Justine Mettraux and Charlie Dalin were named Rolex World Sailors of the Year at the World Sailing Awards hosted by the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. Both recipients of the 2025 Rolex World Sailor of the Year awards triumphed in the Vendée Globe. The male award went to France’s Dalin, who was the winning skipper aboard Macif Santé Prévoyance. Switzerland’s Mettraux, finishing eighth overall on board Teamwork-Team SNEF, earned recognition as the fastest woman to compete in the event.
The awards were determined by the combined verdicts of 17,480 public votes alongside an expert panel of judges.
The Kuehne+Nagel Young World Sailor of the Year awards recognized Greece’s Nikolaos Pappas and Spain’s Marta Cardona. At just 13 years of age, Pappas made history at his first international event—the 2025 Optimist World Championship in Portoroz, Slovenia—where he triumphed over 213 competitors.
Another standout, Marta Cardona Alcántara from Spain, showcased her talent by winning both the 470 Mixed World and European Championships, achieving the European title after sailing with her partner Jordi Xammar for only 40 days, followed by a world title a month later.
The LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES Project by the Royal Yachting Association won the 11th Hour Racing Impact Award. Vakaros received the inaugural World Sailing Technology Award. Team Emirates New Zealand, the winners of The America’s Cup, narrowly claimed Team of the Year over amateur team Headcase. Bernard Bonneau received the Beppe Croce Trophy for his contributions to the global implementation of the Racing Rules of Sailing, while Jevan Tan, the founder and director of Metazone Limited’s Sailing & Sustainability Programme in Singapore, won the President’s Development Award.
France’s Dalin emerged victorious in the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe race, completing the 2024–2025 event in a record-breaking 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, and 49 seconds, surpassing the previous record by over nine days. Mettraux set a record for the fastest single-handed, non-stop, monohull circumnavigation by a woman, finishing in 76 days, one hour, and 36 minutes.
Jevan Tan was commended for his groundbreaking work in promoting inclusive sailing across Singapore and the wider Asian community, launching the first Para Sailing Development Programme in Singapore and establishing the region’s initial Inclusive Development Programme.
World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Impact Award
Regarding the 11th Hour Racing Impact Award, the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES Project aimed to connect conservation efforts with recreational boating to safeguard seagrass meadows and maerl beds across five ecologically significant areas in southern England. Funded by the EU LIFE Programme, the initiative involved various partners and achieved the restoration of eight hectares of seagrass, the installation of 17 advanced eco-mooring systems, and the creation of three voluntary no-anchor zones.
The project engaged over 29,000 individuals through outreach events, involving over 7,000 schoolchildren in marine education, and training more than 2,427 boaters and young sailors in sustainable anchoring methods.
World Sailing Technology Award
Vakaros’s RaceSense technology has revolutionised race management, improving efficiency and precision in timing and positioning. This innovation has enhanced live tracking and communication during races, benefitting both competitors and organisers.
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