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Sailing News for January 01, 2026

Sydney Hobart history was rewritten as Jiang Lin became the first woman to skipper the overall winner after a post race protest elevated her double handed team to the top step. Offshore focus then shifted wider, with Class40 leaders hailing a brutal and innovative 2025 and eyes already on an even bigger 2026. New boats, new formats, and new barriers broken as sailing turns the page. Happy New Year to everyone on the water and ashore. Here’s to fair winds, strong starts, and a fast 2026.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Lin becomes first woman to claim Sydney to Hobart overall title after protest (3 min read)
History got a late rewrite after the finish in Hobart. Jiang Lin and co-skipper Alexis Loison were promoted to overall winners when French entry BNC copped a post-race penalty for a sail breach. That decision made Lin the first woman to skipper an overall Sydney to Hobart winner, and the first double-handed crew to do it. Line honours still went to Comanche, but this one will be remembered for breaking barriers.

A remarkable Class40 season: President reflects on a wild 2025 (5 min read)
Class40 boss Cédric de Kervenoael is calling 2025 one of the toughest and most memorable seasons the class has ever seen, and it’s hard to argue. Windy, demanding races across the Channel, Atlantic, Med, and a dramatic Transat Café L’Or finale pushed boats and sailors hard. Innovation stayed front and centre, from new race formats to greener operations and standardised safety gear. And 2026 is already looming large, with Route du Rhum and a new solo trophy on deck.

Cruising

Where to sail in 2026: the coolest yacht charter holidays on offer (7 min read)
Yacht charters have gone way beyond bareboat Bahamas laps, and 2026 is stacked with wild options. Think performance cats you can actually sail hard, ski-and-sail missions above the Arctic Circle, foiling holidays, Biscay crossings, and eco-luxe cats that run silently on solar power. Multihulls dominate, adventure is in, and learning while you sail is a big trend. Whether you want adrenaline, skills, or remote anchorages, next year’s charter menu is anything but boring.

Sustainability

11th Hour Racing named Impact Partner (3 min read)
11th Hour Racing is teaming up again with The Ocean Race as Impact Partner for the new Ocean Race Atlantic in 2026, and it’s a big one. The headline move is mandatory gender-balanced crews, two women and two men on every boat, a first in the race’s 52-year history. Beyond crew lists, the partnership doubles down on ocean science, sustainability, and education at a serious scale. Offshore racing with purpose, not just polish.

Tech & Gear

2025 Boat of the Year Best Multihull: Dragonfly 36 (6 min read)
The Dragonfly 36 just cleaned up Boat of the Year, and it sounds like a weapon. Testers were blasting along in 25 to 30 knots with full sail, barely breaking a sweat, thanks to smart buoyancy, a wave-piercing bow, and a towering 60-foot rig. It sails like a much bigger boat, folds down for easy slips, and somehow still has liveaboard comfort. Expensive, yes. Worth the two-year wait, absolutely.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

The Melges 19 just launched and immediately snagged Best Dinghy, and it’s easy to see why. Designed as a true three-person family boat, it mixes Melges-style speed with a deep, knee-friendly cockpit and a layout where everyone has a real job. The hull is stable but slippery upwind, rips downwind at up to 24 knots, and skips the keel for extra performance. Fast, comfy, and unintimidating, this thing looks like an instant modern classic.