Australian Sailing Team Set to Take on the World in Cagliari

Laura Harding & Annie Wilmot (49erFX). Australian Sailing Team competing in Palma © Beau Outteridge

The 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 World Championships are set to get under way in Cagliari, Sardinia, from October 7-12, with 14 Australian teams ready to take on the world's best. This will mark the final major event of the European season for the team and a chance to finish the year on a high.

After a strong season that included standout performances and a podium finish, Paris 2024 Olympians Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown headline the Australian squad in the Nacra 17, aiming to convert consistent form into a career-best World Championship finish.

"This is the best part of the campaign, being able to put our skills to the test and seeing how we stack up against the best teams in the world," said Liddell.

"We've had a strong run of results this season, but in previous years we've struggled to really cement a top result at the World Championships. This week, we're aiming to change that and establish ourselves as one of the top contenders in the Nacra 17 class."

They'll be joined by fellow National Squad members Ruben and Rita Booth, who have been building momentum throughout the European season, as well as Archie Gargett and Sarah Hoffman, another young team showing promise on the world stage. A new pairing in 2025 Jake Liddell and Niamh Meehan will also line up in the 43-boat Nacra fleet.

In the 49erFX class, Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot will be looking to build on their fifth-place finish from the 2024 World Championships. Harding shared, "We have had a great lead up to the regatta, getting used to the warmer weather over here and settling into the conditions after a few domestic training camps."

"Annie and I are super excited to be back racing the fleet after our last regatta in Kiel in June. The FX fleet is looking strong at the moment, so looking forward to some tight racing in our biggest fleet of the year."

Brooke Wilson and Evie Haseldine will join them in the FX fleet, another new pairing for 2025, with Wilson transitioning from the ILCA6 to the FX this season, and Paris 2024 Olympian Haseldine bringing the international racing experience to their team. Australian Sailing Future's (ASF) athletes, Mina Ferguson and Dervla Duggan will continue to gain valuable exposure at the top level.

In the 49er class, Australia will be well represented, with Otto Henry and Shaun Connor showing impressive progress in their first season together including a top 10 finish at Kieler Woche.

Harry Price and Max Paul will line up for their first 49er World Championships together and will be looking to build on their gold fleet finish following the Europeans Championships.

Following camps on Hamilton Island and in Sydney, Paul shared that the squad is keen to get back to the excitement of international racing.

"There is a top-quality fleet here, Olympic gold and silver medallists from Paris are back in a 96-boat fleet. It's going to be difficult qualifying as per usual with only 25 going to gold fleet, pretty ruthless given the fleet quality."

"Really looking forward to racing against everyone. We've put in some hard yards at home since the Europeans and we are itching to show how big some of our improvements have been. All the Aussie squad have been in good form in the lead in and hopefully we can showcase it during the racing," finished Paul.

The 49er Australian line up also features Jack Ferguson and Jack Hildebrand, 2024 U23 World Champions who will look to make their mark in the international fleet. ASF and other Australian entrants include Daniel Links and Keizo Tomishima, and Kurt Hansen and Charlie Zeeman.

The Mediterranean Sea is set to serve up a range of conditions across the next week, with lighter conditions expected in the early days of the regatta, with more wind hitting towards the end of the week. The Nacra 17 fleet is expected to race two days of qualifying, with the skiff classes scheduled for three days of tight qualifying before progressing to the finals to crown a new World Champion.

• Skiff Entry List
• Nacra Entry List

Australian Sailing Team (AST), Australian Sailing Pathway Team (ASPT), Australian Sailing Futures (ASF) and other Australian entries (AUS) at the European Championship:

49er - 87 Entries
Jack Ferguson and Jack Hildebrand (ASPT)
Otto Henry and Shaun Connor (ASPT)
Harry Price (AUS) and Max Paul (ASPT)
Daniel Links and Keizo Tomishima (ASF)
Kurt Hansen (AUS_ and Charlie Zeeman (ASF)

49erFX - 54 Entries
Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot (AST)
Brooke Wilson (ASF) and Evie Haseldine (ASPT)
Mina Ferguson and Dervla Duggan (ASF)
Seisia Mair annd Stella Hurley (ASF)

Nacra 17 - 43 Entries
Ruben Booth and Rita Booth (ASPT)
Archie Gargett and Sarah Hoffman (ASPT)
Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown (ASPT)
Jake Liddell (ASPT) and Niamh Meehan (ASF)
Kenzie Gargan and Gian Bilston (AUS)