic, ripping toward the Cape of Good Hope at nearly 30 knots on IDEC Sport. Led by Alexia Barrier, The Famous Project is taking on sailing’s toughest record with patience, brains, and some seriously fast nights. Nearly 5,900 miles down, 1,900 to go to the Cape, and the Southern Ocean is next. It’s bold, historic, and quietly very fast.

With U20 Class Win, Jeff Linton Racks Title No. 60 (3 min read)
Jeff Linton turned up to Lake Norman, jumped into the Ultimate 20 class for the first time, and casually walked away with the North American Championship and his 60th major title. After a light-air shakeout, a full day blown off, and then proper breeze on Sunday, Linton locked it up with three bullets out of four races. Add in the Don Corey Award and it’s peak veteran energy. Some sailors chase wins. Linton collects milestones.

18ft Skiff NSW Championship: Yandoo Goes Back-to-Back (3 min read)
The Yandoo crew of Tom Needham, Fang Warren and Lewis Brake stamped their authority on the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship with two more wins on Sydney Harbour. Races 5 and 6 saw them stretch clear of rivals Balmain, who had a shocker in the second race, while Vaikobi bounced back strongly after a recall. With only two races left, Yandoo now sits firmly in control and looks every bit the team to beat.

Youth Sailing/Development

Australia’s Young Sailors Head to the Youth Sailing World Championships (3 min read)
Australia’s next wave of sailing talent is lining up in Vilamoura, Portugal, as the 2025 Youth Sailing World Championships kick off. From ILCA and 29er skiffs to foiling windsurfers, kites, and the Nacra 15, this squad is getting a proper taste of big-fleet, high-pressure international racing. It’s less about medals and more about experience, independence, and learning fast in unfamiliar conditions. Today’s youth team, tomorrow’s Olympic and offshore sailors.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Formula 1 stars thought they knew speed, then they stepped onto a SailGP F50. From Sebastian Vettel to Verstappen, Bottas, Perez and Magnussen, the verdict was unanimous: this feels wild. Triple-digit speeds, brutal physical loads, and zero margin for error had even world champions sweating and shaking. The big takeaway? Unlike F1, one wrong move here can hurt teammates instantly. Same precision, same pressure, but teamwork dialed up to eleven. Racing on water just earned some serious respect.