Poland’s Piotr Cichocki claimed an impressive double gold, while Sweden’s Fia Fjelddahl and Patric Rosenberg survived a thrilling final-race showdown, as the 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships came to a close in Portimão, Portugal on Saturday (10 October).
After six days of competition, the championships delivered a fitting finale, with titles decided across a diverse range of Para Inclusive sailing disciplines.
Great Britain’s James Coxon completed a remarkable return to the sport with victory in the Challenger multihull, while Lucy Hodges and her GBR 2 team successfully defended their Vision Impairment title.
Racing throughout the week tested sailors in everything from strong winds and challenging seas to lighter, tactical conditions, with Saturday’s final races providing one last opportunity for positions to change.
Cichocki emerged as one of the outstanding performers of the championships, securing gold in both the Para Inclusive One Person Keelboat (Hansa 303) and also the Inclusive Two Person Keelboat (Hansa 303), alongside his wife Joanna Cichocka.
The double triumph capped an exceptional week for the experienced Polish sailor, who had been locked in a close battle with Germany’s Jens Kroker in the singles competition. Only two points separated the pair heading into the final day, setting up a tense conclusion to one of the championships’ most competitive fleets.
Cichocki sealed the world title in style in Portimão, with two more race wins cementing his victory. Kroker held on to silver, with Portugal’s João Pinto securing bronze.
In the doubles competition, Cichocki and Cichocka built a commanding 20-point advantage before the final day, finishing with a flourish to round off a dominant week, finishing 25 points ahead of Portugal’s Carlos Santos-João Pinto and Korean duo Mun Sungwon-Dongjin Yun.
“I’m very happy that I managed to win gold in both competitions,” said Cichocki. “I love Portimão. The weather is beautiful, and everything worked out.”
With next year’s championships heading to their home waters in Gdynia, Poland, the pair are already looking forward to defending their titles.
If Cichocki’s double gold was one of the standout achievements, the Para Inclusive Two Person Keelboat fleet, sailed in RS Venture Connects, provided most of the drama on the final day.
Sweden’s Fia Fjelddahl and Patric Rosenberg entered the day with a ten-point lead over their nearest rivals, but a tenth-place finish in the opening race saw their advantage over Spain’s Pau Toni Homar and Ramón Gutiérrez shrink to just two points.
With everything riding on the final race, the Swedish pair were forced to watch their title hopes swing back and forth as positions changed around the course.
“The decisive moment came when an Austrian boat overtook the Spanish challengers, helping Sweden secure the gold medal on countback,” explained Fjelddahl.
For Rosenberg, the victory was particularly emotional after the pair had suffered narrow defeats in previous championships.
Great Britain’s James Coxon completed one of the event’s most compelling comeback stories, winning the Para Inclusive One Person Multihull title in the Challenger class.
Coxon returned to sailing after breaking a world record in cycling following his diagnosis for a rare form of motor neurone disease.
Saturday’s lighter conditions demanded a different approach, with Coxon admitting that the final races were far from straightforward.
Great Britain’s Lucy Hodges, Jamie Tylecote, Liam Cattermole and Steve Tylecote successfully defended their Vision Impairment title, completing another outstanding performance in the RS21 fleet.
The victory was built on teamwork and communication, with the four sailors now in their second season racing together.
Elsewhere, Finland’s Marko Dahlberg finished his week in style in the Para Inclusive One Person Technical Keelboat (2.4mR).
Hong Kong’s Tsz Hin Cheung confirmed his leading position in the Para Intellectual Impairment competition, while Portugal’s José Campos also secured the Inclusive Cognitive Impairment gold.
These championships marked an important milestone for Inclusive Wingfoil, with the new seated discipline making its debut on the programme.
The Nations Trophy for the overall top performing nation went to Great Britain.
This second edition of the World Sailing Inclusion Championships brought together 222 athletes from 40 nations in Portimão.
World Sailing’s Inclusive Development Programme has helped emerging sailing nations access coaching and international competition, supported in part by funding from the America’s Cup.
World Sailing CEO David Graham hailed the success of the championships and the continued growth of inclusive sailing.
The 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships were delivered in partnership with Vela Solidária, the Municipality of Portimão and the Portuguese Sailing Federation, with the support of the America’s Cup.
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