The World Sailing Inclusion Championships return for a truly global celebration of Para Inclusive Sailing

Launched in 2025, the Championships were designed to be much more than a traditional world championship. The vision was simple: to bring the entire Para Inclusive sailing community together in one place. Rather than focusing on a single class or discipline, the Championships provide a platform where athletes with a wide range of impairments, sailing different boats and competing at different stages of their development, can race alongside one another while sharing knowledge, experience and inspiration. 

The event also brings together coaches, classifiers, race officials, volunteers, Member National Authorities, Class Associations and organisers, creating a unique environment where competition, education and development go hand in hand. 

The Championships have quickly become the flagship event for World Sailing’s Para Inclusive Strategy, supporting the long-term growth of the sport while demonstrating the diversity and accessibility of sailing on the international stage. 

That vision is already becoming a reality. 

With standard entries remaining open until 31 August, the second edition of the Championships has already attracted 110 entries from 34 nations, representing over 170 competitors, with several World Championship fleets already exceeding the minimum entry numbers required for titles to be awarded.  

Strong competition is expected across the established fleets, including the Hansa 303, RS Venture Connect, 2.4mR, and Vision Impairment Fleet Racing, while newer initiatives such as the Para Inclusive WingFoil and the Challenger Trimaran continue to generate significant international interest.  

One of the most exciting developments is the continued growth of the Challenger Trimaran fleet. Already exceeding its minimum championship numbers, the class is attracting interest from new nations, including South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago, highlighting its growing role within the international Para Inclusive sailing pathway. 

The Championships also continue to provide a platform for innovation. Following successful development programmes around the world, seated WingFoiling will feature as a demonstration event, showcasing one of the sport’s newest disciplines and highlighting the opportunities that innovation can bring to sailors with disabilities. 

Alongside the racing, the World Sailing Inclusive Development Programme (IDP) will once again welcome sailors, coaches and officials from emerging nations. Through coaching, classifier education and knowledge exchange, the programme is designed to create sustainable pathways into international competition and strengthen Para Inclusive sailing around the world. 

To support this ambition through the partnership with The America’s Cup (AC) Funding remains available to eligible emerging nations, helping remove barriers to participation and ensuring more sailors have the opportunity to compete on the world stage. 

Hannah Stodel, Para World Sailing Manager, said: “When we created the World Sailing Inclusion Championships, the ambition was never simply to organise another regatta. It was to create a home for the global Para Inclusive sailing community – somewhere athletes, coaches, officials, classifiers and volunteers could come together, learn from one another and help shape the future of our sport. Seeing the Championships grow in just their second edition, with new nations, new classes and new opportunities, is incredibly exciting. It shows what can be achieved when inclusion sits at the heart of everything we do.” 

With preparations continuing at pace, the second World Sailing Inclusion Championships promise to build on the success of the inaugural event, bringing together the world’s best Para Inclusive sailors while continuing to inspire the next generation and strengthen sailing’s pathway towards an even more inclusive future.