49er & 49erFX and Nacra 17 World Championships at Cagliari, Spain Overall
by Andy Rice 12 Oct 11:16 PDT
7-12 October 2025
The 2025 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 World Championships wrapped up in spectacular style today with a double-race medal series that crowned three deserving world champions.
Under brilliant Sardinian skies and a lively mistral breeze, Spain swept the skiff fleets while Britain claimed the foiling crown.
49er - Botín and Trittel finally go all the way
After years of near-misses, Spain's Diego Botín and Florian Trittel Paul have finally done it — capturing their first-ever 49er World Championship. The reigning Olympic gold medalists and SailGP champions returned to the 49er after nearly a year away, and looked right at home, smiling their way through the regatta and topping it off with victory in the four-boat, winner-takes-all finale.
Close behind, Dutch duo Bart Lambriex van Aanholt and Floris van de Werken — three-time world champions from the last Olympic cycle — pushed hard all week but settled for silver this time. Denmark's Jonas Warrer, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, teamed up with new crew Mathias Lehm Sletten to earn bronze, marking Warrer's second world championship medal over two decades of dedication to the class.
49erFX - Barceló and Cantero make it a Spanish double
Spain made it two-for-two in the skiffs as Paula Barceló and María Cantero clinched their maiden 49erFX World Championship in dramatic fashion. Barceló, a two-time Olympian previously crewing for Tamara Echegoyen, took the helm this season — and the new partnership paid instant dividends. In the final race, they boldly crossed the fleet on port to seize the lead and never looked back.
Sweden's Vilma Bobeck and Ebba Berntsson took silver — a remarkable result for a team that only began training together this summer. Bobeck, the 2024 Olympic silver medalist and 2023 world champion, continues to prove she's one of the most consistent talents in women's skiff sailing.
In bronze, the Lewin-Lafrance sisters, Georgia and Antonia, made history for Canada with their nation's first world championship podium in over two decades. Britain's Freya Black and Saskia Tidey rounded out the top four after a strong push through the series.
Nacra 17 - Gimson and Burnet edge the Italians in a thriller
In the foiling catamarans, John Gimson and Anna Burnet of Great Britain secured their third Nacra 17 World Championship in breathtaking fashion, narrowly defeating Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei of Italy. The two leading teams were locked in a tactical duel around the course — trading gybes, skimming through steep swells, and battling for every puff of wind — with whoever finished ahead set to win the title. The Brits crossed the line first and erupted in celebration.
For Ugolini and Giubilei, the heartbreak was clear. The three-time junior world champions, racing on home waters, were desperate to deliver gold for Italy but will have to wait another year. Still, their performance cemented them as the heirs apparent to the Nacra 17 throne.
The Netherlands' Willemijn Offerman and Scipio Houtman claimed their first world championship podium with bronze, a breakthrough for the young pair. Australia's Bryn Liddell and Rhiannon Brown finished fourth — both part of the next generation rising fast in the foiling fleet.
A Championship for the ages
The fleets spent over a month in Cagliari, preparing for the championship in near-perfect conditions. Thanks to the consistent breezes and warm water temperatures, not a single day of training was lost — a sailor's dream. Competitors and coaches alike praised the venue and the local hospitality, savoring every espresso, plate of pasta, and evening stroll along Sardinia's waterfront. The class will surely be back again in the future.
With Olympic sailing looking toward new and more dynamic formats, this championship also served as a proving ground. For the first time, the event featured a sailor-designed format, blending the traditions of a series-based regatta with a high-stakes, winner-takes-all finale. The new approach delivered precisely what organizers hoped for — thrilling, unpredictable racing with a wide mix of nations in contention and medals decided on the final tack.
With two Spanish victories and a British triumph in the foilers, the 2025 Worlds in Cagliari showcased the best of high-performance sailing — speed, innovation, and a touch of Mediterranean flair. As the sailors pack up their gear, one thing's certain: the road to Los Angeles 2028 is already wide open.