Sailors honoured

The awards were decided by the combined verdicts of 17,480 public votes and an expert panel of judges.

The Kuehne+Nagel Young World Sailor of the Year awards were won by Greece’s Nikolaos Pappas and Marta Cardona of Spain.

Nikolaos 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 – the 2025 Optimist World Championship in Portoroz, Slovenia – he beat 213 athletes from all over the world to take the title.

In doing so, he demonstrated remarkable levels of skill, maturity, determination and, above all, raw talent to become one of the sailors to watch out for in the coming years.

Another debutant, Marta Cardona Alcántara 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.

Charlie Dalin of France placed first in the 10th edition of the quadrennial Vendée Globe race around the world that took place in 2024–2025 completing the race within a time of 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 49 seconds, smashing the previous record by nine days, eight hours, 12 minutes and 57 seconds.

Justine Mettraux of Switzerland became the fastest female to take part in the Vendee Globe, finishing eighth and setting a record for the fastest single-handed, non-stop, monohull circumnavigation by a woman, with a time of 76 days, one hour and 36 minutes.

World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Impact Award

The LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES Project, which ran from 2019-2024, is a 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.

Funded by the EU LIFE Programme and led by Natural England with partners including the Royal Yachting Association through its environmental programme, the Green Blue, Ocean Conservation Trust, Marine Conservation Society and Plymouth City Council the project bridges the gap between environmental stewardship and sport.

ReMEDIES addressed the challenge of declining seagrass habitats through practical restoration, sustainable infrastructure, and community engagement. Eight hectares of seagrass were restored using innovative planting techniques, 17 Advanced eco-Mooring Systems (AMS) were installed to protect seabed, and three voluntary no-anchor zones were created. Uptake of AMS rose from 5 percent to 22 percent between 2021 and 2024, while boaters pledging to avoid anchoring in seagrass increased from 17 percent to 41 percent.

Alongside these physical interventions, the project reached over 29,000 people through over 500 outreach events, engaged more than 7,000 schoolchildren in marine education, and trained over 2,427 boaters and young sailors in sustainable anchoring practices.

The legacy of ReMEDIES continues through new restoration projects and the ongoing adoption of its tools and guidance in the UK and internationally.

World Sailing Technology Award

RaceSense by Vakaros has transformed water-based event management for all levels, from club races to world championships.

Previously, race management relied on manual methods, which were time-consuming and error-prone. RaceSense employs precision timing and positioning, equipping each boat with a Vakaros Atlas instrument and syncing all devices via a proprietary mesh network, independent of cellular service This system enables instant OCS decisions, eliminates traditional pings, and ensures accurate timing. Organisers get live tracking, safety monitoring, and improved fleet communication, while racers experience fewer recalls and more racing.

With over 250 events, 6000 sailors, and 50,000 start determinations in 2025 alone, RaceSense is widely adopted worldwide. It represents a paradigm shift, surpassing other systems in championship use, including America’s Cup and SailGP.

Team of the Year

Emirates Team New Zealand won the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona in October 2024, making history with the team’s third win in succession.

The team won the first four races in The America’s Cup Match, adding another three to win the match 7-2 and take the trophy.

This success is down to the skill of the sailing team as well the skill and innovation of the technical team in developing the AC75 for a third campaign.

Beppe Croce Trophy

Bernard Bonneau has been one of World Sailing’s most experienced and respected leaders in the field of race officiating and governance.

As Chair of the Racing Rules Committee he has played a pivotal role in the formulation, interpretation, and global implementation of the Racing Rules of Sailing, ensuring that the sport remains fair, transparent, and consistent across all disciplines and continents. His leadership has strengthened collaboration between World Sailing’s technical and governance bodies, linking the work of judges, umpires, and event organisers with policy and rule development.

In addition to his committee responsibilities, he regularly served as chairman or member of international juries at major events, including the Olympic Games and Volvo Ocean Race, setting high standards for integrity and professionalism among race officials.

Bernard has also been deeply committed to education, mentoring and continuous improvement of race official training worldwide.

Through his analytical approach, diplomatic skill, and long-term vision, he has made a lasting contribution to World Sailing’s mission of promoting fair competition and effective governance throughout the sport.

President’s Development Award

Jevan Tan is the Founder and Director of the Metazone Limited’s Sailing & Sustainability Programme, a flagship initiative that annually engages over 1,000 students from neighbourhood schools and higher institutions of learn across Singapore. Under his leadership, the programme seamlessly integrates sailing as an educational platform to promote sustainability, resilience, interdependence, and responsible action.

He has successfully secured community partnerships, involving more than 30 corporate and community organisations, to ensure inclusivity and access for underrepresented youth.

These collaborations provide young people with valuable opportunities to engage with multinational organisations and explore careers in fields such as banking, supply chain management, and big data analytics – sectors increasingly vital in today’s focus on relationship and environmental sustainability.

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