The ILCA embraces green boatbuilding, Melges 24 Nationals, A Class Catamaran Worlds, Cup news
by David Schmidt 19 Nov 2025 08:00 AEDT
November 18, 2025
Natural fibre composites © Greenboats
There's always been a certain tension between boatbuilding and environmental concerns. While boats are a fantastic way to get out on the water, explore one's environment, and likely return with a greater appreciation for our natural world, the hard reality is that building vessels out of fiberglass (or carbon) and resin takes its own environmental toll. Interestingly, the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) recently announced an ongoing strategic partnership with Greenboats, a company that pioneers sustainable composite materials, to explore and create ways of reducing the environmental wake caused by building ILCA dinghies, while also working to ensure the fairness and integrity of this legendary one-design class.
The ILCA and Greenboats plan to develop a long-term vision for producing low-emission ILCA dinghies, while also implementing much shorter-term incremental innovations (read: trialing more sustainable materials on certain sections of the build, or on certain components) that will be implemented using a stepped approach.
The plan is for Greenboats, which has 15 years of experience innovating with biocomposite materials, to lead the charge on research and materials while co-manufacturing prototypes, while the ILCA will ensure compliance, coordination, and transparency, while also conducting lifecycle assessments.
The two companies plan to work together on implementation roadmaps for different material replacements, with the aim of reducing the net emissions of each ILCA dinghy on a part-by-part basis.
Given that the ILCA is one of the world's largest one-design classes (read: more than 215,000 hulls have been built), all proposed innovations and manufacturing changes will be carefully reviewed to ensure class compliance and that builders and World Sailing are engaged in the process.
Class stakeholders (builders, suppliers, regulators, and sailors) will be included via forums and feedback protocols, and they will be kept informed about the process via newsletters and engagement at key class events.
"By working with Greenboats, we can evolve responsibly - protecting our class's extensive legacy, competitive fairness and longevity while taking meaningful steps toward a sustainable future," said Tracy Usher, the ILCA's president, in an official communication. "ILCA and Greenboats share the same vision of real and meaningful change, driven by facts and measurable data."
Sail-World tips our hat at this collaboration, and we sincerely hope that Greenboats and the ILCA can successfully create and implement more sustainable boatbuilding solutions for this strict one-design class, while also providing leadership for other classes and builders who are interested in greening-up their operations.
Speaking of high-level one-design racing, the Melges 24 U.S. Nationals (November 14-16) recently unfurled on the waters off of Pensacola, Florida. The event tested the 40-boat fleet with conditions that ranged from light and variable to breezy over the three-day event.
After nine races (with one discard), Cuyler Morris's Dark Horse team (Manu Weiller, Charlie Smythe, Dean Curtis, and Mark Ivey) took top honors. Dark Horsewas joined on the podium by Bora Gulari's Mavi team, and Joel Ronning's Catapult squad.
"We spent time in Europe over the summer and, of course, we did the Worlds in Trieste," said Morris in an official event communication. "There are some really great sailors here in Pensacola, and the competition totally rivals what we experienced in Trieste."
On the Corinthian side of the scoreboard, John Shockey's Wombmates Racing was the boat to beat, followed by John Poulson's Longshot and Dan Berezin's Surprise.
"We were pretty tight on funds, but we knew we had to get down here and give it everything we had—and I'm really glad we did," said Shockey in a post-racing report. "I'm incredibly proud of our team's performance and the result overall."
Meanwhile, jumping from one hull to two, and from Pensacola to Auckland, New Zealand, Polish sailor Jakub Surowiec has impressively won his third consecutive title in the Open division of the 2025 A-Class Catamaran World Championship. Surowiec beat-out American sailor Ravi Parent, who finished in second place, by two points, and the Australian sailor Darren Bundock, who finished in third place, by nine points.
In the Class A Classic fleet, Polish sailor Jacek Noetzel took top honors. He was joined on the winner's podium by Australian sailors Jamie Jochheim, who finished in second place, and Andrew Landenberger, who finished third.
And finally, in America's Cup news, Athena Racing, the British-flagged challenger of record which represents the Royal Yacht Squadron, recently announced that it has appointed Ian Walker, a two-time Olympic medalist, winner of 2014-2015 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, and former America's Cup skipper, as CEO of its efforts to win the 38thAmerica's Cup.
"The Cup has evolved enormously since I was last involved in terms of the boats, the technology, and even the balance between sailors and designers," said Walker in a team communication. "But at its core, it remains unchanged, it's about managing your resources, getting the best out of your people, and making every second count, in a race against time, and the clock is ticking."
Sail-World wishes Walker good luck in his new position.
May the four winds blow you safely home.
David Schmidt
Sail-World.com North American Editor