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Sailing News for January 09, 2026

ROCKWOOL Denmark arrive in 2026 as SailGP’s wild card after record-breaking speeds, a first event win, and flashes of genuine title pace when things stayed upright. With thirteen teams now racing head-to-head and prize money climbing fast, SailGP feels sharper and less forgiving than ever. Across the wider sport, match racing knockouts, skiff chaos, and rating debates all point to a season where precision matters and mistakes get punished fast.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

SailGP Team Guide: Everything You Need To Know About ROCKWOOL Denmark (5 min read)
ROCKWOOL Denmark were pure chaos in the best way in 2025. They smashed the SailGP speed record at 103.93 km/h, broke their duck with a first-ever event win in Abu Dhabi, and still managed a season-derailing crash in LA that knocked them out for two events. With ‘Flying Viking’ Nicolai Sehested at the helm and fresh foils under the boat, Denmark look fast, fearless, and finally dangerous. If consistency shows up in 2026, the title race just got spicy.

SailGP’s 2026 Season: Here’s What You Need To Know (4 min read)
SailGP is going bigger, faster, and meaner in 2026. Thirteen teams, thirteen events, and for the first time all 13 F50s racing head-to-head on the same track, with speeds already past 103 km/h and no sign of slowing down. Old rivalries are simmering, new teams want blood, and crew shake-ups mean nothing feels settled. Add a record-breaking $12.8 million prize pot and iconic venues from Auckland to Rio, and this season feels properly unmissable.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Survival Day in Shenzhen: Egnot-Johnson and Borch Fight Through to WMRT Quarterfinals (4 min read)
Survival sailing at its finest in Shenzhen as the repechage round of the World Match Racing Tour Final delivered pure pressure. Nick Egnot-Johnson went seven from seven in brutal light airs to muscle Knots Racing into the quarterfinals, while Jeppe Borch held his nerve after penalties, protests, and a jammed spinnaker to scrape through. One bad tack meant elimination, and plenty of big names paid the price. The knockout rounds are locked in, and it is officially game on.

Age No Barrier at 12ft Skiff Interdominion Champs (4 min read)
The 12ft Skiff Interdominion Championship is delivering peak skiff chaos on Sydney Harbour, with ages ranging from 15 to 75 and zero chill in the boats. Teenager Oliver Smith is crewing for his dad in one of the toughest classes on the planet, while Kiwi legend Tim Bartlett is still racing hard decades after his first title. Light crews, heavy crews, veterans and kids are all sending it in a class where survival is half the skill. Proof that if you can hang on, you belong.

Remaining issues for ORC in 2026 (3 min read)
The Offshore Racing Congress has a busy to-do list heading into 2026 after sifting through 48 rule-change submissions from around the globe. Unresolved issues include age allowances for older designs, gear questions like furlers and powered kite systems, and growing debate over twin-rudder drag. The spiciest topic is a proposed fast-track tweak to the VPP after the XR-41 exposed a performance sweet spot on the world stage. Expect some serious rule-room wrestling later this month.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

World’s Coolest Boats: 49er FX dinghy (3 min read)
Olympic sailor Francesca Clapcich makes the case for the 49er FX as one of the coolest boats on the planet, and it is hard to argue. Fast, twitchy, double-trap and brutally physical, the FX pushed a whole generation of sailors when it became the women’s Olympic skiff in 2016. With 25-knot top speeds and zero margin for error, it rewards fitness, precision, and fearlessness. Pure adrenaline, no compromises, and definitely not for dabblers.

Learn from the Best at the 2026 RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show (4 min read)
The RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show is back this February and it is stacking the speaker list early. Olympic and world champions like Emma Wilson and Andy Brown headline a packed weekend of coaching, SailGP insight, weather smarts, rigging hacks, and real-world sailing advice. With 180-plus exhibitors, hands-on zones, and sessions for racers, cruisers, foilers, and future pros, this is less boat show and more season reset button. If you sail small boats in the UK, this is your winter must-do.

Tech & Gear

How I refit my own Volvo Saildrive propeller (10 min read)
One failed anode, one missing propeller, and one very public pontoon impact later, Mark Ryan learned the hard way how vulnerable older Volvo Saildrive setups can be. This is part cruising yarn, part mechanical postmortem, and part how-to guide for fixing it properly. The big takeaway is simple but vital: clean threads, zero grease contamination, and upgrade to the newer mechanical locking cone. A little patience now beats losing your prop when you really need it.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Ever wondered why your Laser suddenly decides to throw you in during a downwind surf? This classic International Sailing Academy video breaks it down simply: death rolls are all about imbalance. Sail trim, body position, and leech twist have to work against each other, not gang up on you. Trim in when you’re to windward, ease when you’re to leeward, and keep that leech behaving. Old video, timeless advice, and still one of the clearest explanations out there.