24 hours of sailing news in 5 minutes.

Sailing News for March 19, 2026

The Olympic spotlight shifts to Hyères where more than 50 nations and the sport’s biggest names are set to clash in one of the most important regattas of the season, while further down the pathway Ireland’s rising duo Erin McIlwaine and Ellen Barbour are building serious momentum toward LA 2028. Foiling action stayed intense in Pensacola as Louis Tilly delivered a clutch performance to win the WASZP All-Stars Invitational under pressure, showing just how unforgiving the no-discard format can be. Inshore racing is heating up too, with the Young 88 Nationals lining up for a tight one-design battle and Shapeshifter-style intensity expected across the fleet, while the Ocean Race confirmed a new Florida stopover that brings a fresh twist to the global circuit. Off the water, Zhik’s new 52 Super Series partnership highlights the push for high-performance gear, and even virtual racing is gaining traction with a Hansa 303 VR debut. And for a bit of nostalgia, the VO70 Mar Mostro still stands as a reminder of just how wild offshore race boats can feel at full tilt.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

World’s coolest yachts: VO70 Mar Mostro / Puma (3 min read)
The VO70 Mar Mostro wasn’t just fast, it was borderline intimidating in the best way. Built for the Volvo Ocean Race, this thing had serious horsepower and a paint job you couldn’t miss, with that wild octopus and puma graphic wrapped around the hull. Sailors who drove it talk about this weird sense of invincibility, like the boat just refused to wipe out. From ocean races to blasting past Istanbul’s skyline, it left a proper impression. One of those boats that felt alive under your feet.

St. Petersburg and Clearwater to Host The Ocean Race in 2027 (4 min read)
The Ocean Race is heading somewhere new, and honestly, it’s a bit of a plot twist. Florida’s Gulf Coast will host its first-ever stopover, with St. Pete-Clearwater set to welcome the IMOCA fleet in May 2027 before sending them off across the Atlantic to Portugal. It replaces Newport as the U.S. stop, trading New England grit for sunshine and white sand beaches. Expect a big fan zone, plenty of hype, and a fresh crowd getting pulled into the race. Not your typical Ocean Race stop, and that’s kind of the point.

2026 Harken Young 88 Nationals Ready to Launch (4 min read)
The Young 88 Nationals are shaping up to be a proper scrap, with 14 crews and zero room to hide. You’ve got defending champ Karyn Drummond holding the line, a fired-up South Island squad coming in hot, and a bunch of young crews looking to shake things up. Add in some classic Auckland rivalry with East vs West bragging rights, and it’s basically chaos in identical boats. Tight racing, big personalities, and plenty of pride on the line. This one could get spicy fast.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

The world’s Olympic sailing elite set to gather in Hyères for French Olympic Week (5 min read)
Hyères is about to turn into the center of the Olympic sailing universe, with 50+ nations and basically every big name showing up. This is round two of the Sailing Grand Slam, and the fleet is stacked. Think double Olympic champs like Matt Wearn and Ruggero Tita, plus rising stars and world champs all fighting it out across ten classes. The conditions are famously tricky, so it’s not just fast, it’s ruthless. If you want a preview of who’s hot heading toward the next Olympics, this is it.

Irish sailors California dreaming of LA Olympics (4 min read)
Two Irish sailors with perfect timing and serious chemistry are taking aim at the 2028 Olympics. Erin McIlwaine and Ellen Barbour only teamed up in 2024, but they’ve already snagged a U23 Worlds bronze and started turning heads at senior level. Now it’s all about stepping up, putting in the hours, and surviving the grind of the Olympic pathway. They’ve got the talent and momentum, but they know what’s coming next is a different level entirely. LA might feel far away, but their campaign is very real already.

Youth Sailing/Development

Momentum Is Building: 10 Teams Already Entered for RS Venture Connect Europeans 2026 (3 min read)
The RS Venture Connect Europeans are already shaping up nicely, with 10 teams from six countries locking in early, including some serious talent. You’ve got defending champs, world title holders, and even a team flying in from Australia just to get involved. But the real story here is the format. Para, inclusive, and open sailors all racing together, no barriers, just good racing and good vibes. Set during Travemünder Woche, this one feels less like a regatta and more like a full-on celebration of what sailing should be.

Tech & Gear

Zhik becomes official technical clothing partner to 52 SUPER SERIES (3 min read)
Zhik is stepping in as the official gear supplier for the 52 SUPER SERIES, kitting out everyone from race officials to media crews for the next three seasons. This isn’t just branded polos. They’ve designed custom kit for long, brutal race days in everything from Mediterranean heat to full-on storms. There’s also a limited merch drop coming, which is a nice move for fans who want in on the action. Performance-focused, a bit more sustainable, and finally making the circuit look as sharp as it sails.

Champion crowned at inaugural International Hansa 303 Virtual Sailing Challenge (4 min read)
Sailing just took a step into the virtual world, and it actually looks pretty fun. The first-ever Hansa 303 VR regatta ran alongside real racing in Auckland, letting sailors, volunteers, and spectators jump in and compete on headsets. Aussie Jack Wallace laid down the fastest lap to take the win, but the bigger story is how quickly people got hooked, many trying VR for the first time. It turned downtime into competition and made the event way more inclusive. Don’t be surprised if this shows up at more regattas soon.

Propeller installation: tips from the experts (5 min read)
A simple prop clean turned into a full lesson in what not to do when reinstalling one. After fixing a badly pitted prop, the real surprise was learning the “correct” install method is basically the opposite of what most people think. No grease, no Loctite, and definitely don’t just slap it back on. The bigger culprit? A hidden grounding issue that caused the damage in the first place. It’s part DIY story, part cautionary tale, and a solid reminder that small mistakes below the waterline can get expensive fast.

Foiling

WASZP All-Stars Invitational – Tilly’s Tactical Masterclass (4 min read)
Pensacola brought the heat and the pressure, and Louis Tilly handled both, sniping the Men’s title with back-to-back wins when it mattered most. No discards meant zero room for error, turning the leaderboard into pure chaos until the final races. On the women’s side, Pearl Lattanzi had already done the damage early and calmly locked it down to stay on top. Short races, big breeze, and serious talent made this feel less like a regatta and more like a foiling shootout. Safe to say, this event delivered.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

One broken block at sea turned into a full-on DIY mission to fix a pretty annoying problem. This sailor built a modular, stackable block that can replace basically any block onboard, from snatch to multi-purchase setups, all with one design. It’s tough too. In testing, it outlived lines, shackles, and even a heavy-duty commercial block. Best part, he’s giving the design away so no company can lock it down, meaning anyone can build, tweak, or improve it. Pretty cool bit of open-source sailing gear.