World Sailing has recognised its top achievers, honouring two offshore stars, Charlie Dalin and Justine Mettraux, as the Rolex World Sailors of the YearWorld Sailing has recognised its top achievers, honouring two offshore stars, Charlie Dalin and Justine Mettraux, as the Rolex World Sailors of the Year.
\nThe awards highlight not only exceptional performance but also remarkable personal resilience in the face of immense challenge.<\/p>\n
Dalin\u2019s Secret Battle Behind Record Victory
\nFrance\u2019s Charlie Dalin was named the Male Rolex World Sailor of the Year, a tribute to his all-conquering victory in the 2024\u20132025 Vend\u00e9e Globe.
\nAboard Macif Sant\u00e9 Pr\u00e9voyance, Dalin completed the grueling solo, non-stop circumnavigation in 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, and 49 seconds, demolishing the previous course record by nearly 10 days. His win was made all the more heroic by a revelation shared recently: Dalin was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumour in 2023.
\nHe competed in the Vend\u00e9e Globe while undergoing treatment, managing his illness with daily medication.
\nMettraux Sets New Female Circumnavigation Record
\nThe Female Rolex World Sailor of the Year title went to Swiss sailor Justine Mettraux, who delivered an historic performance in the Vend\u00e9e. Finishing eighth overall on Teamwork-Team SNEF, Mettraux was the first woman and first international competitor to cross the finish line.
\nMettraux completed the race in 76 days, 1 hour, 36 minutes, and 52 seconds, setting a new record for the fastest single-handed, non-stop, monohull circumnavigation by a woman. Her achievement is the latest in a highly diverse and impressive offshore career that has seen her compete in the Vend\u00e9e Globe, participate in the inaugural Women\u2019s America\u2019s Cup, and, more recently, take part in The Ocean Race Europe.<\/p>\n
Emirates Team New Zealand Named Team of the Year
\nIn the collective categories, Emirates Team New Zealand earned the 2025 World Sailing Team of the Year Award. The honour recognises the team\u2019s continued success and commitment to innovation and community within the sport.
\nThe award follows ETNZ\u2019s historic third consecutive America\u2019s Cup victory in Barcelona in 2024, a feat that solidified their position as one of the most successful teams in America\u2019s Cup history.
\nKevin Shoebridge, COO of Emirates Team New Zealand, emphasised the collaborative spirit behind the win. \u201cThis recognition is especially meaningful to us because it is not about any one individual. It is about the strength of the team,\u201d Shoebridge said.
\n\u201cEvery single person in our organisation, from the sailors to the designers, the boatbuilders, the shore crew, and the families who support us, plays a crucial role in what we achieve together.\u201d
\nIn accepting the award, the team also paid tribute to inspirational blind sailor Dani A Pich, acknowledging the importance of championing inclusivity and accessibility in sailing.
\nArticle continues below\u2026<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVend\u00e9e Globe record-breaker Charlie Dalin won gruelling race after cancer diagnosis<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrench ocean racer Charlie Dalin has revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer in 2023, and completed \u2013 and won\u2026<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrom the Vend\u00e9e Globe to the America\u2019s Cup: Women Who Conquered Sailing in 2024-25<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOver the past 12 months, women in sailing have achieved remarkable milestones, showcasing their skill, determination, and passion for the\u2026<\/p>\n
11th Hour Racing Impact Award
\nThe commitment to sustainability in the sport was also recognised, with the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Impact Award being presented to the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES Project.
\nThe project, led by the Royal Yachting Association, was honoured for its landmark collaboration uniting conservation bodies and the recreational boating community to restore and protect fragile seagrass meadows and maerl beds across five Special Areas of Conservation in southern England.
\nYouth Winners Impress
\nThe Kuehne+Nagel Young World Sailor of the Year awards were won by Greece\u2019s Nikolaos Pappas and Marta Cardona of Spain.
\nNikolaos Pappas, from the small Greek village of Vonitsa, made history on the global sailing stage. At just 13 years of age and competing at his first international event \u2013 the 2025 Optimist World Championship in Portoroz, Slovenia \u2013 he beat 213 athletes from all over the world to take the title.
\nAnother debutant, Marta Cardona Alc\u00e1ntara from Spain, showed her potential by winning the 470 Mixed World and European Championships at the first time of sailing in the events. She won the European title after sailing with her partner Jordi Xammar for just 40 days and went on to claim the world title a month later.<\/p>\n
If you enjoyed this\u2026.<\/p>\n
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The post Record-breakers and champions: World Sailing honours the 2025 World Sailors of the Year appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
World Sailing has recognised its top achievers, honouring two offshore stars, Charlie Dalin and Justine Mettraux, as the Rolex World Sailors of the YearWorld Sailing has recognised its top achievers, honouring two offshore stars, Charlie Dalin and Justine Mettraux, as … <\/p>\n