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Sailing News for December 22, 2025

Offshore racing’s most famous supermaxi returns as Wild Oats XI reemerges as Palm Beach XI ahead of the Sydney Hobart. Youth Sailing World Championships wrap up in Vilamoura with tight skiff battles and dominant kite performances. In Oman the first World Sailing Inclusion Championships set a powerful new benchmark, while cruising stories spotlight fast aluminum designs and the realities of small boat seamanship at sea.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Wild Oats XI reborn as Palm Beach XI ahead of Sydney Hobart return (5 min read)
One of offshore racing’s true legends is back, just with a new name and sharper teeth. Wild Oats XI has been rechristened Palm Beach XI after a five-month refit that added a deeper keel, daggerboards, and radical C-foils to drag the 20-year-old Supermaxi back to the front of the fleet. Mark Richards is still at the helm, expectations are sky-high, and her first test comes immediately at the Rolex Sydney Hobart. Love it or fear it, the old giant isn’t done yet.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

Champions crowned at Youth Sailing World Championships (10 min read)
Vilamoura served up a full-on youth sailing medal bonanza, with 11 new world champs and more than a few photo-finish podiums. Italy and Great Britain bagged two golds each, and Italy also locked up a third straight Nations Trophy because apparently they do not do “off years.” The skiff racing was pure drama, with both 29er titles decided by a single point. Bonus flex: undefeated weeks for Italy’s Medea Falcioni (female iQFOiL), Switzerland’s Gian Andrea Stragiotti (male kite), and China’s Suofeiya Li (female kite).

Youth Sailing/Development

World Sailing Inclusion Championships set a new benchmark (6 min read)
The first-ever World Sailing Inclusion Championships wrapped up in Oman and quietly rewrote the rulebook on what inclusive sailing looks like. With 154 sailors from 37 nations, para-classified and non-classified athletes raced together on equal terms in the RS Venture Connect. Poland dominated the Two-Person Keelboat fleet, but the real win was the vibe: tight racing, shared learning, and zero barriers. This wasn’t a box-ticking exercise. It felt like the future of the sport showing up early.

Cruising

Pure 42: Aluminum performance cruiser built to go far, fast (10 min read)
Pure Yachts just launched Germany’s first production-series aluminum cruiser, and it’s anything but dull. The 42-footer mixes serious offshore toughness with real performance, thanks to a lightweight hull, twin rudders, and a hydraulic lifting keel that stretches from shallow anchorages to deep-ocean bite. Think deck-saloon comfort, industrial-smart interiors, and double-digit speeds in heavy air. It’s a long-distance cruiser for sailors who still care how fast and fun the ride feels.

What it’s really like to win the Rolex Sydney Hobart – plus preview of this year’s race (10 min read)
A routine Channel hop turned spicy when John Willis’ 25ft Beneteau 760 launched off a deceptively normal wave and slammed hard into the trough beyond. The boat seemed fine at first, so they carried on, soup and scones included, only to discover later a bent engine mount and cracked starter motor. Cue battlefield repairs, duct tape seamanship, and still making the Jester Baltimore Challenge start line. A love letter to small boats, calm decisions, and not underestimating the sea.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

If you like your sailing fast, nervous, and decided by single points, this one delivers. The final day in Vilamoura had medal races, last-race lead changes, and more pressure than a boat park rigging line. Titles were won and lost by razor-thin margins, with young sailors having to keep it together when it really counted. It’s raw, emotional, and a great reminder that today’s youth fleet is tomorrow’s Olympic and offshore talent pipeline.