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Sailing News for January 16, 2026

Match racing takes a major step east with AMAALA Yacht Club confirmed as host of future World Match Racing Tour finals, locking in equal prize money and a new Middle East hub. Offshore eyes stay glued to the clock as Sodebo Ultim 3 holds a narrow lead deep into its Jules Verne Trophy attempt. Ashore, structured investment in high-performance pathways is starting to show real returns, while cruisers look beyond tradewinds toward longer, more varied routes.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

AMAALA Yacht Club Signs Strategic Partnership With World Match Racing Tour (4 min read)
The World Match Racing Tour is heading somewhere new and it’s a big one. AMAALA Yacht Club will host the Open and Women’s WMRT season finals from December 2026, marking the Tour’s first-ever stop in the Middle East. Even better, prize money is officially equal for men and women. Add Red Sea winter winds, long-term development programs, and Ocean Race ambitions, and AMAALA is making a serious play to become a global match racing hotspot.

After a month on a Jules Verne Trophy attempt, Sodebo Ultim 3 holds the lead (4 min read)
One month into their Jules Verne Trophy attempt, Sodebo Ultim 3 is flying and still ahead of the pace. Thomas Coville and crew have ticked off all three great capes faster than the 2017 record holder and are now charging up the South Atlantic at a blistering 30-knot average. The clock is tight, the Saint Helena High is looming, and the next ten days will be pure nerves. But the boat is fast, the crew is sharp, and this record is very much on.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

America One Racing Performance Report 2025 (3 min read)
America One Racing isn’t just writing checks anymore and it’s paying off. The 2025 report shows real gains from hands-on coaching, tighter training plans, and a sharper focus on sport science across Project Podium and the Foiling Pipeline. Athletes pushed standards, systems got smarter, and results followed. The vibe here is calm confidence, not hype. A1R looks organized, intentional, and very much building toward something bigger in 2026.

Cruising

Cruising the Great Loop: Whatever you decide, the ocean currents will help you on your way (10 min read)
Think the Caribbean is the end of the cruising road? Think again. This deep dive follows sailors heading north from Mexico through the Yucatan, Florida, the Bahamas, and into America’s Great Loop, a 5,200-mile inland adventure of rivers, canals, and Great Lakes. Expect manta rays, swimming pigs, lock gates, mast unstepping, and a surprisingly social Looper scene. Less tradewinds, more planning, but huge variety, slower miles, and serious bragging rights if you complete the loop.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

This is light-air Laser sailing stripped down to the stuff that actually makes you faster. International Sailing Academy breaks down how body weight is your accelerator and the mainsheet is your gearbox, and why timing matters more than brute force. It’s all about cycling smoothly between power and efficiency as the boat constantly accelerates and decelerates. Simple ideas, brutally hard to execute, and hugely rewarding when you get it right. If light winds usually ruin your day, this is required viewing.