World Sailing Inclusion Championships – A landmark first edition and a platform for the future

As the first event of its kind, the World Sailing Inclusion Championships brought together sailors from across impairment groups, classes and pathways, creating a championship that reflected both the competitive ambition and inclusive values of the sport. 

Hosted in Oman, the championship welcomed over 30 nations, with sailors competing across the Hansa 303, RS Venture Connect, Visually Impaired Fareast 28, and Intellectual Impairment ILCA events. Racing was delivered over a full championship format, supported by international race officials, juries and support teams, and provided challenging, high-quality racing conditions throughout the week. 

The World Sailing Inclusion Championships showcased the growing depth of Para Inclusive Sailing globally. From experienced international campaigners to sailors stepping onto a world championship stage for the first time, the event demonstrated not only competitive excellence, but also the strength of emerging pathways and development programmes worldwide. 

As a first edition, the World Sailing Inclusion Championships was intentionally ambitious. Bringing together multiple classes, impairment groups and parallel development activity in a single championship inevitably came with complexity and challenges. However, it also delivered something essential: proof that Para Inclusive Sailing is ready to host major events that bring the whole community together, while maintaining sporting integrity, fairness and meaningful competition. 

Beyond the racing itself, the World Sailing Inclusion Championships created space for connection, learning and visibility for sailors, coaches, officials and organisers alike. These elements are central to the long-term vision of the event and to the wider growth of Para Inclusive Sailing. 

The championship delivered close racing across all fleets, with medals shared across a broad range of nations, underlining the increasing competitiveness and geographic spread of Para Inclusive Sailing. 

Hansa 303 – One Person Keelboat

Gold: Rory Mckinna GBR 
Silver: Joao Pinto POR
Bronze: Takumi Niwa JPN  

RS Venture Connect – Two Person Keelboat

Gold: Piotr Cichocki & Olga Gornas-Grudzien POL
Silver: Pau Toni Homar & Ramon Gutierrez ESP
Bronze: Vasilis Christoforou & Thodoris Alexas GRE 

Visually Impaired Fareast 28

Gold: Lucy Hodges and Team GBR 
Silver: Dani Pich and Team ESP
Bronze: Karl Haines and Team GBR 

Intellectual Impairment – ILCA

Gold: Murray Macdonald, GBR 
Silver: Marwan Suloom UAE
Bronze: Tsz Hin Cheung HKG 

Full results and race documentation remain available on Manage2Sail. 

“This journey has shown me that inclusion, when done properly, doesn’t just create access – it creates belief, purpose, and possibility. In less than a year, sailing has taken me from never having raced before to representing my country on the world stage, and I see this not just as a personal achievement, but as a chance to help pioneer Para Inclusive Sailing for the Caribbean and encourage other nations to get involved,” said sailor Justen Bridgemohan from Trinidad and Tobago.  

Planning is already underway for the 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships, with a strong focus on applying lessons learned from Oman, strengthening delivery structures, and continuing to improve athlete, coach and official experience. 

The ambition is for the World Sailing Inclusion Championships to grow into a stable, high-quality fixture on the Para Inclusive Sailing calendar, one that supports performance pathways, development opportunities and international collaboration, while remaining true to the inclusive ethos that defines the event. 

The inaugural World Sailing Inclusion Championships set the direction of travel. The work now is to refine, strengthen and grow the championships, ensuring they continue to serve sailors and the wider Para Inclusive Sailing community long into the future.