The Same, But Different
by Mark Jardine 13 May 03:00 AEST
Vincentia Sailing Club's Jervis Bay Classic 2026 © John Quinn
I am so enjoying reading all the event news now the season has begun in earnest in the UK. The sun has been plentiful throughout April and May, encouraging everyone to get back out on the water.
We've seen the big international events in the Olympic classes, SailGP trotting the globe, the America's Cup teams waking from their slumbers, but it's the grass-roots events around the world, from the gravel pits, reservoirs, lake and coastal clubs in the UK, to the 71 boats taking part in the Jervis Bay Classic at Vincentia Sailing Club in Australia, where everyday people are enjoying dinghy sailing in greater numbers than some of the doomsayers would suggest.
I've got a packed schedule of events coming up where I'll be talking to the competitors and finding out how they started out in sailing, what they enjoy so much about the sport, and why they've settled on the kind of sailing they do. The diversity of events is staggering, yet all powered by the wind. They are the same in some respects, but also very different in others, and that's an aspect of sailing which I love and continue to be amazed by.
In four days' time I'll be heading up to Datchet Water Sailing Club, located under the flightpath near Heathrow Airport, to cover the International One Metre (IOM) World Championship. I wrote about radio sailing in my article On the right wavelength a couple of months ago, and I am genuinely excited to see the best in the world battle it out during the Worlds.
The entry list is fully global, with 28 countries represented from all continents. There are 9 sailors competing from Great Britain and the USA, 8 from Croatia, 7 from France, 6 Australians, 4 from Bermuda, Sweden and Spain, 3 representing Chile and Switzerland, 2 from Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand and Poland as well as one each from Bahamas, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Portugal and Uruguay.
The IOM class operates under a box rule, with a maximum length of one metre (unsurprisingly) and a minimum total weight of 4kg. Wood or glass fibre hulls with carbon fins and rudders are permitted, and three rigs for different wind strengths. The boats go through strict measurement prior to racing.
These craft are finely tuned, but remarkably only use two-function radio control for the rudder and sail winch, meaning the fine tuning has to happen ashore.
The defending champion is Croatia's Zvonko Jelacic who won the 2024 event held in Gladstone, Australia. The Croatian contingent is formidable, with 2025 European Champion Robert Matulja also in the fleet.
Tragically, runner-up at the 2024 Worlds, Ian Vickers from New Zealand, passed away earlier this month at the far too young age of 57 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was competing in the class as recently as March, winning the New Zealand North Island Championships, and he will be sorely missed by all. It was his humble and giving nature which made him so popular in the class. Ian was also a yacht designer, making many IOM yachts from his Beach Haven workshop in Auckland, with his V12 design taking second and third overall at the last Worlds. His legacy lives on in the class, and we send our deepest condolences to all his family and friends.
At the conclusion of the IOM Worlds I'll be travelling straight down to the south coast for the International Paint Poole Regatta, where around 200 yachts of all shapes and sizes will be competing on courses in Poole Bay and the stunning natural harbour. This year they are also hosting the RORC IRC European Championship, so some of the best race teams will be competing. I'm a big fan of the event as it has struck the right balance of sailing and socials, making it a must-do for many who continue to spread the word with their friends. The three-day format works for many, accommodating the busy lifestyles which we all seem to have nowadays.
After a few days back in the office, I'll be heading out to Switzerland for the SSL Gold Cup African & Oceanian Qualifiers, followed by the first set of European Qualifiers, at Lake Neuchatel. Regular readers will remember the scenes at the inaugural event in 2023 in Gran Canaria.
The four-boat country versus country format, using the one-design 47-foot yachts, resplendent in their gold hull wraps, makes for exciting racing and I'm looking forward to reconnecting with the SSL team at their base in Grandson. It's an event where I get to talk to sailors who I wouldn't meet otherwise, which really helps me understand their local sailing scene, the challenges they face growing the sport, and the opportunities we have to sail in new venues.
The SSL Gold Cup itself will be held in Rio de Janeiro later in the year, which is promising to be an event for the ages. By this time the 66 nations will be whittled down to 40, who will compete in rounds to reach the grand final, to be contested by the top four teams.
From Switzerland I head to Palma for another Gold Cup, this time the inaugural X-Yachts Gold Cup Spain. I've raced in the last two X-Yachts Gold Cups in Denmark, which have been highly enjoyable, and expect the atmosphere in the Mediterranean to be no different, though definitely a notch warmer. The Danish boatyard has nurtured a family atmosphere amongst its owners over many years, which has led to sailors being highly devoted to the brand. It's a weekend I'm already very much looking forward to.
In the Grand Prix world, it was the Bonds Flying Roos who took the honours in Bermuda at the latest SailGP event. Tom Slingsby and his Australian team have been on fire lately, and lead the season championship by ten points. We're expecting more big news out of Australia this week at the top end of the sport, which makes it an exciting time for sailing in the country. Watch this space...
The events I've discussed today are taking place with such a wide range of craft, from models to foilers and everything in-between. It all goes to show just how wide-ranging the sport can be, and how anyone can find their sweet spot. Whatever kind of sailing we do, it really is the same, but different.
Mark Jardine
Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com Managing Editor